Gospel of Blood

Louis V seemed much younger than Charlotte remembered.

Years ago, when she saw him in the Crescent Palace, he appeared as an aging monarch. But now, it was as if he had found a new lease on life. His once gray hair had regained its color, the wrinkles on his face had nearly vanished, and his formerly clouded eyes now gleamed with the sharpness of a hawk’s gaze.

He no longer looked like a man in his sixties or seventies. Instead, he seemed to have returned to his prime, appearing no older than his thirties or forties.

The only thing unchanged was his commanding aura.

As the most revered king of the Crescent Kingdom in centuries, his mere presence radiated a supreme authority.

In the dim room, there were eight other nobles present—all of them members of the Crescent Kingdom’s current cabinet.

Apart from two honorary advisors with nominal roles, every key cabinet minister was there.

These individuals were either traditional royalist nobles or newly appointed officials promoted by Louis V following the political purges of the past two years. They represented the king’s absolute consolidation of power.

But despite their diverse backgrounds, all those in attendance shared one striking feature. They each wore a gleaming sun emblem pinned to their chests.

It was also the deepest, most closely guarded secret of the Crescent Kingdom’s upper echelons.

With a single glance, Charlotte instantly understood the source of Louis V’s confidence in defying the Holy Court all these years and the true reason for his rapid rise during the Star-Moon War.

Louis V had long pledged allegiance to the Sun Temple and became a devoted follower of the Sun God!

However, despite the revelation, the atmosphere in the room was anything but triumphant. On the contrary, it was suffocatingly tense, laden with unease.

"The intelligence from the Theocracy has been confirmed—Crescent’s figure of legend... is indeed a divine incarnation. Her power has surpassed the Legendary rank, and she has… reconciled with the Holy Court..."

A noble, holding a parchment filled with intelligence reports, read aloud in a solemn tone.

When he finished, he glanced nervously at the king seated at the head of the room, his expression tinged with fear.

"Your Majesty… we must revise our plans! She is a God! A God walking among us! If we recklessly oppose a God, we face certain annihilation!"

"She... She even slew... slew..."

The noble faltered, his gaze shifting to the Sun God’s effigy behind Louis V. Terror and confusion overtook his features.

All eyes turned toward Louis V. The cabinet members seemed to share the same thought, their expressions a mix of panic, bewilderment, and desperation.

"Yes, Your Majesty, we cannot afford to proceed! We must not provoke Her, nor can we confront Starfall at this time!"

"She even extinguished the Sun’s light..."

"A God! A God walking the earth! A God even the great Sun God could not withstand!"

"And now, She has reconciled with the Holy Court! Your Majesty, instead of focusing on reclaiming Roman and confronting Starfall, our priority should be to mend relations with the Holy Court. Otherwise… we will be besieged on all fronts!"

"..."

The nobles’ voices were tinged with urgency and terror. The intelligence from the Theocracy had evidently shaken them to their core.

Yet, as Louis V listened to their frantic pleas, his expression remained calm.

"Is this... the consensus among you all?"

His gaze swept over the gathered ministers.

Unable to meet the increasingly enigmatic king’s eyes, the nobles lowered their heads. But their averted gazes betrayed their agreement.

Louis V slowly withdrew his gaze, his tone steady but brooking no dissent.

"Subjugating Starfall and reclaiming Roman are national policies of our kingdom. Everything is already in place, and the plan will not change."

The nobles’ faces paled.

"Your Majesty!"

As they stammered protests, Louis V sneered coldly.

"A pack of cowards! No wonder you’ve been unable to contend with the aristocratic factions for so many years!"

"I know what you’re afraid of—what you’re worried about. You fear the power of a God, you’re shaken by the extinguishing of the Sun’s light..."

"But—"

He abruptly paused, picking up the sun emblem from the table. Toying with it in his hand, he let out a mocking chuckle.

"Who told you that the Sun’s light has truly gone out?"

The nobles froze.

They instinctively looked up, their eyes landing on the king. Then... their pupils widened in shock.

In the dimly lit room, the golden light from the magical lamps fell upon Louis V’s figure.

Golden light shimmered on Louis V’s forehead as a golden sun insignia flickered faintly in and out of view.

The emblem radiated a subtle glow, exuding traces of divine power that added an air of sanctity and transcendence to the king.

“A… divine blessing mark?!”

“A Divine Favored?! Your Majesty, you are a Divine Favored?!”

Some nobles gasped in astonishment.

“Your Majesty! Does this mean… that our Lord has not truly fallen?”

“Does this mean we have not lost the protection of the divine?”

A noble exclaimed with joy.

Louis V glanced at them, his expression deep and inscrutable as he replied.

“As long as the Holy Light endures, the Sun’s radiance will never be extinguished…”

“The affairs of the Gods are not for you to ponder, nor do you need to concern yourselves with how to deal with that figure from Starfall. What you must focus on is fulfilling your duties.”

As he spoke, his demeanor turned indifferent, and his tone grew colder, harsher.

“Within a year, the Third Star-Moon War must begin! Within three years, Starfall must be destroyed. The Nightshade Cult… must be annihilated!”

“Your Majesty… is this the command of our Lord?”

A noble hesitated before asking.

“No.”

A faint golden gleam flickered in Louis V’s eyes as he smiled—a smile so unfamiliar it unsettled even the high-ranking nobles present in the chamber.

“This is my command.”

The nobles were momentarily stunned by Louis V’s audacious words.

They exchanged bewildered glances, then lowered their heads under the crushing weight of the king’s oppressive gaze. It was as if some intangible force or primal instinct forbade them from meeting his eyes directly.

Confusion and unease played across their faces, their expressions shifting rapidly.

Those among them with a background in religious studies or knowledge of certain mythological secrets widened their eyes in shock, their minds reeling as faint suspicions began to form.

Ultimately, under an inexplicable pressure, their scattered thoughts condensed into a singular response.

“All shall… follow Your command…”

Louis V smiled.

He picked up a goblet from the table and drained the fine wine within. Then, with a cold edge to his voice, he ordered.

“Send word. Summon all the kingdom’s nobles to the palace for an audience… immediately.”

At his words, the nobles’ hearts raced, and they exchanged uneasy glances.

“Does… does that include Her?”

One noble couldn’t help but ask.

Louis V’s tone was cryptic.

“When I say ‘all’ the kingdom’s nobles, I mean all.”

“But… but… will She come?”

Another voice faltered, breaking the uneasy silence.

“Of course, She won’t come. To Her, Castell likely no longer counts as a vassal of Crescent. A God does not respond to the summons of a mortal king. And that… is precisely why She won’t come.”

Louis V’s tone was calm and measured.

“But… what if She comes?”

This time, the question came from a clear and elegant female voice.

In an instant, every hair on the nobles’ bodies stood on end. Even Louis V froze, his movements halted mid-action.

Within the Crescent Kingdom’s cabinet, there was only one “woman.”