Gospel of Blood

Deep in the Great Northern Forest, amidst the dense coniferous trees, a dozen figures clad in black robes were speeding towards the southwest, using the shadows of the forest to their advantage.

Their entire bodies were hidden beneath their hoods, moving swiftly like phantoms. On their chests, they all bore the symbol of a blood-red rose.

The forest was incredibly quiet. Under the snow, only the distant chirping of birds and the howls of unknown beasts could be heard.

However, the black-clad group speeding southwest was anything but calm.

“What is the Prophet thinking, sending us to retrieve the statue personally? Has she forgotten the clan’s taboos?”

“Getting a chance to leave the ‘Sanctuary’ is nice, but I didn’t expect to receive such a dangerous mission, especially when the target is the Free Tribe Alliance…”

“Yeah, we’ve barely managed to suppress the ‘Curse’, and now we’re breaking taboos again. Aren’t we afraid all our efforts will be for nothing? The clan has already paid a big price.”

“Didn’t the clan already reach an agreement with the mortal rulers of the north? Acting rashly at this crucial moment… is this really wise?”

Many members of the group murmured among themselves, clearly confused and resistant to this mission.

Until the slender figure at the front of the group sharply rebuked.

“Quiet! This mission is a divine order from Her Majesty the Queen. I know you have concerns, but for the grand plan of Her Majesty and the future of the bloodbornes, we must take this risk.”

Fearing she might dampen morale, the slender figure added.

“Rest assured, we have maintained the barrier for centuries. The Gods’ remnant fragments have long lost most of their activity. Even the one worshiped by the Free Tribe Alliance has been missing for a millennium…”

“We have successfully distanced ourselves from the ‘Curse.’ As long as we’re careful, it won’t affect the ‘Plan.'”

She lowered her voice, as if afraid that anything she said might be overheard by anyone other than her companions.

Of course, she didn’t know that their conversation had already been exposed to a “God” who had just descended from the sky.

“Curse? Plan? Retrieve the statue?”

Not far from the group, Charlotte, who had successfully landed, was intrigued.

Though she had suspected it, she was still surprised to see the Harcos Clan responding so quickly.

Clearly, the situation she was worried about had indeed arisen.

The Harcos Clan had been monitoring the Free Tribe Alliance, and they were evidently very interested in the Faceless Statue worshipped by the Alliance.

The Northern Archduke did have dealings with Harcos, and this mysterious clan was acting even more swiftly than she had anticipated.

But looking at this team, Charlotte felt a mix of emotions and curiosity.

For such a swift response, it showed how much the Harcos Clan valued the Faceless Statue.

But given its importance, wasn’t this team a bit too haphazard?

They weren’t hiding their auras, their morale was low, and they showed no vigilance. Even their strength was lacking.

Of the dozen bloobornes, only four had reached the Silver Moon tier, while the rest were just Starry Sky, with not a single one at the Blazing Sun tier.

Was this all?

With such strength, they intended to retrieve the statue from the Free Tribe Alliance?

Although the Alliance’s overall strength was also lacking, not sending a single Blazing Sun… were they underestimating their opponents?

Seeing the numerous flaws in the team, Charlotte’s expression became inscrutable.

However, she didn’t act rashly.

As she got closer to them, she could sense that they seemed to have some mysterious connection to the northern barrier.

This connection was likely tied to the Crimson Queen Rowena.

Charlotte didn’t know if this connection hid any contingency plans from the Crimson Queen or if this Harcos team was baiting.

Without absolute certainty, Charlotte thought it best to observe for now.

With this in mind, she concealed her aura and quietly followed the team.

“But… Lady Sophia, the Free Tribe Alliance… they’re followers of that one, and it’s also Her Majesty’s former homeland… To execute the ‘Plan’, our current strength is far from what it used to be. If we encounter any remaining guardians, can we still win?”

Someone in the Harcos team couldn’t help but voice their concern.

The slender figure, Sophia, was silent for a moment before shaking her head.

“The Free Tribe Alliance… has long since lost its guardians, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“However, while there’s no threat from guardians, we might face the Crimson Blade Sebastian, a follower of the Divine Queen.”

“The Divine Queen Charlotte has reached an agreement with the Northern Archduke, and the mysterious prince behind her might be eyeing the statue worshipped by the Free Tribe Alliance. The Crimson Blade Sebastian might come for it.”

“Her Majesty has ordered that no matter the cost, we must retrieve the statue. The Crimson Blade Sebastian has regained his Blazing Sun power, so we may be in for a tough battle.”

“The mysterious prince… Blazing Sun power…”

The bloodbornes in the team turned pale.

Seeing the worried expressions of the group, Sophia sighed and reassured them.

“Don’t worry. Under Her Majesty’s barrier, the prince behind the Divine Queen wouldn’t dare to set foot in the North. Even if he did, the benevolent Her Majesty would definitely intervene.”

“Her Majesty is just a step away from becoming a true God. In the North… no one is a match for Her Majesty!”

“Don’t be overly concerned. We just need to deal with the Crimson Blade Sebastian and retrieve the statue before he arrives.”

She then smiled to lighten the oppressive atmosphere.

“Of course, if we’re lucky, we might not need to confront the Divine Queen’s followers at all and can quietly take the statue.”

Sophia’s words eased the tension a bit. Though many still appeared worried, at least the complaints stopped.

Successfully calming the group, Sophia also felt slightly relieved.

But her own expression did not lighten.

No, more accurately, she hid her worries.

“Let’s rest here for a bit and change into the prepared clothes. We’re not far from the target. We’ll set out for the Free Tribe Alliance in fifteen minutes.”

Sophia ordered.

Upon hearing her command, the Harcos team stopped.

They took off their hoods, some took out their water bottles to hydrate, others chewed on their rations, and some leaned against the tree trunks, closing their eyes to rest under the sunlight filtering through the trees.

Some even changed out of their black robes into the prepared Northern attire, chatting curiously about the clothes.

Seeing these members so unguarded, without even setting up warning spells, Sophia felt helpless.

She sighed, feeling a mix of disappointment and complexity.

Sophia felt she should be disappointed.

Though she knew this disappointment was somewhat irrational, at least… for these clan members, it was.

There was no other way… These clan members weren’t combatants, not those with rich battle experience. Most of them hadn’t even reached the Silver Moon tier.

They had lived in a peaceful environment for too long, had been protected too well, and had forgotten the vigilance needed during missions.

But what could she do?

These people… were the strongest she could muster.

The more powerful clan members had already fallen into slumber to execute Her Majesty’s plan and avoid the spread of the ‘Curse.’

These were the only resources she had left.

Honestly, even Sophia sometimes doubted if Her Majesty’s decisions were correct.

She knew such thoughts were blasphemous, but with the high-ranking members succumbing to madness as predicted, even she, with her steadfast faith, couldn’t help but feel lost.

Was Her Majesty’s choice… truly correct?

Could she really ascend to Godhood smoothly?

Would there be enough time left for the Harcos Clan?

Sophia’s thoughts wavered, and with that, a sense of trepidation from her bloodline followed…

Her heartbeat quickened slightly, her throat felt dry, and her skin, exposed to the sunlight, began to sting.

When the enticing scent of blood wafted from nearby, Sophia suddenly snapped out of it.

“Sigurd! Put down the blood bag! Have you forgotten where we are?!”

She scolded a Blood Baron in the group.

The clan member, who had just opened the blood bag, looked innocent.

“But… Lady Sophia, this is just blood wine made from beast blood…”

“Blood wine or not, anything with ‘blood’ is forbidden! This isn’t the ‘Sanctuary.’ If you don’t want to die, bear with it!”

Sophia said sternly.

The clan member swallowed hard and obediently put the blood bag away.

As the scent of blood faded, Sophia’s heartbeat gradually steadied.

She sighed in relief, took a sip of water from her bottle, then retrieved her own change of clothes from the storage space, preparing to change.

However, as she took off her black robe, she felt a slight sting on the back of her hand.

Sophia paused.

She looked at her hand and saw that it was red and swollen in places, with a few blisters forming.

Sophia’s gaze sharpened.

She glanced at the sun in the sky, her heart sinking with a complex expression.

Was it… the initial symptoms?

After the Blazing Sun… is it now the Silver Moon’s turn?

So, there was no escaping the ‘Curse’ after all?

Exhaling softly, she moved into the shadows, clutching her rose symbol, her gaze confused.

“Your Majesty, when will you successfully ascend to Godhood and lead us out of the darkness?”

Sophia murmured.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, who had been observing the Harcos Clan’s resting camp from a distance, also fell into deep thought.

“Ascend to Godhood and lead the clan out of darkness, huh…”

“The Crimson Queen… is indeed preparing for ascension.”

“They mentioned the ‘Curse’… Does this refer to the blood curse of the bloodborne?”

“The Harcos Clan seems unafraid of sunlight. Could it be… the Crimson Queen found a way to suppress the blood curse?”

“They’re avoiding blood consumption. And… they don’t seem to be ‘baiting’ but are genuinely weak…”

“What has happened to the Harcos Clan, or rather, the Crimson Queen? What are they planning?”