Gospel of Blood - Chapter 251: Awakening
It was a feeling difficult to describe with words.
After Charlotte activated the blood divine power and tried to contact Sebastian, she felt something deep within her soul quietly shatter with a bang.
An irresistible pull erupted instantly, like a gushing spring, enveloping her and elevating her consciousness…
Charlotte found herself losing control of her body in an instant.
As if seeing from a God’s perspective, her vision left her body. She first saw the “stone coffin” she had made for herself, then the entire cave.
Her vision did not stop and continued to ascend.
She saw the low hill where the cave was located, the Northern Mountain Tribe in the distance, the laboring mortals within the tribe, and the towering spire…
The spire gradually receded, and the mountains became tiny.
Charlotte saw the vast stretches of mountains, the rivers flowing like ribbons, the flocks of migrating birds, and the soaring eagles below…
Clouds swirled beneath her feet.
Charlotte felt like a rising rocket, gradually seeing the entire land and ocean beneath her.
She saw the Myria continent.
Although not in its entirety, comparing it to the continental map treasured by the Castell family, she was sure the land before her was the Myria continent.
And her consciousness’ point of origin was northeast of Crescent Peninsula, in the northern part of Myria, known in later generations as the Northern Plateau…
Charlotte silently noted this location while her “gaze” scanning the surroundings.
She could see the distinct boundary between the earth and sky and the slightly curved horizon…
At that moment, Charlotte understood.
Although she had traveled to a magical otherworld, the land beneath her feet was still a planet!
Her vision continued to ascend, and the full view of the Myria continent gradually unfolded before her…
Charlotte felt as if she had transformed into a satellite, overlooking the entire world.
And beyond the ocean, to the west of the Myria continent.
After spanning nearly a third of the Myria continent, Charlotte saw another continent.
It was a smaller, fragmented continent.
At its center was a massive circular ocean, with the shattered land radiating outward from the ocean, as if struck by an unimaginably large meteorite.
From afar, it looked like a giant scar on the planet, incredibly striking.
Charlotte instantly realized that this should be the homeland of the elves before they crossed to the Myria continent, a place referred to as the “Old Continent” in some secret documents.
Charlotte perked up, wanting to take a closer look at what caused the ocean in the center of the fragmented continent. However, as her vision continued to rise, a strong sense of fatigue and drowsiness began to set in.
Charlotte felt the familiar drowsiness, and her clear consciousness gradually became blurry.
The next moment, the world spun, day and night alternated rapidly.
In a daze, Charlotte seemed to see the sun rising and setting, setting and rising, over and over…
It was as if the whole world was speeding up, with day and night alternating, becoming faster and faster.
Initially, she could distinguish dawn and dusk, but soon, the rotation of day and night became so fast that they blended together.
Like a broken light bulb flickering constantly, the entire world turned into a white blur.
Amidst the spinning and flickering, Charlotte could no longer hold on, her consciousness growing increasingly fuzzy.
But just as Charlotte thought she was about to fall asleep again, the flickering world gradually fell into darkness… Everything returned to silence.
Charlotte felt herself in a boundless darkness.
Here, she could not feel the passage of time, nor her own existence.
Only her sluggish consciousness flowed slowly and lonely.
Just as Charlotte’s consciousness was about to break, a blood-red star suddenly shone in the darkness.
No.
That wasn’t a star.
It was a book.
It was the “Gospel of Blood” deep within Charlotte’s consciousness!
The “Gospel of Blood” radiated a crimson light, illuminating the dark world.
Charlotte felt a strong repulsion from all directions, followed by a powerful sense of weightlessness.
The fatigue washed away like a receding tide, and her consciousness became clear again.
In contrast to the strong weightlessness, in Charlotte’s perception, she felt as if she were someone submerged and rapidly rising to the surface…
Familiar control sensations returned, and Charlotte felt as if her soul had rejoined her body, regaining control.
She felt the soft silk and velvet beneath her, and smelled the distinctive fragrances of soothing roses.
The next moment, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes.
What she saw was a luxurious coffin lid crafted by Sebastian, inlaid with beautiful luminous pearls and magic crystal cores…
…
Northport, the Count’s mansion.
In the solemn council hall, nobles of various appearances sat, distinctly divided into two factions.
One faction, led by Sebastian, mostly consisted of followers who had come with Charlotte from Borde to Castell, and officials and new nobles promoted by Charlotte after arriving in the territory.
The other faction was the fully armed Castell nobles.
At the head was Viscount Leon-Castell, who sat there drowsily, with a few heads of baron families of considerable prestige in the North.
At this moment, the nobles in the hall were fiercely arguing with Charlotte’s followers.
“We must see the lord! If you say the lord is unharmed, why stop us from meeting her? Or are you lying?”
“Hmph, just an elf expelled from Luna Island, do you really think you control Castell?”
“We only take orders from the lord, and we… will only listen to the lord’s commands!”
The nobles were resolute, questioning Sebastian, who was seated at the head.
Sebastian glanced at the aggressive nobles, his eyes landing on Viscount Leon-Castell at the forefront.
“Viscount, doing this at such a critical time, should I take it as your betrayal of our lord?”
Hearing Sebastian’s words, Viscount Leon-Castell slowly opened his eyes.
He sighed and said,
“Sir Sebastian, as the head of the Leon-Castell family, I am naturally loyal to the Countess…”
“However, what everyone is saying is quite reasonable. We are loyal to Castell, loyal to the Countess.”
“But it has been many days since we last saw the Countess, only you issuing orders on her behalf.”
“Sir Sebastian, I admit the Countess trusts you, but just because the Countess trusts you does not mean the nobles of the territory also trust you…”
“Moreover, you are an elf.”
“You tell us the Countess is unharmed, but so much time has passed without the Countess appearing. No matter how we think about it, you must give us an explanation…”
The Old Viscount gazed deeply.
“Or as the rebels say, has the Countess already been taken over by them?”
Sebastian shook his head.
“Viscount Leon-Castell, the rebels only took the lord’s substitute. I’ve said this many times.”
Viscount Leon-Castell shook his head.
“Then you should explain everything clearly. If it was a substitute taken, where is the real Countess?”
“You have been blocking us from seeing the Countess for various reasons, day after day, week after week…”
“Today marks a full month since…”
“With the Countess missing for so long, various rumors have begun spreading throughout the territory, even suggesting the Countess has been murdered.”
“Sir Sebastian, it’s not that I want to doubt you, but with external and internal troubles, unrest is rising, and for the sake of unity, the nobles need an explanation!”
Many nobles echoed.
“Yes, we need an explanation!”
“We answered the call for the Countess, not the steward of the Count’s family!”
“Do you really think you can represent Castell?”
Seeing the aggressive nobles, Sebastian’s expression darkened.
Hearing the nobles’ words, Charlotte’s followers exchanged glances, showing hesitation.
“Sir Sebastian, I think they have a point. If you know the Countess’ situation, you should tell everyone.”
A knight hesitated for a moment and spoke.
“Yes, the rebels have declared war on us, gathering over ten thousand troops and gaining support from neighboring lords. If the Countess doesn’t appear soon, it will confirm their claims, and the remaining nobles will waver.”
Another knight agreed.
Sebastian frowned, looking around at the followers.
“Is that what you all think?”
The followers exchanged glances, hesitated, but finally nodded slightly.
Under the gazes, sebastian sighed deeply.
“The lord is safe, but… it’s inconvenient for her to appear now.”
“I am entrusted by the lord to act in her place during this period, with a handwritten letter from the lord as proof!”
He produced a parchment from his pocket and displayed it.
All eyes turned to Viscount Leon-Castell.
The parchment was passed to the Old Viscount, who examined it closely.
“This is indeed the Countess’ handwriting, and it bears her seal.”
“But merely this won’t be enough to convince everyone…”
“Viscount Leon-Castell, are you trying to force the lord to appear?”
Sebastian said coldly.
The Old Viscount sighed.
“Sir Sebastian, you’re wrong. Castell faces unprecedented rebellion. No matter what troubles the Countess faces, appearing to stabilize the hearts is natural.”
“Though it may sound disrespectful, if the Countess cannot appear, she’s failing in her duty as a lord…”
“So… you mean you want to be the lord?”
Sebastian coldly looked at him.
The Old Viscount shook his head.
“I dare not. I am merely the County’s vassal, a supporter of Castell…”
“But, there is a tradition among nobles. When the lord cannot exercise power, the nobles should form a Regency Cabinet to temporarily manage the territory.”
“Sir Sebastian, if the Countess cannot appear for long, this is the only way to garner all noble support. Only this way can we gather our strength to fight the rebels!”
“Oh? Regency Cabinet? Then I’d like to ask, who is the Regent?”
As soon as Viscount Leon-Castell finished speaking, a crisp voice came from outside the hall, with a playful hint.