Gospel of Blood

The guards at the gate stopping them left the Castell knights bewildered, and some of the younger knights even frowned slightly.

Dissatisfied, they pointed in the direction the Gaston convoy had left and said indignantly.

“Armed knights are not allowed without permission? Then why didn’t you check or stop them?”

The gate guard looked at the knights with disdain and replied.

“That was the convoy of tDuke Gaston’s family, high nobility of the kingdom. The one sitting in the carriage is Lord Richard, the heir of the Duke’s family. The escorting knights are from the Royal Guard, so of course, they can enter freely.”

The Castell knights still felt a bit aggrieved.

They wanted to say more, but Baron Sharon signaled them to be quiet.

As a nobleman who frequently traveled with trade caravans, Baron Sharon was well aware of the capital’s entry regulations. Indeed, armed knights needed prior approval to enter Lutecia.

He approached the guards, took out a document from his chest, and showed it to them, saying,

“We are from the Castell family. Here is our entry permit for armed merchants.”

However, the guard just glanced at the document before arrogantly shaking his head.

“This is just a permit for armed merchant caravans. It might be valid normally, but with the central council about to convene, the capital is in a special period, and no armed merchant caravans are allowed to enter!”

Baron Sharon frowned and repeated.

“We… are from the Castell family.”

He emphasized the name Castell.

The guard snorted.

“No matter what family you are, if you want to enter the city, you either need to hand over all your weapons and equipment or wait until the central council ends…”

The guard’s words were cut off mid-sentence.

He was interrupted by a fellow guard, who was holding a bag of gold coins given to him by the Gaston convoy earlier.

The second guard quickly whispered something in his ear while glancing at the Castell convoy’s document and the note in the money bag.

As the second guard whispered, the first guard’s eyes gradually widened, and his attitude swiftly softened. What had been a haughty demeanor turned into one of respect as he hastily put on a smile and said to Baron Sharon,

“My apologies, I wasn’t aware of your esteemed status. Please, come in.”

The sudden change in the guard’s attitude after learning their identity made some of the Castell knights sneer and mutter about the guards’ hypocrisy. But Charlotte only smiled faintly.

She glanced at the two gate guards with a meaningful expression and said,

“Perhaps…”

…

Unlike the frequently expanded and renovated Northport, the architecture of Lutecia, the capital, appeared much older and more solemn.

Here, almost every street was paved with gray stone. Aside from the main roads, most streets were narrow and winding, as if telling ancient stories.

Tall buildings rose up in the city, resembling gothic architecture from Earth, making one look up in awe.

The buildings here were denser, taller, older, and more imposing than those in Northport.

The streets were bustling with carriages and pedestrians, surpassing any city Charlotte had seen since her transmigration.

As they entered the city, the knights escorting Charlotte couldn’t take their eyes off the surrounding streets.

Even those accustomed to the prosperity of Northport were amazed by the capital’s grandeur, especially those visiting for the first time.

The outer district of Lutecia was as prosperous as Northport’s inner island district. The wide main roads were somewhat better, but the narrower streets could be described as crowded.

If not for the intimidating presence of the Castell knights, many carriages and pedestrians would not have instinctively made way, and the convoy might have gotten stuck.

Seeing the outer district’s prosperity, many knights couldn’t help but wonder what the inner district, where the royal palace was located, would look like.

However, instead of heading straight to the inner district, the Castel convoy went to their base in the outer district.

Yes, base.

As a business-oriented northern family, the Castell family had businesses in the capital, mainly dealing in ore and jewelry.

Though it was just a small shop with an area of less than 300 square meters, it was a legitimate business.

Located in the capital, it brought in considerable profits, earning the Castell family tens of thousands of gold tana annually.

When Charlotte’s carriage arrived at the shop, she saw Sebastian stepping out.

Seeing the Castell convoy, Sebastian paused, then hurried over to Charlotte’s carriage.

“Master? Why are you here?”

With the maid Sherry’s help, Charlotte stepped out of the carriage, followed by the curious Reina and the expressionless Eudoxia.

She glanced at Sebastian and smiled.

“Where else would I go? You didn’t meet me at the gate, so I had to come to the shop to find you.”

Sebastian looked embarrassed and quickly bowed respectfully.

“Apologies, Master. There was an urgent matter at the shop, and I couldn’t make it to the gate in time. Was your entry smooth?”

He glanced at the Castell convoy and frowned slightly.

“Strange… Where are the city guards?”

“City guards?”

Charlotte was puzzled.

Reflecting on the encounter at the gate, she seemed to understand and chuckled.

“There was a small incident, but overall it was smooth.”

“Small incident?”

Sebastian’s eye twitched.

Charlotte shook her head.

“We’ll discuss it later. Is our lodging arranged?”

Sebastian nodded.

“Yes, I rented a noble estate in the inner district. It’s been cleaned and is spacious enough for everyone in the convoy.”