Gospel of Blood

Chapter 222: Sincerity

"Oh? Not enough? Then could you tell me what kind of conditions would secure Castell's support?"

Count Yurst frowned and asked.

Charlotte paused for a moment and said.

"Count Yurst, to be honest, your offer is indeed enough to make me agree. But unfortunately... considering the Nez Clan's past transgressions in Castell, I find it hard to trust you."

"Handing over information on all the nobles you've collaborated with is certainly a show of sincerity. But then again, without the Nez Clan's interference, the relationship between the Castell family and the local nobles wouldn't be as delicate as it is now..."

"As for your claim of 'losing the trust of northern nobles,' nobles rarely trust each other in the first place. It's mostly about interests. As long as the stakes are high enough, some will take risks. That doesn't prove much."

"What you've already offered is not enough to make up for Castell's losses, and your promises are intangible, lacking a foundation for mutual trust."

Hearing this, Count Yurst's brow relaxed, and he smiled.

"You don't need to worry about that, Countess Castell. Since we are here, we naturally come with sincere intentions. If you have doubts, we can sign a contract."

"Words alone cannot truly earn trust, and as for contracts... any contract can have loopholes. Rather than promises, I prefer to see action."

"Oh? Countess Castell, what kind of action would you like to see?"

Count Yurst asked.

Charlotte paused slightly and said.

"Count Yurst, thanks to your side, the internal situation in Castell is unstable. To be frank, perhaps thinking that Castell is temporarily unable to focus, some annoying characters around the north have been secretly causing trouble recently."

"Although they are just minor annoyances, they are still troublesome. If your side truly has sincerity, why not show me your strength first?"

Count Yurst raised his eyebrows.

"You mean the local lords near Castell? You want us, the Nez Clan, to intimidate them?"

Charlotte smiled.

"Since your side plans to overthrow the Starfall royal authority, you should be capable of intimidating a few Crescent lords, right? As far as I know, your forces in the Crescent Kingdom are not limited to just Castell."

"If you can forsake the local nobles around Castell after abandoning Castell's nobles, then I can truly believe that you are showing goodwill toward us."

Count Yurst looked surprised.

"You know quite a lot."

Charlotte remained silent but smiled.

Of course, she knew a lot. After all, she had observed a remote meeting of the Nez Clan, where most of the participating bloodbornes were involved in underground activities in the Crescent Kingdom and its surroundings.

Not only Castell but many nearby lords and nobles were also targets of their efforts. Castell just seemed to be the most important one.

After a moment of thought, Count Yurst decisively nodded.

"No problem. Since you want to see sincerity, we will show sincerity. I can assure you that in the upcoming period, the lords around you should have no energy to harass Castell."

Hmm...?

So straightforward?

Looking at Count Yurst, who agreed so readily, Charlotte was a bit surprised.

Noticing her expression, Count Yurst smiled.

"Don't be surprised. Compared to Castell, our attempts to woo the surrounding nobles were incidental."

"If we can gain your support, even giving up the support of other Crescent nobles is worth it."

"But..."

Count Yurst's expression gradually turned serious, and his crimson eyes looked deeply at Charlotte.

"I hope you understand that our willingness to extend an olive branch and use the Roman Duchy as a bargaining chip is not just to show goodwill to Castell but also to the one symbolized by the Thorny Roses behind you."

Count Yurst emphasized the term "behind you."

Charlotte glanced at him with some surprise, not expecting the Bloodborne Count to suddenly bring up their suspicions about the "Thorny Roses."

No, it could no longer be called a suspicion.

Various signs indicated that the Nez Clan now genuinely believed there was a God behind Castell symbolized by the Thorny Roses.

Seeing Charlotte's surprised expression, Count Yurst smiled.

"Countess Castell, don't be surprised. Our Nez Clan knows more than you might imagine."

"Rest assured, we have no intention of interfering or threatening. On the contrary, we prefer peaceful coexistence."

"The Roman Duchy represents not just a large piece of territory but also millions of potential followers. I think this would be crucial for any resurrected great being. For us Nez, trading a duchy that we would inevitably give up in the future for the friendship of a great being is a worthwhile deal."

"Moreover, deceiving a God that has been awakened in Myria for centuries is a price our Nez Clan is unwilling to bear."

"The Holy Court may be powerful, but its core strength is far in Eastern Yunette, while Castell... is our neighbor!"

"Countess Castell, with this explanation, do you believe in our sincerity?"

"Furthermore, we can promise that if we succeed in taking the Starfall Kingdom, the Nez Clan is willing to provide means and resources to help the God restore THEIR divine power as quickly as possible!"

Wow?

We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org

Donate now

Means and resources to restore divine power?

Charlotte's eyelids twitched wildly, almost losing her composure.

Hmm, this indeed shows a lot of sincerity.

Not to mention, the Nez Clan, a force that has existed for thousands of years, even has ways and resources to help a God restore divine power...

The other party's words practically confirmed their belief that there was a "resurrected God" behind Castell.

Though Charlotte already knew from the Nez Clan's remote meeting that they knew many things about her, having them state it outright represented a completely different significance.

At this point, Charlotte realized another issue.

The Nez Clan wanted more than just Castell's support, they were also interested in the "God" behind Castell!

No, it might not be support but a gesture of goodwill or an investment.

Of course, only she knew what the so-called "God" really was.

But Charlotte was puzzled about how the Nez Clan knew that the "God" needed ways and resources to restore divine power?

And what did they mean by having been awakened for centuries?

Looking at the Bloodborne Count in front of her, who acted as if he knew everything, Charlotte couldn't help but feel he might have misunderstood something.

Regardless, a duchy that complemented the northern region, along with means to restore divine power... Charlotte was indeed thoroughly tempted.

But she knew she had to stay composed.

The other party definitely misunderstood, thinking there was a powerful hidden God behind her. Only she knew she was a fake with a sixty-second cheat.

And even the cheat was at a Legendary level, with the status of a God but not the power, enough to bully some bloodline-pressured bloodbornes at best.

After some thought, Charlotte said.

"Count Yurst, your intelligence network is indeed impressive. However, mortals cannot fathom the thoughts of Gods. I am merely the Lord of Castell and cannot promise you anything."

"But... I have seen your sincerity. Now it just needs to be put into practice."

Count Yurst nodded and smiled.

"That is enough. You will soon see our sincerity. I hope for a pleasant cooperation in the future..."

He raised a glass of mead.

"Hopefully."

Charlotte also smiled slightly and raised a goblet of dairy-based drink.

They looked at each other and drank their respective beverages.

"Oh, right."

Charlotte put down her glass and suddenly said.

"Since we have been so open, I think there's one more thing I should convey."

Count Yurst's expression changed slightly.

"Oh? Please go ahead."

Charlotte paused and said.

"Since you've investigated my background, you should know that I do not get along with the Blood Demon Cult..."

"The Blood Demon Cult? Rest assured, even though we are both bloodbornes, we actually don't get along either. In fact, I have always disliked those who act without any bottom line."

Count Yurst said instinctively.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? But are you aware that when your side was infiltrating my Castell silver mine, there was a shadow of the Blood Demon Cult behind it?"

"The shadow of the Blood Demon Cult?"

Count Yurst was slightly taken aback.

As if realizing something, his expression gradually became serious. He asked.

"Are you... certain?"

"It seems you didn't know? I thought your side had already entered into deep cooperation with the Blood Demon Cult! It's just... your relationship might not be as good as we imagined. At least a few days ago, our people found traces of fighting between your side and the Blood Demon Cult in northern Castell."

Charlotte feigned surprise.

Count Yurst's expression grew more serious.

He seemed to be thinking of something, his face becoming somewhat suspicious. After a moment, he bowed to Charlotte and said.

"Countess Castell, thank you for the information. We will soon show you Nez's sincerity and look forward to the day we can cooperate with Castell and the great being behind you!"

"I will report today's negotiations to the duke as soon as possible. Please await my good news..."

With that, Count Yurst hurriedly left.

Watching his serious demeanor, Charlotte felt a stir in her heart.

It seems... there might be some conflict between the Blood Demon Cult and the Nez Clan that she wasn't aware of?