Gospel of Blood

"Nice, did the Holy Court also participate in the Lilac War? How much do you know about this war?"

Mulling over the internal conflict in Starfall that the black cat Nice mentioned, Charlotte pondered and asked.

"Heh, I happened to see some documents from the Cardinal in the Crescent Diocese. Speaking of which... it’s related to the Crescent Kingdom."

"After the Star-Moon War ended, the then King of Starfall, Henry 'The Fool' Roman, was overthrown by the nobles of Starfall Kingdom. Since Henry 'The Fool' had no heirs, two branches of the Roman family started a civil war over the throne. Because both branches used lilacs as their emblem, this war was also known as the Lilac War."

"Among them, the more powerful Roman branch used the red lilac, while the slightly weaker branch used the purple lilac. At the start of the war, the red lilac family was dominant. However, the purple lilac family later received assistance from the Holy Court and the Crescent Kingdom, eventually turning the tide and defeating the red lilac family..."

"Seeing the tide had turned, the red lilac family eventually relinquished the throne and submitted to the purple lilac family, leading to reconciliation. The head of the purple lilac family, Edward Roman, eventually ascended the throne of Starfall, becoming the current King Edward III."

"Lady Charlotte, if the Holy Court did anything significant in Starfall, it would be this event."

Nice scratched his head as he spoke.

"And the church's missionary work in the Starfall Kingdom has also progressed well over the years?"

Nice nodded.

"Of course, after helping the purple lilac family defeat the red lilac family, the purple lilac family naturally needed to show their gratitude. Not only the church but even the Crescent Kingdom gained many benefits from this."

"And what about the red lilac family? Were they purged afterward?"

"Heh, not really. Although they fought fiercely, they are ultimately family. Rather than a total victory, it was more of a compromise. You know, after the war, King Edward III married the daughter of Duke Lanstor from the red lilac family!"

Charlotte gave Nice a surprised look.

"You seem to know quite a lot."

"Hehehe, just a bit, just a bit. The romantic affairs of the Starfall royalty are widely known, especially the stories about Edward III and Duke Lanstor's daughter. Some enthusiasts even wrote books about it."

Nice chuckled.

Charlotte: ...

Looking at Nice's expression, she could tell those books were probably not serious literature.

"However, although Edward III didn't purge the red lilac family, he did purge many nobles, earning him the nickname 'Tyrant Edward.'"

Nice thought for a moment and added.

Purge many nobles, huh...

Charlotte nodded slightly, deep in thought.

From the limited information she knew, the Holy Court, being highly esteemed, rarely intervened in mundane conflicts. Such involvement in a kingdom's civil war was unusual.

Considering the position of the Nez clan in Starfall Kingdom’s nobility, combined with what Nice mentioned, Charlotte quickly formed a bold hypothesis.

Could it be that during the Starfall civil war, the Nez clan supported the red lilac family?

On the surface, it was a battle for the throne between two branches of the lilac family. But in reality, it was a struggle between the Nez clan and the Holy Court for control over the Starfall Kingdom?

The two branches of the lilac family were merely their proxies?

And in the end, the Nez clan lost?

This speculation made Charlotte’s heart race.

However, as she connected the dots, she felt this could very well be the truth...

The red lilac family, supported by the Nez clan, lost. The Holy Court's influence in the Starfall Kingdom strengthened, squeezing the survival space of the Nez clan.

Charlotte didn't know what the Nez clan faced after the Lilac War, but judging by Count Lachlan's anger, the Nez clan likely suffered significant losses.

It seemed the Nez clan was preparing for war. If viewed from this angle, were they planning to instigate a second civil war in the Starfall Kingdom?

Is that why they were reaching into Castell?

At this thought, Charlotte's heart skipped a beat.

This was highly likely because if the Nez clan wanted to start a war in the Starfall Kingdom, they would need a secure base. As the Northern Lowlands across the sea from the Starfall Kingdom, Castell was perfect for this.

Additionally, there was the Roman Duchy...

Duke Nottingham of the Nez clan was likely stationed in the Roman Duchy. Like Castell, if Charlotte's guess was correct, the Roman Duchy could also be a staging ground for the Nez clan’s counterattack.

Of course, this was just a hypothesis.

However, Charlotte felt it was very close to the truth.

Even Count Lachlan’s hatred towards the Roman family could be explained.

Regardless of being red or purple lilacs, they were all Romans. In the Lilac War, the two Roman branches ultimately reconciled.

If the Nez clan truly supported the red lilac family, it would be akin to being betrayed by the Roman family...

Yet, Charlotte was puzzled why the Nez clan's anger extended to her as Castell's Lord, and why Count Lachlan referred to her mother as "Your Highness."

Could it be... her mother's true identity was royalty of Starfall?

This was not impossible because Charlotte had long known that her mother came from a major noble family in the Starfall Kingdom. Due to sensitive circumstances, all past ties were hidden when she moved to the Crescent Kingdom.

Charlotte hadn't paid much attention to this before. But since she might now be dragged into the conflict of Fallen Star Kingdom, she thought it might be time to investigate.

"Nice, since you've read so many books about the Starfall royalty, have you come across a royal member named Anne?"

Charlotte asked.

"Anne? There are many Anne in Starfall Kingdom, and quite a few in the royal family. Which Anne are you referring to?"

Nice scratched his head.

Seeming to recall something, he suddenly raised his chubby face and asked.

"Wait... Are you suspecting your mother is part of the Starfall royal family?"

Charlotte nodded.

"To be addressed as 'Your Highness,' she should be a princess or someone of similar status, right?"

"A saintess or some exceptionally high-ranking women can also be addressed this way... But your mother was a devout believer of the Holy Court. She probably doesn’t fit that category. She often fed me small fish at the church before you were born!"

Charlotte: ...

There were so many issues with that statement that she didn't know where to start.

Noticing Charlotte's strange expression, Nice quickly corrected himself.

"Ah, no... Sorry, I meant before your current body was born."

Scratching his head, he said.

"Honestly, you're much more human than I imagined, to the point where I always forget your true identity..."

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Charlotte: ...

Why did that sound so odd?

"Lady Charlotte, are you curious about your mother’s background? If you want to find out, perhaps I can help by asking some people to investigate. Despite how I look now, I still have many friends in the church. Several have been transferred to Starfall Kingdom as priests, and even some as high priests. If I ask them to investigate, they might find some clues."

Nice patted his chest as he spoke.

Charlotte was moved and nodded.

"Alright, I'll leave this matter to you."

"Got it!"

Nice happily wagged his tail.

With Sebastian rarely absent, it was finally Nice's turn to show off in front of Charlotte.

The poor black cat had no idea that over time, with each confrontation with Sebastian, it was slowly becoming more subservient.

"Alright, call someone in and lock up Madoc. Once he sobers up, interrogate him thoroughly."

Charlotte said, glancing at the Northport mayor foaming at the mouth on the ground.

...

This anticlimactic attack did not affect the banquet at the count’s mansion.

In fact, because the main conflict occurred in the mental world, the nobles in the banquet hall didn’t even realize Charlotte had been attacked by a bloodborne.

Not being able to control Count Lachlan was unfortunate, but Charlotte didn’t come away empty-handed.

At the very least, she had a rough idea of what the Nez clan might be up to.

Madoc was likely just a small player, but by using him as a breakthrough, more information could be uncovered.

Moreover, although Count Lachlan was killed by Duke Yorok, Charlotte managed to roughly pinpoint his location during the spiritual invasion.

Duke Yorok clearly didn’t have the confidence to save Lachlan from her, hence why he acted as he did. It was evident that Count Lachlan knew significant information about the Nez clan.

Charlotte planned to send people to launch a surprise attack once Sebastian returned.

However, she didn’t have high hopes. Lachlan’s castle was indeed within the county, but it was quite far from Northport. It would take two or three days to reach it.

Two or three days... Charlotte estimated that would be enough time for Duke Yorok to clean up. By the time she sent people there, the castle might be empty.

However, the coming period would be the best time for Charlotte to consolidate her territory.

Count Lachlan was likely the Nez clan’s representative infiltrating Castell. With him dead, the hidden bloodborne forces in Castell would certainly be thrown into disarray.

Duke Yorok was frightened away by her, and he wouldn’t act rashly in the short term, giving Charlotte time.

However, Charlotte didn’t think this was a permanent solution.

In fact, her performance had some flaws. If Duke Yorok investigated, he might easily link the “mysterious bloodborne expert” with “Charlotte of Castell.”

The probability of discovering they were the same person was very low, but guessing there was a connection was almost certain.

The only consolation was that the Nez clan and the Holy Court were enemies. Duke Yorok couldn’t ask the church to verify if there was a bloodborne worshipping the God of Contracts...

But nothing was absolute. The Nez clan excelled in divination. Who knew if they would use it to confirm some information?

As for whether the Nez clan would continue targeting Castell, honestly, Charlotte wasn’t sure.

All she could do now was strike them unexpectedly before they had time to react!

Thinking of this, Charlotte picked up the documents provided by the nobles at the banquet.

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"It seems these materials, likely meant to confuse the situation, could be quite useful."

...

In a lush forest.

Tall trees blocked out the sun, and low shrubs were dense and green.

White spires, ingeniously crafted, rose among the trees, surrounded by flowers and vines, forming a city in the forest like a dream.

In the tallest spire at the city center, two slender figures sat facing each other, leisurely playing a game of Myria Chess.

One was a handsome young man in a star-studded blue-black robe, with silver-gray hair naturally cascading down his back.

If Charlotte were here, she would recognize him as the Bloodborne Duke she had just confronted in the mental world—Yorok Nez.

The other was a beautiful elven woman.

Wearing a luxurious gown adorned with flowers and grass, with silver hair and golden eyes symbolizing elven royalty, she looked noble and mysterious.

Suddenly, Yorok Nez's movements paused slightly, the black priest chess piece in his hand stopping mid-air.

Noticing his momentarily serious expression, the elven woman smiled slightly and said.

"Sir Yorok, what’s the matter?"

Duke Yorok’s eyes flickered as he slowly placed the priest piece down.

"Elder, there’s a problem in the clan. I’m afraid I can’t continue our game today."

"Oh? What happened?"

The elven woman asked curiously.

A red glint flashed in Yorok’s eyes as he said nonchalantly.

"It’s nothing serious, just a minor issue in Castell..."

With that, he rose from the chessboard, bowed to the elven woman, and said.

"Elder, may I use a meditation room on your island?"

The elven woman smiled.

"Of course. The Nez clan is a friend of our Luna Island. With my emblem, my kin will naturally lead you to our finest meditation room."

"Thank you for your generosity."

Duke Yorok said.

Then, he hurriedly left the spire.

"A minor issue..."

Looking at the chessboard where the black pieces had a clear advantage, the elven woman chuckled softly.

"For a Bloodborne Duke with a strong competitive spirit to put down his chess piece and rush to a meditation room for divination, it doesn’t seem like a minor issue..."

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