Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel

Charlotte finally had a good night's sleep.

There were no "Ancient God's Whispers" like the ones she experienced every night when she first crossed to this world, nor the fearful tension she felt while staying at the Church Hospital. She slept straight through to nearly noon.

In fact, if it wasn't for the annoying knocking on the window by the black cat Nisi, Charlotte felt she might have slept until evening.

"I believe I mentioned last night that you should come back through the main door and not disturb my lazy sleep."

Her beautiful blonde hair exploded out like a hedgehog, and, dressed in a white strap nightgown clinging to her pillow, Charlotte sat up halfway in bed, giving a cold look to the black cat drinking water from the teapot.

"Ahem, the main door wasn't open, meow. Besides, Master Cat... I mean, I'm just used to entering through the window."

Nisi said with a smile, his amber eyes repeatedly glancing towards the girl's exposed chest.

Charlotte couldn't help but feel that it was intentional — a deliberate act of retaliation.

"Oh? So, was it you I saw outside the window on the evening of the Blood Sacrifice?"

She used the pillow to shield herself, squinting at the black cat stretching its neck.

"Hmm? A cat? What cat?"

Nisi craned his neck and looked up at the ceiling pretending to be clueless.

"That night's Demon Hunting Knight, did you report and call them over?"

"What are you talking about? I don't know! It wasn't me, I didn't do anything, don't make false accusations!"

Nisi immediately denied everything.

Charlotte understood.

"Did you figure out what I asked you to investigate last night?"

She didn't want to waste any more time on these trivial issues and shifted to more serious matters.

"Well... how should I say this, meow, I'm not sure if I figured it all out."

Scratching his head, the black cat replied.

"Hmm?"

Charlotte hummed softly.

"Here's the thing, when I left yesterday, I told the City Guards to track them, and also arranged for the guys at Demon Hunting Institute to ambush them, but... neither the City Guards nor the Demon Hunting Institute found anyone meeting with the kidnappers at the location marked on the parchment," Nisi explained.

"Nobody?"

"Yes, nobody."

"Did they get spotted?"

"No... it's more like nobody came at all."

"No one came? Strange, why would they kidnap me then..."

Charlotte frowned.

At first, she thought it might be some enemy of Castel's, but now she felt that wasn't right.

The events of the previous night flashed through her mind like a slideshow. From being abducted by the fake servant, to the counterattack, to the Demon Hunting Knights and City Guards arriving, and then Nisi's inconclusive investigations...

Gradually, a complete chain of events... started to form in her mind.

Charlotte began to harbor some speculations.

After some thought, she reached under the blankets and fished out the hand crossbow she brought back last night.

She then tossed it to Nisi.

Nisi's eyes lit up, and he caught it with his paws, sniffing it closely.

But upon seeing Charlotte's icy gaze, he quickly cleared his throat and shrank back in guilt.

"Check out the homeless man who led the way last night and find out where this hand crossbow came from."

Charlotte instructed.

"Ah? How do I check that? Isn't this just a standard hand crossbow from the New Moon Kingdom?"

Clutching the hand crossbow, Nisi flipped it over, his face full of question marks.

Charlotte shook her head:

"If I'm not wrong, if you check, you should easily trace its origin... perhaps it belongs to the Duke Mansion."

"Duke… Duke Mansion?!"

Nisi's eyes widened, utterly shocked.

"And what about the Rose Association? How's the investigation going?"

Charlotte did not continue explaining but shifted to another issue.

"The Rose Association probably has nothing to do with this matter. If you ask me, they're just a corrupt intermediary circle that takes commissions under the guise of having a Second Tier Transcendent from Silver Moon as a backer, engaging in dirty dealings."

Nisi shook his head.

Speaking, he then stroked his chin:

"However, Master Cat... ahem, I did accidentally discover another matter."

"What?"

"Your step-grandmother seems to have close dealings with the Rose Association. There are many tasks she posted on their task board, including some seeking sacrificial materials and even selling a cursed page once... and it looks like she's also an honorary member of the Rose Association meow."

Mrs. Castel? Fragments of the Blood Holy Scripture?

A flicker of shock crossed Charlotte's mind.

She had never imagined that the crazy old woman once held more than one fragment of the Holy Scripture!

Charlotte was about to probe further, but she noticed the black cat's high-spirited tail, and squinting her eyes, she said:

"You seem very excited?"

"Aaah? What? Excited? Meow! Not at all!"

Nisi continued to act clueless.

Charlotte quietly watched him.

Moments later, apparently unable to withstand her oppressive gaze, Nisi scratched his head and honestly admitted:

"Alright, I admit, I am a bit excited, but... please allow me to ask you a question first."

"Ask."

"That night, your step-grandmother was indeed offering a sacrifice to the Blood Demon Duke, right? And then... just like you changed my Servant's Oath last night, you altered her sacrifice?"

"Well, you figured it out just like that?"

Charlotte glanced at Nisi in surprise. She neither admitted nor denied it.

Nisi almost instantly became excited:

"Are you holding a grudge against the Blood Demon Duke?"

"What does that have to do with you?"

Charlotte countered.

"Meow! Of course it's related! Because I also have a grudge against them...ah no, against the Blood Demon Sect!"

Nisi exclaimed excitedly, its tail quivering:

"Meow! If you're going to deal with the Blood Demon... Sect, you must include me!"

Charlotte remained noncommittal.

She didn't know if she could really consider herself as having a grudge against the Blood Demon Sect; that would depend on whether they continued to bother her and if they held any fragments of the Blood Holy Scripture.

The Blood Holy Scripture was Charlotte's trump card, and she was its master. Completing the Blood Holy Scripture was certainly one of her future goals.

"If needed, I will, after all, you are my servant."

Charlotte spoke indifferently.

As she spoke, she continued:

"How much do you know about the curse pages?"

"The curse pages?"

Nisi was momentarily stunned.

It pondered for a moment, then responded:

"I only know that they were once an ancient artifact of the Bloodline, later destroyed during the Bloodline civil war. They not only lost most of their power, but also became cursed..."

"Everyone who possesses the pages eventually goes mad, turning even the Bloodline members into monsters!"

A curse, eh...

Charlotte pondered thoughtfully.

She thought of the Countess she had seen that night.

After a moment of reflection, she continued:

"Keep investigating the Rose Association and the Blood Demon Sect. Also, find out about the whereabouts of the curse page sold by Mrs. Castel, along with any other leads on curse pages."

"Why are you investigating these?"

Nisi asked curiously.

"Obviously, to take back what's mine."

"Your things?"

Nisi was bemused.

"Alright, I'm getting up now. You can go out, and remember to compile all the magic you know into a book for me."

Charlotte issued an eviction order without further explanation.

Nisi: …

Though curious as a scratch, ultimately intimidated by Charlotte's menacing aura, Nisi sighed and obediently left the bedroom.

"Take back... my things?"

Closing the door, Nisi holding a hand crossbow was still puzzled.

Suddenly, as if realizing something, the figure of the black cat froze:

"Her things? Wait! The curse pages?!"

With a "clatter," the hand crossbow from Nisi's arms dropped to the ground.

Its eyes widened in shock, unable to stop trembling:

"She, she, she, she, she...!"

"Could it be... could she be...!?"

...

Charlotte was unaware of the immense shock her words had brought to the cat.

After Nisi left, she struggled out of bed.

After a night's sleep, the aftereffects of her Blood Rage had also subsided.

Charlotte felt as though reborn, her whole body coursing with energy.

Without a maid's assistance, she naturally discarded the cumbersome noble dress, opting simply for a dress easy enough for her to wear herself.

Only her beautiful blonde hair was a bit more troublesome to manage.

Usually attended by servants and assisted by female priests at the Church Hospital, now it was left to Charlotte alone.

It was at this time she truly realized how much care the servants took daily to maintain her beautiful blonde hair.

Beauty always came with a price.

Perhaps later she could see if there was any magic for self-grooming she could learn?

Charlotte thought so.

Breakfast... no, rather, lunch was simple.

A plate of vegetable salad, a small veal steak, a small slice of pan-fried foie gras, and a small dish of bloomy rind cheese.

Plus, Charlotte's favorite: cream of mushroom soup.

The meal was prepared by Casimodo. Although it wasn't as good as what Charlotte remembered from the chefs at the Castel Manor, it was still fairly acceptable.

It couldn't be helped; now, the vast Castel Manor was left with only Casimodo and Charlotte.

Being able to take care of both the silverware store and herself, Charlotte could only praise the old servant as a hexagonal warrior.

"After eating, let's hire some servants."

After satiating her hunger, Charlotte looked around the empty manor and at her somewhat messy, painstakingly managed hair, and then spoke after a moment.

Just hearing her words, Casimodo's expression suddenly went troubled.

Noticing this, something clicked in Charlotte's mind:

"Hmm? Is there an issue?"

Casimodo sighed and said with a bitter smile:

"Master, indeed... there are some problems."