Gospel of Blood

Following the human and half-elf army southward, Charlotte arrived at the capital of the Free City-State, Dawn City, after a day and a night.

Dawn City was situated on a plain, surrounded by rivers on all sides, giving Charlotte a strong sense of déjà vu.

As the grand procession approached the city, which combined elven and human architectural styles, Charlotte couldn’t hold back her emotions upon seeing the towering spire in the city.

She knew this tower well, she had even been inside it. It was the royal library of the future Crescent capital, Lutecia.

However, unlike the future royal library, the tower now did not look old. It showed no signs of age, and the magical inscriptions and various decorations on it were clearly visible even from a distance.

Given Dawn City’s geographical environment, which was very similar to Lutecia’s with its rivers and plains, Charlotte quickly confirmed that this city was indeed the future capital of Crescent!

No wonder it was one of the ancient cities with a long history on the Myria Continent. So, Lutecia had already existed two or three thousand years ago!

Of course, unlike the future capital Lutecia, the current city did not have tall walls, only simple wooden palisades. The city was also much smaller, possibly even smaller than the mining town in Castell County. From a distance, the city might be less than one-tenth the size of the future capital.

The true “city” part seemed to be only the core area centered around the tall elven spire, filled with typical elven-style buildings.

The surrounding area consisted of low human buildings, resembling clustered villages more than a city. It was much like the North Mountain Tribe Charlotte saw during her first “time travel.” just larger and more populous, with more diverse buildings.

However, it would be a mistake to think this city lacked defensive capabilities because of this.

In Charlotte’s perception, the city was radiating a vast amount of magical power from the tall elven spire at its center, indicating some form of large-scale defensive magic of considerable strength.

Moreover, Charlotte sensed a presence similar to divine power within the magic, likely a defensive divine spell.

The divine spell wasn’t activated now, but it was clearly in a state ready to be triggered at any moment, suggesting a special defensive measure.

Charlotte was moved, discreetly channeling her blood magic to enhance her perception, and she vaguely sensed a strong energy source in the direction of the spire.

That energy source was the center of the divine power she felt.

Although it hadn’t activated its power, with her heightened perception, Charlotte was surprised to find that the strength of that energy source was even higher than her own at full power.

‘It must be some kind of artifact capable of casting defensive magic, probably one that can threaten Gods. This kind of thing… must have been left by the elves.’

Charlotte quickly concluded.

The Free City-State had “no” Gods, yet it still existed despite attacks from forces supported or possibly directly involving Gods. It surely had some trump card capable of contending with Gods.

At the very least… it had something powerful enough to threaten Gods and deter their actions.

Realizing this, Charlotte understood why Commander Bardock wasn’t worried about her visiting Dawn City.

On one hand, she had shown goodwill, and on the other, it likely had to do with the hidden power within the spire she sensed.

“Lord Cain, this is our Free City-State’s capital, Dawn City. We currently have four cities and eleven tribes, with a total population exceeding 200,000. Dawn City itself has over 70,000 people, making it the largest city in the Northlands!”

Commander Bardock’s voice interrupted Charlotte’s thoughts.

His voice was full of pride, clearly proud to be part of the Free City-State.

Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled.

“Indeed, it is a bustling city.”

Unlike the significant population in the future, the population in this era was noticeably sparse. Along the way, Charlotte mostly saw deserted forests and grasslands, with very few farms. Even the settlements she encountered were small, often not even qualifying as tribes.

No matter how humble it looked compared to future cities, from what she had seen in a day and night, this city was indeed large.

Looking at the elven buildings in the city, the feeling was even more pronounced.

Compared to the exquisite and grand elven buildings, the human constructions looked like primitive huts. The contrast in civilization was evident.

This was normal. According to what Charlotte knew, before the elves arrived on the Myria Continent, human civilization was indeed quite primitive.

The difference in civilization was like that between the Europeans and the native inhabitants of the New World during the Age of Exploration.

Even in the future, it was still the same.

Even in Charlotte’s era, elven civilization was synonymous with advancement and elegance. Most high-end alchemical products and magical items on the continent were made by elves.

Otherwise, many ancient human noble families wouldn’t take pride in having elven blood.

The army continued to march forward.

As they approached Dawn City, Charlotte saw a considerable crowd gathered at the wooden gate.

Seeing the crowd, Bardock was surprised.

“Why are so many people gathered?”

After hesitating, he turned to Charlotte and said,

“Lord Cain, please wait here for a moment. I will send someone to check what’s going on.”

Charlotte nodded, indicating her understanding.

Commander Bardock whispered to a nearby soldier, who quickly ran towards the gate.

Soon, the soldier returned.

“Commander, it seems Lady Lilith and Lord Harald are here, along with the elders of various tribes, waiting at the gate to welcome Lord Cain.”

“Lady Lilith and Lord Harald?”

Bardock’s eyes lit up.

He then looked at Charlotte, laughing heartily.

“Lord Cain, it seems Lady Lilith and Lord Harald value your visit greatly. They’ve come to greet you with the high council!”

“You may not know this, but Lady Lilith and Lord Harald are quite averse to Gods. They’ve never allowed other Gods or their followers into Dawn City before. You are the first.”

Bardock’s voice was hearty, lacking the reverence and fear that humans of later eras typically had toward Gods.

Charlotte noticed this as well.

Not just Bardock, but all the warriors in the legion felt this way. Initially, they were in awe of Charlotte’s displayed power, but as they got familiar with her, they became less formal.

Charlotte had her suspicions about this…

In the Mythic Era, Gods walked the earth, and the distance between Gods and mortals was unprecedentedly close.

Stories of mortals becoming Gods were numerous, happening right beside them.

Tales of Gods being slain by mortals were not just legends, but relatively common occurrences.

Even though these events were rare, compared to the vast separation in later times, they happened with notable frequency. The close proximity between Gods and mortals meant that mortals lost their reverence for Gods.

Charlotte didn’t mind this, though.

Knowing that the city’s high officials were waiting ahead, the legion continued forward.

Finally, they were home. The warriors were excited, and the formation of the legion became disorganized, with many rushing ahead of Bardock and Charlotte.

Clearly, this era’s armies lacked discipline, and Bardock was very lenient with his troops.

Charlotte also got off the carriage. Through the gaps in the crowd, she saw a young man and woman being surrounded by the people.

Although their appearances differed from what she remembered, their similar hair colors, familiar yet different features, and the identical magical aura made Charlotte recognize them easily—it was Lilith and Harald. At this moment, Lilith and Harald were scanning the legion frantically, seemingly looking for something. Their expressions showed both anticipation and anxiety.

“Commander Bardock! We’ve returned with the legion!”

Seeing the two city leaders personally welcoming them, the burly legion commander Bardock stepped forward and greeted them with a hearty laugh.

Lilith immediately helped Bardock up.

“Yes, it’s good to have you back, Commander Bardock. You’ve worked hard on this journey.”

“Hehe, Lady Lilith, it was no trouble at all!”

Bardock laughed heartily. He then noticed Lilith continuing to scan the legion.

Harald was also looking around urgently.

“Where is Lord Cain?”

Seeing Harald’s eagerness, Bardock was surprised.

In the Free City-State, Harald was known for being calm and reserved. But now… why was he so excited?

Weren’t these two always disinterested in other Gods?

Bardock was puzzled.

“She’s here. Lord Cain is at the back.”

Suppressing his curiosity, Bardock stepped aside with a smile.

Finally, Lilith and Harald saw the small blonde figure previously blocked by the burly men. Their eyes locked with Charlotte’s.

In an instant, Lilith and Harald froze.

Seeing their sudden halt, Bardock’s heart skipped a beat.

Huh? Do they not welcome Lord Cain?

Recalling their previous attitudes towards Gods, Bardock, with his limited mental capacity, was unsure.

He glanced at Lilith and Harald, then at Charlotte, and cautiously said,

“Ahem, Lady Lilith, Lord Harald, lord Cain is different from those Evil Gods. He saved us and did not come for faith. I believe he can be a friend to our Free City-State. I swear by the great ‘Savior’ that She is a friendly God. So…”

Bardock spoke carefully.

However, Lilith and Harald seemed to completely ignore Bardock.

The moment they saw Charlotte, their eyes fixed solely on her. After a brief moment of shock, they rushed to Charlotte, their voices trembling.

“Teacher! Is it you?!”

“Teacher?”

Commander Bardock was stunned.

He looked at the excited Lilith and Harald, then at the smiling Charlotte, his mind completely blank, unable to comprehend the situation.

“Teacher?”

The surrounding warriors were also stunned. They exchanged bewildered looks.

Seeing the excited expressions on the familiar yet different faces, Charlotte sighed softly. She smiled gently and said,

“Lilith, Harald, it’s been over ten years. You’ve grown.”

“Teacher! It’s really you!”

Their expressions turned to joy.

Then, to the astonishment of everyone, Lilith and Harald knelt on one knee before the young girl, their voices trembling with excitement.

“Teacher! You’ve returned! Finally, after fourteen years, we see you again!”

Seeing their excitement, Charlotte sighed deeply, feeling somewhat emotional.

The experiences of her first “time travel” felt like they happened yesterday, everything vividly clear.

Although she only stayed for less than a month, the bond between teacher and students formed a deep connection.

They were both obedient children, very close to her during that short time. Without other pressures during that period, and with the people in the tribe being simple and warm, Charlotte felt quite relaxed.

Looking at the affectionate gazes of the two, her expression softened.

“Yes, I’ve returned.”

Charlotte reached out, gently patting their heads as she did in the past. Despite being now adults and high-ranking leaders, they showed childlike joy and reverence towards her.

The scene was bizarre, with the young girl treating two leaders like children, and they responded with worshipful admiration.

The surrounding warriors were all stunned.

The usually lively Lilith was one thing, but seeing the normally stoic Harald act like a son reuniting with his mother was bewildering.

An elderly man among the warriors seemed to realize something. His eyes widened, then he looked at Charlotte with shock and quickly turned to reverence and excitement.

“Fourteen years ago? Teacher?”

“Fourteen years ago… teacher!”

“Lord Cain, could you be the esteemed guide, the exalted mentor who brought hope and direction to mortals, the great ‘Savior’ who descended upon the Northern Mountain Tribe fourteen years ago to instruct Lady Lilith and Lord Harald, and left the key to enlightenment for us?”

Charlotte: …