Gospel of Blood

Count Stafford’s kneeling not only startled Charlotte but also surprised the knights on guard and the maids serving in the reception hall. All their eyes converged on him.

Charlotte had to stand up, clear her throat, and say,

“Count Stafford, you jest. I am the Countess of Castell, a vassal of the Crescent Kingdom, not the Queen of Starfall. Please, rise quickly.”

She signaled her personal knight to help Count Stafford up.

The knight tried to help Count Stafford up but found himself unable to budge him at all. The strength gap was simply too vast. No extraordinary individual below the level of Blazing Sun could make a Blazing Sun rise if the latter didn’t want to.

The knight’s face turned red from the effort, but Count Stafford remained unmoved. Helpless, the knight looked to Charlotte for assistance.

Seeing this, Charlotte sighed and gestured for Count Stafford to stand up.

Count Stafford still didn’t move initially, but as soon as Charlotte finished speaking, he felt a gentle force lifting him. It was so subtle that it felt almost imperceptible, yet he found himself unable to resist it. Under this soft force, he stood up almost involuntarily and couldn’t kneel back down even if he tried.

“You all may leave.”

They bowed to Charlotte and quickly departed. Once only Charlotte and Count Stafford remained, she sat back down and said,

“Count Stafford, I believe I now understand your intention. We can discuss things properly.”

Count Stafford finally snapped out of his astonishment from the mysterious force. He looked at the young girl sitting on the lord’s seat with amazement, curiosity, and admiration in his eyes.

“The rumors say that the Lord of Castell, though young, is an exceptionally talented leader, blessed by the Divine and possessing extraordinary abilities… I always thought the rumors were exaggerated. But now, it seems they were understated. Your power is beyond what the world knows…”

“Your Majesty, was that just now a display of divine magic?”

Charlotte didn’t deny it. While playing dumb can be

advantageous, there are times when showing strength is necessary, especially in a world where extraordinary abilities and lineage are paramount.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Charlotte smiled and said,

“Since you’ve experienced my power, you should understand that someone like me will never be willing to become a puppet for any faction.”

Then she grew serious and said,

“I haven’t said I’d accept the throne yet, nor have I been crowned in Starfall. Calling me Your Majesty now doesn’t feel like genuine support to me.”

“Sir, I don’t appreciate being tested.”

Hearing this, Count Stafford bowed apologetically.

“My apologies, Lady Charlotte, for my rashness. Although your fame has spread over the past year or two, there is still very little information about you within Starfall. The Kingdom Parliament has decided that you must accept the throne, which led me to act as I did.” R

“Oh? Must? Sir, do you know what it means to use that word in negotiations?”

Charlotte asked in surprise.

Count Stafford nodded.

“Of course, using ‘must’ in negotiations only weakens our position. However, in my view, it also demonstrates our sincerity.”

“First, I must admit that many nobles in the kingdom indeed want to support a monarch with no real power in Starfall. But that doesn’t include me or the Kingdom’s parliament. Contrary to external rumors, we do not seek a puppet king. We desire a capable and powerful monarch.”

“I believe you understand that Starfall’s current situation is dire, and a puppet monarch cannot lead us against the scheming bloodborne and the covetous Crescent Kingdom.”

Charlotte was genuinely surprised by Count Stafford’s words. The Kingdom Parliament’s attitude was far different from what she had expected.

“Sir, may I hear your reasons? It seems you and the Kingdom’s Parliament firmly believe that supporting me as the Queen of Starfall is the right choice?”

She asked curiously.

Charlotte was genuinely curious. Though she had the status of a Saintess, had defeated the allied forces of two duchies, and had the “official” recognition of the Roman Sword, these alone seemed insufficient to deem her a suitable and satisfactory king for the Kingdom Parliament.

Count Stafford nodded.

“Of course. To show our sincerity, I will answer any questions you have.”

“First, the Kingdom Parliament’s decision to support you as the Queen of Starfall indeed follows King Edward’s will. Your noble bloodline, even making the Roman Sword bow to you, legally makes you the true heir of Starfall. You are recognized as a Saintess by the Holy Court. Supporting you as our monarch will undoubtedly earn the Church’s support, helping us better resist the bloodborne.”

“But the real reason we are determined to bring you back to Starfall at all costs is a prophecy made many years ago…”

“A prophecy?”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, a prophecy.”

Count Stafford continued.

“Many years ago, when King Edward was still in power, he sought the counsel of a mysterious seer about the heir to Starfall. You see, King Edward had few children, and the issue of succession was always a significant problem.”

“The seer told King Edward that the next heir to Starfall would be chosen by the Roman family’s ancestral sword. The new monarch would lead Starfall out of civil strife and prolonged suffering, guiding it to become a haven in the chaos to come.”

“Initially, King Edward was skeptical about the prophecy. But the seer’s abilities were indeed profound, and several of her predictions later came true. Furthermore, she was eventually killed by the Nez Bloodborne for her overly accurate divinations…”

Charlotte was moved and asked.

“So, is that why King Edward sent Prince Henry to the Roman Duchy for the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony?”

Count Stafford nodded.

“Yes. However, Prince Henry was clearly not the prophesied heir. He wasn’t even recognized by the Roman Sword. Therefore, when we learned that the missing Roman Sword had appeared in the Castell territory and had recognized you as its master, we realized that you were the prophesied heir!”

Hearing Count Stafford’s words, Charlotte nodded slightly. She hadn’t expected the Kingdom Parliament’s firm support of her to be based on a prophecy.

The Starfall Kingdom was indeed the heartland of the Nez Clan. Not only were the Nez Clan skilled in divination, but even the local humans believed so strongly in prophecies!

“Lady Charlotte, the Kingdom Parliament and the Roman royal family have agreed to support you as the Queen of Starfall. You will have all the powers of the Starfall monarch. You need not compromise with the Parliament or change your name. You can still use the Castell name.”

“Of course, it wouldn’t be realistic if there were no conditions at all. The Parliament asks only that after you step down, the ancient elective succession system of the Starfall Kingdom be restored. The throne will no longer be hereditary but elected from among the kingdom’s nobles.”

“Moreover, after you step down, the Roman Sword will be officially recognized as the royal sword of the Starfall Kingdom and will be kept by the Roman royal family…”

Count Stafford said. Finishing, he looked at Charlotte with genuine sincerity.

“Lady Charlotte, do you accept our support and become the new Queen of Starfall?”