NOVEL NEXT Chapter 690: -136- "Visit
The aftermath of the Northern Territory was handed over to Sebastian to manage.
Charlotte had already informed him of the intelligence she knew; with Sebastian's capabilities, he should be able to handle it quite well.
The nobles and priests of the Falling Star Kingdom Council Party were left to Albrecht for surveillance.
After all, Albrecht is a Legendary Bloodline, having lived through centuries and very adept at Concealment—a perfect fit for this task.
And as for the task of the Nais Clan's leads...
That naturally fell upon Count Yulster, the double agent.
Count Yulster was already quite clear about Charlotte's core purpose for this trip back when he was in Castel, so hearing Charlotte's commands now didn't come as a surprise to him.
Of course, not being surprised is one thing; being willing is another.
Although he had become one of Charlotte's Blood Favored, and told himself numerous times that the Blood True Ancestor of the present day had undergone earth-shattering changes compared to the grand terror of history, his intrinsic sense of vampire ethics, clan honor, and the lingering fear in the deepest recesses of his heart of that historical period still made the Blood Count show concerns and hesitation.
Seeing his tangled expression, Charlotte knew what he worried about.
Charlotte chuckled lightly and asked,
"Count Yulster, tell me, who exactly is the supreme leader of the Bloodline?"
Count Yulster was taken aback for a moment.
Facing Charlotte's crimson gaze, he swallowed and honestly responded,
"Of... of course, it's you."
"Good, then... as the supreme leader, is there a problem with paying a visit to one's subordinates and disciplining those unruly fellows?"
Charlotte shifted to a more comfortable sitting posture, crossing one slender and fair leg over the other, and tilted her head, asking with a smile.
Count Yulster broke into a cold sweat.
Though the True Ancestor on the throne appeared very cute, he felt an immense pressure at the moment, as if he were dealing with a prehistoric beast far more terrifying than the sea beast Kraken...
"No... no problem at all."
He stiffly replied.
"Do you consider Count Castel, whom you know, to be an unreasonable person?"
Charlotte continued to question.
"No... not at all."
Count Yulster shook his head quickly this time.
He had to admit, before knowing Count Castel was the True Ancestor, he even considered him a friend!
Of course, once a friend became a boss, things felt different, and there was no going back to how things used to be.
"Then... do you think the Blood True Ancestor from your memory would give you the chance you have now, to stand here and express your hesitation and conflict through your expressions and emotions?"
Charlotte shifted her tone and asked leisurely.
Count Yulster felt his pressure soar.
Thump, he knelt down subconsciously, just as Charlotte mentioned the "Blood True Ancestor from your memory," clearly frightened.
"No... no, they wouldn't..."
He replied with a pale face.
"So, do you have any further doubts about leading the way?"
Charlotte's smile faded, her clear, youthful voice now filled with an imposing tone.
Count Yulster, fighting the tremor in his bloodline, stammered,
"No... no more."
Charlotte smiled.
She nodded slightly and said warmly,
"If that's so, then let's get moving. You are most familiar with the Nais Clan, take me directly to meet their Elder Badak."
After speaking, she reassured,
"Don't worry too much; I don't have a penchant for arbitrarily killing Bloodline members. The Blood True Ancestor of history is one from history, I am myself; do not confuse us as the same."
"If your Elder Badak truly is the one I remember, then... I believe we shouldn't have any conflicts."
Count Yulster was momentarily stunned after hearing Charlotte's words.
He was somewhat confused as to why the True Ancestor would make such a remark about Elder Badak, considering... in his impression, Elder Badak was a determined opponent of the True Ancestors.
Nonetheless, seeing the girl's confidence, his own unease and worry diminished considerably.
Seeing Count Yulster's trepidation, Charlotte felt a bit desolate for a moment.
She still preferred the way he interacted with her back when he was unaware of her true identity.
More natural, more relaxed.
But there was nothing to be done; the Bloodline's strict hierarchy, and the formidable reputation of the "True Ancestor," were enough to frighten him once he knew her identity.
And Charlotte, operating as a True Ancestor, couldn't simply forsake the deterrent effect her identity held over the Bloodline.
Of course, this might also be because Charlotte and Count Yulster weren't close enough to disregard their ranks. With someone like priest Lotti, even knowing Charlotte's real identity, there was respect, but not an excessive distance.
Strength was another factor.
If Charlotte were invincible right now, she wouldn't need to consciously maintain her aura and dignity; a true powerhouse's mere presence would be a deterrent, free to do whatever they wished.
Charlotte... for now, remains unable to let go.
But for Sebastian and Nisi, although they hold her in great awe, their interaction with her has become more relaxed and natural as they grow increasingly familiar.
...
Time passed quickly.
Before long, night had fallen.
Tonight, there should have been a welcoming banquet held by the nobles of the Falling Star Kingdom in honor of Charlotte at the Royal Palace, but... citing ill health, Charlotte postponed the event until the following day.
The moonlight tonight was exceptionally beautiful.
The climate of the Falling Star Kingdom is humid; misty weather is quite common, and tonight was enveloped in a veil of fog.
The thin mist shrouded the city, casting the moonlight in a more hazy light, and even the city's lamps seemed to gain an added layer of mystery and indistinctness.
A short distance from the Red Palace, at the entrance to an alleyway, Yulster stood in front of a modest carriage, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the True Ancestor.
This was the meeting place he had arranged with Her Majesty, the True Ancestor, before retiring for the day.
As a Bloodline clan that has long been active in the Falling Star Kingdom, the Nais Clan also possesses more than one stronghold in the Royal Capital, Falling Star City. Among these, there are sites equipped with Teleportation Arrays capable of bypassing the Magic Restrictions of the Royal Capital, allowing for direct transport out of the city, reaching far into the core territory of the Nais Clan.
Naturally, such teleportation sites are under strict guard, accessible only to specific individuals.
Yulster was one such individual, and his plan was to take Her Majesty, the True Ancestor, through such an Array, directly to the heartland of the Nais Clan.
To show his utmost respect, Yulster arrived a full half hour early to wait, and almost ten minutes away from the agreed time, he finally sensed a familiar presence.
It was the aura of Her Majesty, the True Ancestor... of course, the ability to sense Her Majesty's presence was due to Her Majesty herself deliberately revealing it.
"Your Majesty, the True Ancestor..."
Yulster quickly turned around and bowed towards the direction of the presence. When he looked up, he froze, his body involuntarily shuddering.
Yulster's eyes widened almost instinctively.
The figure before him was not the familiar Count Castel.
It was Her Majesty who once reigned supreme over Mireya from atop the throne in the Dark Night Ancient Castle.
Tall and striking, with waist-length silver hair, mysterious and magnificent golden-red pupils, a face that could overthrow cities, and garbed in a black divine dress emblazoned with the Thorny Rose Holy Emblem...
It was Charlotte in her adult form.
This sort of "adult form," similar to after the True Ancestor Liberation, Charlotte had become quite adept at controlling and transforming through Divine Power since becoming a Demigod.
Her transformation into this form was partly because it was more suitable for releasing Divine Power, and on the other hand, because she was not yet ready to expose the relationship between Count Castel and the "Blood True Ancestor."
Yulster stared blankly at "Charlotte," and after several seconds, he finally came to his senses, quickly bowing respectfully:
"Your Majesty, the True Ancestor..."
Charlotte nodded slightly:
"Let's go."
With that, she stepped onto the carriage.
Yulster naturally took on the role of the coachman.
The carriage slowly set off, taking Charlotte toward the largest Nais Clan's secret Teleportation stronghold...
...
In the southern part of the Falling Star Kingdom, Wicks County.
As one of the oldest Duchies of the Falling Star Kingdom, it was also the core area of the ruling Nais Clan who had covertly controlled the Falling Star Kingdom for nearly eight hundred years.
Even after the Nais Clan lost control over the Falling Star, and the majority of the Bloodline were forced to conceal their identities or flee to the continent and neighboring islands, their influence waning at its weakest, the hidden Nais Ancient Castle in Wicks County still maintained operation as the heart of the Nais Elder Council.
Within a forest perpetually blanketed in fog, black castles stretched into a series, forming an imposing cluster.
Flocks of bats fluttered between the castles, accompanied by crows' hoarse caws and the looming mist, made the forest, already known for its somber stillness, seem even more mysterious.
The mist enveloping this forest was also a form of sophisticated Bloodline Magic Prohibition; without the Nais Clan's permission, outsiders could hardly find the entrance.
Deep in the forest, around a plaza encircled by the cluster of castles, a Magic Array on the ground suddenly erupted in blue brilliance. After a ripple of space, Yulster appeared within the Array.
The fierce and terrifying Stone-statue Ghosts around the plaza instantly turned their crimson gazes upon him. Upon seeing Yulster, a clearly leading Stone-statue Ghost issued a raspy mechanical greeting:
"Count Yulster... welcome back."
Yulster nodded, preparing to drive the carriage away, but in the next moment, he was blocked by the Stone-statue Ghosts:
"Lord Count Yulster, by the order of Lord Badak, as of two months ago, all carriages entering the Mist Forest must undergo inspection."
Observing the Stone-statue Ghosts with their mechanical obstinacy, Yulster sighed:
"Isn't it better... to be alive?"
The Stone-statue Ghosts tilted their heads, seemingly unable to understand the meaning behind Yulster's words.
Until a diaphanous voice came from within the carriage:
"I'll get down here."
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, the Stone-statue Ghosts uniformly directed their gaze at the carriage.
Yulster sighed once again.
He alighted from the carriage, approached the door, and with a slight bow, like a loyal servant, he respectfully opened it.
Under the watching red eyes of the Stone-statue Ghosts, a tall figure elegantly stepped down from the carriage.
——
emmm Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...