Gospel of Blood

The fact that there was a special envoy from the Crescent Kingdom attending the Red Palace banquet was something Charlotte never expected.

Not only that, the envoy was even an acquaintance of Charlotte’s.

“Duke Moonshield—John de Anro…”

Charlotte read the name from the list.

Duke Moonshield was an old acquaintance of Charlotte’s. When she first inherited her territory and traveled to Castell, he had warmly welcomed her.

Later, after winning the Borde-Castell War and achieving independence, Duke Moonshield had even hosted a salon to introduce Charlotte to the lords of various kingdoms.

Duke Moonshield played a significant role in helping Charlotte quickly integrate into the Crescent Kingdom’s noble circles and in establishing stable trade channels for Castell’s extraordinary resources with the kingdom’s various lords.

Charlotte had a very favorable impression of this loyal royalist noble.

Duke Moonshield was affable and kind, the type of person who could get along with everyone and always had a cheerful demeanor—a social expert in modern terms.

However, underestimating Duke Moonshield as merely a nice guy with no real capability would be a grave mistake.

Being the leader of the royalist nobles and a right-hand man to King Louis V of the Crescent Kingdom, duke Moonshield was indeed very capable.

It was said that he was the one who initiated and managed the ceasefire agreement of the Star-Moon War, and at that time, he was not even twenty years old.

Moreover, he also played a significant role in easing relations between Charlotte and the Crescent Kingdom’s royal family after their war.

During the Borde-Castell War, the royal family had tacitly allowed Prince Philip to strip Charlotte of her title, making them enemies, if not directly opposed.

Duke Moonshield had been the mediator who facilitated negotiations and ultimately convinced the king to recognize Castell’s independence and accept Castell as a direct vassal.

Without a doubt, Duke Moonshield was a close confidant of King Louis V.

Visiting the Starfall Kingdom as a special envoy, his every move and word likely represented the Crescent royal family’s stance.

“When did the Crescent Kingdom’s envoy arrive in Starfall? And what is his purpose?”

Charlotte asked thoughtfully.

She had only been in Starfall for a day, and Duke Moonshield was farther away. He must have set off before her, not after.

This meant that Duke Moonshield was also visiting the Starfall Kingdom with his own agenda.

Marquis Howard respectfully replied.

“Interestingly enough, he arrived just this morning. We are not yet clear on his intentions, but it is likely related to the territorial disputes between our two countries.”

“You know, the peace treaty of the Star-Moon War did not resolve the territorial issues. Our Starfall Kingdom considers the Roman Duchy as our royal territory, while the Crescent Kingdom also claims it by right.”

“Twenty years ago, the peace treaty stipulated that the territorial disputes would be temporarily set aside.”

“But now, with the Starfall Kingdom’s unstable situation and the vacant throne, the Crescent Kingdom is likely to be restless again.”

Charlotte’s mind raced, and she quickly understood.

The eighty-year Star-Moon War did not completely resolve the conflicts between the two countries, and the territorial disputes remained a hidden issue.

Now, with the Starfall Kingdom’s internal instability, the vacant throne, and the sudden emergence of Castell, the Crescent Kingdom naturally would not sit still.

After all, if Charlotte became the Queen of Starfall, the disputed territories would not be limited to the Roman Duchy alone.

Besides the Roman Duchy, Castell, with its richer geographical location and strategic resources, would also be in contention.

Under such circumstances, the Crescent Kingdom’s envoy attending Charlotte’s welcoming banquet became very subtle.

It implied that the Crescent Kingdom was already planning to intervene in the Starfall Kingdom’s succession to the throne.

Undoubtedly, tonight’s banquet was going to be very lively.

Marquis Howard also seemed to have realized this. His expression clearly showed his worry, almost written all over his face.

It was understandable. For the parliament nobles, who lacked extraordinary combat power, supporting Charlotte’s succession was already difficult. And Charlotte had explicitly stated she would not give up Castell when she agreed to inherit the throne.

But now, with the Crescent Kingdom’s envoy present, it was easy to guess that they would not accept this, likely pushing them to support the Lilac faction nobles.

This would definitely make the issue of succession even more complicated.

After a moment of hesitation, Marquis Howard gritted his teeth and bowed to Charlotte again.

“Your Majesty… Queen…”

Seeing that he had something to say, Charlotte nodded.

“Say what you want to say.”

Marquis Howard took a deep breath and asked.

“Your Majesty, are you determined not to give up the territory of Castell? Forgive my bluntness, but the Crescent Kingdom will certainly not allow Castell to fall under Starfall’s control. If you insist on this, they will undoubtedly side with our opponents…”

“I think you must realize that nothing is perfect. Sometimes, necessary compromises have to be made…”

Charlotte looked at him and shook her head.

“Sir Howard, I don’t know if Count Stafford told you, but my acceptance of the Starfall throne is conditional on not giving up my Castell County.”

“But… but…”

“No buts, Sir Howard. This is my bottom line, and I hope all the Starfall nobles can understand this.”

Charlotte said calmly.

Seeing that persuasion was useless, Marquis Howard’s face became even more worried.

Looking at his distressed expression, Charlotte smiled and added.

“Sir Howard, I know what you are worried about. Rest assured, I can tell you frankly, even if the Crescent Kingdom supports Duke Aecia, it doesn’t matter. The throne will be mine.”

“As for the territorial disputes… hehe, even without Castell, there’s still Roman. I know some nobles want to completely abandon continental territories and stay away from Myria’s conflicts…”

“But everyone must also remember that abandoning the continental territories means being completely isolated from the mainstream order of the world. In chaotic times, staying in a remote corner is not a good choice.”

“As for the Crescent Kingdom, it is certainly strong, but not invincible, especially with Castell and a united Starfall Kingdom.”

Hearing Charlotte’s words, Marquis Howard hesitated to speak further.

To be honest, Charlotte also understood the logic he was presenting.

Moreover, if possible, many nobles were actually unwilling to give up the Roman Duchy and even supported integrating the Castell County into Starfall.

The reason was simple: the former was the ancestral land of the Starfall royal family, and the latter was an important source of mithril, which could greatly enhance the extraordinary power of the Starfall Kingdom.

However, the brutal Star-Moon War had truly terrified the nobles, and the formidable Louis V had become a nightmare for many Starfall nobles.

Additionally, Charlotte’s succession to the throne was not secure and had not even been formally recognized.

In this situation, pushing the Crescent Kingdom towards another faction’s contender for the throne seemed like a wrong choice to Howard and the other nobles.

It was very likely that both the throne and the territories would be lost!

Yet this young Queen appeared to be very confident about her succession…

Marquis Howard felt he could not understand her.

If it were someone else, he would undoubtedly consider such confidence as arrogance.

But the Starfall nobles had investigated this young queen from Castell, knowing she was not shallow and had managed Castell with remarkable skill at a young age.

Since she was so confident, there must be some other reason behind it.

However, Marquis Howard could not fathom how she could be so sure about her succession to the throne, even though her most staunch supporters were not so confident.

He couldn’t think of any way to easily defeat Duke Aecia, who had the support of the bloodborne.

Wait…

Defeat Duke Aecia, supported by the bloodborne?

It seemed like something dawned on Marquis Howard.

Could it be… the Queen had used her influence in the Church and had secretly gained the support of the Holy Court?

Marquis Howard couldn’t help but look at Charlotte again.

Seeing her relaxed and carefree demeanor, the more he thought about it, the more he felt he might have guessed the truth.

Yes.

The only power that could defeat the bloodborne would be the Holy Court.

Moreover, only with the support of such a powerful entity could the Queen have the confidence to stand against the Crescent Kingdom.

There were rumors that the relationship between the Crescent Kingdom and the Holy Court was not good. Perhaps… the Queen had already secured strong support from the Holy Court!

The more Howard thought about it, the more convinced he became.

Otherwise, he couldn’t explain the Queen’s current attitude!

While it was difficult for others to gain significant support from the Holy Court, the Queen was different. She was a Saintess of the Holy Court and had earned the appreciation of the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese.

She… must have already reached an agreement with the Holy Court, which is why she was so confident!

As for why the Queen didn’t reveal this directly…

It must be to avoid alerting the enemy!

Thinking this through, Marquis Howard’s expression gradually relaxed.

When he looked at Charlotte again, his eyes were filled with respect and excitement.

“Your Majesty, I… understand. I will inform the Speaker and calm everyone down.”

“I believe that under your leadership, we will definitely emerge victorious!”

Seeing the sudden excitement in Marquis Howard after a series of expressions, Charlotte was taken aback.

Honestly, she didn’t expect her words to convince him so quickly.

She couldn’t directly tell the Starfall nobles that she had already integrated the Nez Clan, so her words were vague.

Charlotte was still thinking about how to reassure these Starfall nobles without revealing her secret, but the other party… was already reassured?

Could it be that he had come up with some explanation in his mind?

Charlotte’s expression turned peculiar.

“Um… good, as long as you understand. For now… proceed with the arrangements and prepare for the banquet.”

Charlotte said.

After speaking, she took out a parchment from under her desk and handed it to Marquis Howard.

“Also, pass this to Count Stafford and make the necessary preparations to address it at tonight’s banquet.”

It was an imprint of evidence of the crimes of Bishop Campbell, along with related orders issued by Charlotte.

Marquis Howard took it, and when he saw the contents of the parchment, his eyes widened.

“This… this is…!”

“Your Majesty, is this true? Are you sure? Is this necessary?”

Charlotte nodded slightly.

“Of course, I will not tolerate any betrayal.”

Marquis Howard’s expression became even more respectful.

“I understand. We will follow your orders and purge the corrupt forces within the Starfall Kingdom!”

He bowed deeply and respectfully took his leave.

After Marquis Howard left, Charlotte continued to review the various documents about the current state of the Starfall Kingdom, which had been sent by Count Stafford.

…

Time quickly passed, and it was soon afternoon.

Charlotte received another guest.

It was Yurst.

“Your Excellency, the materials you entrusted to Lord Albrecht have been passed on to the Clan’s Elder Council. Lord Bardock and the Great Elder were very shocked by the contents.”

“In addition, as per your request, the Clan has officially launched an investigation into the Elven Bloodborne. All connections with Luna Island have been severed, and a thorough examination of the bloodbornes within the Starfall region is underway.”

Yurst reported respectfully.

“Good, keep me informed of any developments.”

Charlotte nodded.

Yurst responded respectfully.

After finishing, he hesitated for a moment before continuing to report.

“Additionally, the Great Elder asked me to inform you that the Clan has resolved the issue with the Lilac Family. Duke Aecia has been ‘convinced’ and will attend your welcoming banquet tonight to pledge his allegiance.”

Hearing this, Charlotte paused slightly.

She looked surprised and curiously asked.

“‘Convinced’ Duke Aisia to pledge allegiance to me? So quickly? How did you manage to do that?”

Yurst’s expression turned peculiar.

“In the words of the Great Elder, it was a matter of reasoning and persuasion.”

Charlotte: …

“Alright, you did well and efficiently. I am pleased. Is there anything else?”

She asked.

Yurst nodded.

“There is one more thing, which is a concern of the Elder Council. When should we eliminate the influence of the Holy Court within the Starfall Kingdom?”

“You know… since Bishop Campbell has been deeply collaborating with the elven bloodborne of Luna Island, they must be well-informed about us internally.”

“If we don’t remove this hidden threat quickly, the Holy Court may discover your return, which would be a major problem!”

Charlotte listened and smiled.

“I plan to address this matter. Rest assured, after tonight’s banquet, the Starfall Kingdom will no longer have the Holy Court’s spies.”

…

The day passed quickly.

Before long, it was time for the evening banquet.