Gospel of Blood

"A Bloodborne Count named Hol? But as far as I know, among the few bloodborne secluded in and around Castell, none hold the rank of Count."

Sebas frowned as he spoke.

After a moment of thought, he added.

"Of course, my knowledge of the bloodborne is limited. The few bloodbornes I do know of are rather prominent in the extraordinary world, particularly in the mercenary circles. Bloodbornes are always low-profile, with many in constant slumber—some sleep so long that they're forgotten. You know, some wake up to find their castles demolished. So, perhaps it's a bloodborne member I'm not aware of, especially those ancient ones waking from their long slumbers."

"Master, I recall Madam Anna provided you with some information on the bloodbornes. Was there anything relevant in those documents?"

Charlotte shook her head slightly.

"Most of what Madam Anna provided pertains to the Nez family bloodbornes. The sections on the Crescent Kingdom focus primarily on the Shedite family. These dark families are quite active in the heart of the Crescent Kingdom, especially near the capital. But we are in the northern part of the kingdom."

"She did mention a few bloodbornes members residing in the Roman Principality, but there was no mention of a Count named Hol."

"Why don't we ask the Book of the Dead again? It should have some knowledge of its former owner."

Charlotte's expression darkened.

"I've already asked. That useless book spirit only knows the previous owner's name was Hol and that he was a fourth-generation bloodborne member. It knows nothing else."

"Perhaps it is as you said—a very ancient bloodborne member who has slept for countless years."

"But... who Count Hol was is no longer important. If the Book of the Dead's information is correct, he should have been killed by that bloodborne named Agnes."

"The current 'Count Hol' is actually Agnes' knight, Lahel, in disguise."

Charlotte's expression turned peculiar.

"From this perspective, the Nez family's plan may have already gone awry. The question is, do they know?"

Sebastian's expression mirrored Charlotte's peculiarly.

"That would be interesting. If that’s the case, as long as we have the Book of the Dead, we can just wait for them to come to us."

Charlotte nodded slightly. She had the same thought.

"But..."

Charlotte continued.

"Waiting for them to come to us is too passive. Since we've identified the Nez family as the troublemakers, we should visit the bloodbornes in Castell before the banquet. They might know something."

"The bloodbornes are very territorial. To me, the Nez family are invaders, and to them, they would be the same."

Sebastian's interest was piqued, and he eagerly asked.

"Are you finally planning to visit the nearby bloodbornes? Who would you visit first?"

Charlotte thought for a moment.

"Who is the closest bloodborne you know of?"

Sebas respectfully replied.

"That would be Viscount Laval. Viscount Laval is an honorary president of the Northern Mercenaries' Association, well-connected in the mercenary world. I visited him once during my travels in Castell ten years ago."

"Of course, though called a Viscount, he is not a noble of the Crescent Kingdom but holds the rank of a Viscount within the bloodborne clans."

"Though a bloodborne, he is quite upright and almost never drinks the blood of intelligent beings, a member of the bloodborne's ascetic faction."

"Viscount Laval?"

Charlotte's interest was piqued.

"The Vadallat family's Laval?"

Sebas was surprised.

"You know of him?"

"He was mentioned in the information provided by Madam Anna."

Charlotte said.

"But… is it alright? You seem to have some issues with the Vadallat family."

She gave Sebastian a sidelong glance.

Sebastian's expression turned a bit awkward.

"It’s fine. Viscount Laval is part of the ascetic faction, and those members are exiles from the Vadallat family. Otherwise, I wouldn't have visited him ten years ago."

Charlotte’s curiosity was piqued.

"Viscount Laval... also resides in Northport, right?"

"Yes, he is the honorary president of the Northern Mercenaries' Association, whose branch is in Northport."

"Do you know his exact address?"

"Yes, if I remember correctly, he stays at the branch."

"How convenient! Since he’s so close, we might as well visit tonight."

Charlotte smiled.

...

"Miss, they’re summoning us for void meetings more frequently lately. I’m really worried we might slip up. I even feel they already suspect us..."

Said the middle-aged knight Lahel with concern.

"And they’re collecting mithril and trying to take control of Castell. They must be brewing some grand scheme."

The young bloodborne girl Agnes shook her head.

"What are you worried about? Let them plot their schemes. It has nothing to do with us. If the sky falls, there are taller ones to hold it up. If anyone has to worry, it should be the little Countess of Castell!"

The middle-aged knight couldn't help but grumble.

"But that little Countess isn’t that tall either..."

Agnes rolled her eyes at him.

"It's a metaphor! A metaphor!"

The middle-aged knight hesitated.

"Then what should we..."

"We’ll continue to fish in troubled waters. If we can figure out what they're up to, great. If not, we'll try to gain some benefits. If they suspect us, it doesn't matter—we can always run!"

Agnes said as she nudged the knight's elbow.

"Alright, stop looking so glum. We're in Northport, so enjoy yourself a bit. We still need to go to the association tonight to handle some paperwork and post our commission."

The knight's eye twitched.

"Are you really going to sell the castle? Pardon me, but given that we might already be under suspicion, won't posting a commission on the black market attract attention?"

"Bloodborne Counts are very rare. The one you managed to kill was weak from long sleep and poisoned... I'm worried that if we do find a Count, they might be one of those guys."

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"Today's warning also showed that they wouldn't easily kill the Countess of Castell unless absolutely necessary."

Agnes fell silent.

Her expression changed multiple times before she gritted her teeth and said.

"In that case, we won't directly seek help from a Count. Instead, we'll auction the castle and use the money to hire another powerful being from the black market! It doesn’t have to be a Bloodborne Count!"

"All we need is to complete the third prince's commission and obtain the kingdom's enfeoffment decree!"

The middle-aged knight Lahel remained silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed.

"Miss, will the third prince really keep his promise?"

Hearing her knight’s question, Agnes also fell silent.

After a while, she sighed deeply and said.

"We are already bloodbornes. Do we have any other choice?"

"He is still royalty. Whether he keeps his promise or not, we must try if there's even a slight chance."

Agnes patted her cheeks.

"Alright! One step at a time! For now, let's sell the castle and make as much money as we can before our cover is blown!"

...

Perhaps gradually realizing that the Countess had no intention of seeing any nobles before the banquet, the number of requests to visit Charlotte significantly decreased once she returned to Northport.

Charlotte unexpectedly found herself with some rare leisure time.

It might seem strange, as a newly appointed lord would typically be extremely busy.

But that was the reality.

Charlotte temporarily declined visits, the county's cabinet was on hold, and municipal officers managed the affairs of the fief. Apart from reviewing detailed information about the territory, she had no official duties.

The only busy task, managing the mining workshop, was handed over to Sebastian.

This was common for Myria nobility.

Nobles of Myria, being both lords and managers, often didn't directly oversee their fiefs.

They could rely on senior officials and vassal nobles to manage the fief, focusing instead on major decisions. Many nobles, especially those in the lord's cabinet, spent more time fulfilling their obligations to the lord and maneuvering within the higher ranks of nobility.

For a lord like Charlotte, who was not yet serving in the Duchy and hadn't fully controlled her fief, it was normal to have some downtime.

This approach allowed Myria nobles to have more time for other pursuits, though it could lead to problems if the lord lacked power, especially during transitions between generations.

Charlotte believed that the new Duchess of Borde, Eleanor, was likely facing similar challenges. Charlotte herself had once been a rebel in Borde.

Still, Charlotte kept herself occupied with practicing her innate magic and familiarizing herself with the affairs of the fief, making the time pass quickly.

Before she knew it, it was evening, the time she had agreed with Sebastian to visit Viscount Laval at the Mercenaries' Association.

Like Borde, Northport was divided into inner and outer districts.

The inner district was on the original island where the city was first built, called the inner island, with more land routes than waterways. The outer district was created through land reclamation by mages over the centuries, with more waterways, called the outer island.

The Northern Mercenaries' Association, established since the city's founding, was in the inner island, not far from Charlotte's estate.

Given the special nature of their visit, Charlotte didn't notify Viscount Laval in advance but took her family's carriage with Sebastian directly to the association at night.

Why not during the day?

According to Sebastian, Viscount Laval preferred to sleep during the day and visited the association at night.

This was Charlotte's first visit to the Mercenaries' Association.

While Borde's association was small and simple, Castell's association, in the former adventurer’s paradise, was grand like a small count's mansion.

However, with the shrinking Violet Forest, Castell's mercenary organizations had declined. Although the association's branch looked grand, it was rather deserted.

The Castell family emblem was still a powerful symbol.

As soon as Charlotte's carriage stopped, the mercenaries standing guard at the entrance quickly ran inside.

Soon, a group of staff in uniform emerged.

Leading them was an elderly mage, giving Charlotte a slight sense of pressure.

He was a Silver Moon mage!

However, the Silver Moon mage smiled warmly at the sight of the carriage, even somewhat fawningly.

He approached the carriage, bowed respectfully, and said with a smile.

"I'm Layton, the president of the Northern Mercenaries' Association. How can I assist you, Countess Lady?"

Charlotte was surprised.

"You know me?"

President Layton smiled.

"Of course, the Castell family is a major patron of our association. Your portrait was circulated in the association the day after you left Borde."

Charlotte: ...

She remembered that her family's trade caravans often hired mercenaries from the association.

Seeing the association’s enthusiasm, Charlotte got straight to the point.

"President Layton, I’m here to visit Viscount Laval."

However, upon hearing her request, the mercenaries exchanged puzzled and strange looks.

Even President Layton's expression stiffened.

Charlotte sensed something was wrong.

"President Layton, is Viscount Laval not here?"

The old mage sighed.

"Countess Lady, it's a long story. The wind is strong outside, please come inside the association so we can talk."

Charlotte was puzzled but nodded and entered the association's branch, surrounded by mercenaries.

Not long after Charlotte’s carriage entered the association, a pair of figures, one large and one small, appeared at the entrance.

"Whew... finally made it. This walk was exhausting."

Said the young bloodborne girl Agnes, wiping imaginary sweat from her forehead.

"Miss, if you're too tired, we could hire a carriage."

Suggested the middle-aged knight respectfully.

"A carriage? No! Too expensive! It costs at least three silver tana for a ride! We don’t have much money, so we need to save!"

The girl shook her head.

"Alright, let’s get inside and finish our business. Then we can prepare for the banquet in two days, and sneak—no, retrieve the Book of the Dead, and give that little countess a scare!"

With that, she eagerly led the way into the association hall.

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