Gospel of Blood

Banquets are one of the main forms of social interaction for nobles in Myria, and it is the same in the Starfall Kingdom.

Even before dusk, nobles of the Starfall, who had received invitations from the parliament, began arriving at the Red Palace by carriage.

Clearly, the nobles of the Starfall were quite curious about Charlotte, the heir to the throne appointed by the previous king.

The Ruler of the North, the Saintess of the Holy Court, the bearer of the Roman Sword, and the last bloodline of the royal family… This young would-be queen had too many halos above her head, each of which was enough to make her the center of attention on the continent.

Therefore, at tonight’s welcoming banquet, whether they were parliament-aligned nobles, neutral nobles, or nobles leaning towards the Lilac faction, even those staunchly supporting Duke Aecia’s claim to the throne, almost all who were invited came.

The Red Palace, banquet hall.

The royal band was already in place, playing melodious music. Under the colorful crystal chandeliers, maids and waiters were bustling about, preparing for the many aspects of the banquet.

Delicacies were laid out on long tables surrounding the banquet hall for the guests to help themselves. In the center of the hall, under the crystal chandelier, the stage was brilliantly lit.

For the nobles of Myria, every banquet was also a ball.

Many nobles had already gathered in the banquet hall, chatting in groups.

“Did you hear? They say our future young queen was attacked by a sea beast on her way to Starfall.”

“A sea beast attack? Oh my! Is it true?”

“Indeed, reliable sources say that the attacking sea beast was the legendary sea king’s servant, Kraken.”

“Kraken?! Really?! How did they escape an attack by Kraken?!”

“There are rumors that the queen was blessed by the Gods and directly drove away Kraken…”

“Drove away Kraken?! Is that true? That beast is a legendary monster that devoured Gods!”

“It should be true, many sailors reportedly saw it. You know, her Majesty is said to be favored by the Gods.”

“But… Kraken rarely appears in this season, why would it attack them?”

“Well… rumor has it…”

…

Gossip is always an enduring topic of noble socialization.

Especially gossip about the great nobles and the royal family.

Although Charlotte had not yet ascended to the throne and was not truly a queen, as the heir apparent, information about her naturally became the focal point of discussion at the banquet.

What kind of person is the queen?

What does the queen like?

Is the queen really as beautiful as rumored?

And… what exactly happened on her journey to Starfall…

Of course, among the nobles, there were those supporting Charlotte, those curious about her, and naturally, those who opposed her.

“Queen? Oh no, dear sirs, she hasn’t ascended yet. We should call her Countess Castell.”

“I agree. King Edward was stubborn and tyrannical, I don’t believe his chosen heir is legitimate. According to the Lilac Treaty, the new king must come from the Lilac family.”

“Yes, a ridiculous decision without any reason. How can our Starfall king invite a Crescent noble to rule?”

“A descendant of Roman? Who knows if she is truly of Roman blood? The recognition of the Roman Sword means nothing. With the Holy Court’s support, couldn’t she also subdue an artifact?”

“Compared to an underage girl, Duke Aecia is clearly more suitable to be our king. He not only has the bloodline of two Lilac families but is also a powerful extraordinary.”

“Yes, Duke Aecia is renowned, even the bloodbornes respect him. Only such a figure can bring peace to Starfall.”

“These cowardly and corrupt parliamentarians are merely trying to support a puppet for their power by backing a little girl.”

Nobles leaning towards the Lilac family sneered and disdainfully negated the voices of the parliamentary nobles.

Clearly, not everyone attending the banquet was there to meet Charlotte.

There are many ways to oppose a rival heir. Disrupting their banquet and causing them to lose face is one such way.

Especially when the other party is new and their foundation is not yet stable, this can easily make the wavering nobles doubt the heir’s capability.

Obviously, these Lilac nobles had this purpose.

Though they were few in number, they were quite arrogant, clearly intending to turn this welcoming banquet into a laughingstock of Starfall City.

Hearing the unrestrained discussions and sneers of the Lilac nobles, the faces of the parliamentary nobles looked very unpleasant.

Especially Marquis Howard, who, as the Chief Steward and main organizer of the banquet, felt personally affronted by the opposing nobles’ remarks.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please refrain from such discussions. Even if Her Majesty has not yet ascended, she is the first heir of our Starfall Kingdom, the noble descendant of Roman, and the recognized head of the royal family by the artifact. This has been acknowledged by the Roman lineage. The honor of the royal family must not be tarnished!”

He said coldly.

Unfortunately, the visiting Lilac nobles were not buying it.

“Oh? Royal honor? Is royal honor passing the throne to a wild child of unknown origin? Who knows if her bloodline is real.”

“Does an artifact equate to authority? Don’t forget, the Holy Court has the power to suppress artifacts!”

“The Roman lineage? The recognition ceremony months ago clearly showed that the Roman lineage is a joke. They have no right to represent Roman!”

“A mere court marquis wants to talk about noble honor?”

The Lilac nobles sneered.

Hearing their sarcastic words, marquis Howard’s face turned red.

“If you cannot maintain noble etiquette, then please leave. Her Majesty’s welcoming banquet is for courteous nobles, not rude provocateurs. Don’t make us a laughing stock for our distant guests.”

A low, anger-suppressed voice sounded.

Hearing this familiar voice, the Lilac nobles paused collectively.

It was Count Stafford.

The provocative nobles instantly quieted down.

Nobles know whom they can challenge.

Though Count Stafford was only a count, his family had a long history and profound heritage, and their influence in the Starfall Kingdom rivaled many ducal families.

Additionally, Count Stafford himself was the speaker of the Kingdom’s parliament and a Blazing Sun extraordinary. Common nobles naturally dared not act recklessly in his presence.

Of course, the fact that these obvious troublemakers did not dare provoke Count Stafford did not mean that all Lilac nobles feared him.

“Ha ha, Speaker, such a temper. Though their words are sharp, aren’t they somewhat true?”

Another haughty voice rang out, immediately drawing the nobles’ attention.

A tall noble and a noble dressed as a mage entered the venue together.

The tall noble wore luxurious clothes, had fiery red hair, and exuded a deep and unfathomable extraordinary aura.

Beside him was another noble dressed as a knight, wearing the honor badge of the Kingdom’s knight order on his chest.

Seeing the knight following the tall nobleman, Count Stafford’s expression darkened. The knight glanced at the Count before looking away uncomfortably.

“Duke West, Captain Camden…”

The nobles of the Lilac faction bowed one after another.

Duke West, the military leader of the Starfall Kingdom and a staunch supporter of Duke Aecia, led the Lilac faction.

Additionally, there was the once-neutral representative, Viscount Camden, the commander of the Royal Knights.

However, as the nobles noticed Viscount Camden closely following Duke West, along with certain rumors from the Red Palace, they realized that the once-neutral Knights had made their choice.

This revelation made many remaining neutral nobles ponder deeply, beginning to understand why the Lilac faction felt so emboldened.

Clearly, the kingdom’s military had fully aligned with the Lilac faction, siding with Duke Aecia.

With the military’s support, the balance between the two contenders for the throne had shifted.

Some nobles began to waver, reconsidering whether attending this banquet was wise.

Despite rumors that the young Countess of Castell had displayed Blazing Sun strength and had even entered the Red Palace unopposed by the Knights, many found it hard to believe that a girl under twenty could wield such power, even if she was the Holy Court’s recognized Saintess.

Nobles weren’t fools.

As the military’s representatives moved in unison, the atmosphere in the hall grew more nuanced.

Duke West seemed quite satisfied with the situation.

Nodding to the nobles who greeted him, he turned to Count Stafford with a smile, saying,

“Sir Speaker, inviting a foreign noble, especially an under-twenty girl, to be our queen isn’t a rational decision.”

“This was King Edward’s dying wish. With Prince Henry’s tragic death, the King’s mind was already failing. How can we trust his judgment in this matter?”

Duke West then looked at the nobleman dressed as a wizard beside him, smiling.

“Ambassador, don’t you agree?”

At this, the Starfall nobles instinctively turned their attention to the wizard-like nobleman beside Duke West.

They couldn’t help but notice his attire. His robe, far more elaborate than Starfall’s noble garments, bore a distinct crescent style, with the crescent emblem indicating his status as a member of the Crescent Kingdom’s royalty.

If Charlotte were present, she would have immediately recognized him as John de Anro, the Crescent Kingdom’s ambassador and right-hand man to King Louis V.

Hearing Duke West’s words, Duke Moonshield smiled slightly and said,

“Duke, this is an internal affair of the Starfall Kingdom. As the Crescent Kingdom’s ambassador, it’s not my place to comment.”

“Ambassador, you’re too cautious! This isn’t just Starfall’s concern anymore. Let’s not forget, Charlotte de Castell is also a vassal of the Crescent Kingdom! As an ambassador, you wouldn’t want to see our kingdoms at war again, right?”

Duke West laughed heartily.

After laughing, he added meaningfully.

“Ambassador, my earlier proposal still stands. The doors of the duke’s residence are always open to you.”

Watching the military head openly courting a foreign ambassador, Count Stafford’s face grew darker.

“Duke, please mind your identity and position!”

He said coldly.

But Duke West showed no fear.

With Blazing Sun strength surpassing Count Stafford’s, and given that the three Legendary figures of Starfall had declared neutrality in the throne dispute, Duke West was currently the strongest among the nobles, even ranking higher in nobility.

“Count, it’s you who should be mindful of your identity and position.”

Duke West said indifferently.

“Praise be to the Holy One… Dukes, counts, this is the welcome banquet for the Saintess. Please calm down.”

An elderly sigh interrupted them as the kindly Bishop Campbell approached.

Count Stafford’s expression turned grim.

Though the Bishop seemed to be diffusing the situation, Stafford knew his true stance from Charlotte’s information.

His timely interjection after Duke West’s speech seemed intentional in suppressing the parliament faction.

Count Stafford sneered, about to retort, when the clear chime of the clock rang out, followed by a high-pitched announcement from the palace guards.

“Her Majesty the Queen… has arrived!”

The nobles in the hall paused.

They instinctively turned to the entrance, where a petite, beautiful girl in an elaborate dress walked in, escorted by two knights.

Seeing her youthful appearance, many Starfall nobles were slightly taken aback.

Some who had done prior investigations whispered.

“Is… Countess Castell really seventeen?”

Charlotte, having deliberately chosen a more mature outfit, was…

Being a Demigod had its drawbacks, with heightened senses making even the faintest whispers clear.

Though she anticipated this reaction, hearing whispers like “Why is she so young?” and “Is she really an adult?” tested her composure.

Youth was an asset, but looking too young could be detrimental for a ruler, especially one aspiring for the throne.

But being turned into a bloodborne shortly after her transmigration froze her age and appearance.

The only saving grace was her well-developed figure, making her age seem less extreme.

But her height was unchangeable, without divine intervention.

As Charlotte entered, Count Stafford restrained his anger.

He took a deep breath and bowed deeply to her.

“Your Majesty…”

“Your Majesty…”

The parliament nobles followed suit, bowing to Charlotte. Unfortunately, the chorus wasn’t loud.

Witnessing the military’s stance, many nobles remained silent, even those originally inclined towards the parliament faction.

Starfall’s politics were opportunistic. Most nobles sided with whoever seemed more likely to win.

“Pfft, a queen? Haha… I wasn’t aware our Starfall Kingdom had a queen. Bishop, did you know?”

Duke West sneered, his disdain and mockery evident.

Bishop Campbell looked awkward.

He sighed and said to Count Stafford.

“Sir Count… the Saintess hasn’t been crowned yet. It’s indeed inappropriate to call her queen now.”

This stunned the parliament nobles.

What did this mean?

Had the Holy Court’s stance changed too?

Seeing Duke West challenge them, the parliament nobles glared at him.

But Charlotte didn’t even glance at him.

She bypassed Duke West as if he didn’t exist, smiling at Duke Moonshield instead.

“Your Grace, long time no see. I didn’t expect you to become an ambassador.”

Her words piqued the Starfall nobles’ curiosity.

They were curious, very curious.

For Starfall nobles, supporting Castell meant calling her queen, while those opposing or undecided refrained.

So, what was the Crescent Kingdom’s ambassador’s stance on the Countess of Castell?

This was crucial, given the contenders’ special identities and affiliations, making this more than just an internal Starfall affair.

Especially with the Countess of Castell being a vassal of Crescent.

All eyes were on Duke Moonshield.

He smiled slightly.

To everyone’s surprise, he bowed slightly to Charlotte and said,

“Your Highness, long time no see.”