Gospel of Blood-Chapter 579 : Luna Coast City-State

The Theocracy is located in central Myria on the Yunette Peninsula by the Luna Inland Sea, in the southern part of the Western Yunette Empire.

Charlotte had reviewed the map of the Western Yunette region. If a comparison were to be made, the location of the Starfall Kingdom is very similar to Britain on Earth, the Crescent Peninsula resembles a mix of the Iberian Peninsula and France, while the Yunette Peninsula, where the Theocracy is situated, looks like an enlarged version of the Apennine Peninsula.

There are generally three routes from the Starfall Kingdom to the Theocracy.

The first route goes through the Castell territory, detouring through the northern region to the Eastern Yunette Blacklands, then heading south through the Coria Kingdom, turning west into the Western Yunette Empire, and traveling south through part of the empire to reach the Theocracy.

The second route takes a sea route around the Crescent Peninsula, through the Luna Strait into the Luna Inland Sea, landing at the Luna Coast City-State on the Yunette Peninsula, and then entering the Western Yunette Empire, traveling north to the southern part of the empire where the Theocracy is located.

The third route goes directly through the Crescent Kingdom by land, into the Western Yunette Empire, and then straight to the Theocracy.

Of these three routes, the third is the shortest, the first is the longest, and the second requires a significant portion of sea travel.

Given the relationship between the Crescent Kingdom and the Starfall Kingdom, Charlotte naturally wouldn’t choose the third route.

Additionally, she planned to investigate Ancient Temples and Faceless Statues in the Luna Coast City-State, so she naturally chose the second route.

As for the first route, she planned to take it on her return journey.

The second route also coincides with the sea trade route between the Starfall Kingdom, the Luna Coast City-State, and the Western Yunette Empire.

Although the teleportation arrays cannot be used, this route avoids many potential land travel troubles and social engagements. The only risk lies with some Southern Continent pirates active in the Luna Inland Sea.

However, for the Starfall Kingdom, a maritime power on the Myria continent, these “Southern Barbarians” pirates, who trouble ordinary merchant ships, pose no significant threat.

Charlotte departed from Starfall Port aboard the Royal Flagship Roman, setting sail under the escort of the Starfall Navy.

The grand fleet navigated around the Crescent Peninsula, through the Luna Strait that divides the main continent of Myria and the southern subcontinent, and into the Luna Inland Sea, the largest inland sea in Myria.

Perhaps because they chose the sea route, they encountered no troubles along the way, with everything proceeding smoothly.

The only minor incident was a distant encounter with pirates.

However, upon seeing the imposing carrack ships of the Starfall fleet from afar, the Southern Continent pirates, who usually terrorized merchant ships, wisely fled.

Usually, they only bullied merchant ships, no pirate would be foolish enough to attack a state fleet armed with magic crystal cannons.

Charlotte was somewhat disappointed.

Life aboard the ship was quite dull, and she had hoped to destroy a pirate hideout or two along the way.

When the bustling port of the Luna Coast City-State came into view, it had been a month since their departure.

The Luna Coast City-State is located on the western coast of the Yunette Peninsula, across the sea from the Crescent Kingdom, serving as the southern gateway to the Western Yunette Empire.

Historically, this area was part of the Yunette Empire, being one of its wealthy southern regions.

After the Yunette Empire split, this area became part of the Western Yunette Empire.

For hundreds of years, as the royal power of the Western Yunette Empire waned, the Theocracy worked to strengthen its control and suppress the empire’s royal authority.

Around three hundred years ago, the Theocracy, in alliance with the Crescent Kingdom, supported the independence movement in the empire’s south.

Since then, many southern states and city-states of the Western Yunette Empire have completely split.

Some remained nominally part of the empire but effectively became vassals of the Theocracy. Others united to form the Luna Coast City-State, achieving full independence from the Western Yunette Empire.

Since then, the Theocracy has effectively controlled the Western Yunette Empire. Though nominally part of the empire, in reality, royal authority has become subservient to the Theocracy.

Over the past few centuries, the history of the Western Yunette Empire has been marked by power struggles between the Theocracy and the imperial family.

Today, although the Theocracy’s grip on the Western Yunette Empire has weakened with the decline of the Holy Court, it still holds significant influence over the empire’s politics.

For centuries, in its struggle for more power against the imperial family, the Theocracy has never given up efforts to bring the southern Luna Coast City-State into its fold.

However, due to the checks and balances by the Crescent Kingdom and the Coria Kingdom, this effort has yet to succeed.

Even so, the Luna Coast City-State remains one of the Holy Court’s strongest regions.

As part of the central diocese, it has numerous churches, many followers, and is a major source of religious tax revenue for the Holy Court.

The Luna Coast City-State is not large, about 1.5 times the size of Castell County, covering only 180,000 square kilometers, consisting of eleven city-states, four counties, and two small duchies.

However, its population is nearly double that of the Castel territory, approaching ten million.

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Unlike other major nations on the Myria continent, the Luna Coast City-State practices a noble republic system, with a senate elected from its seventeen states. The chief executive of the city-state is elected from these ruling families.

Charlotte’s landing point was the capital of the Luna Coast City-State, Cataglia, the largest commercial and trade center in the southern Yunette Peninsula and its largest state.

Cataglia is a bustling port city, no less prosperous than Northport.

When the grand Starfall fleet sailed into the deep-water port of Cataglia, emissaries from the city-state’s senate and the Holy Court were already waiting at the harbor, having received prior notice.

“Honorable Queen of Starfall, Saintess of the Holy Court, Her Majesty Castell, I am Bishop Alberto of Cataglia, and this is Giuliano di Piazza, the Third Consul of the Coast City-State. We welcome your arrival.”

At the dock, the city-state’s archbishop in white clerical robes and the noble consul in luxurious garments greeted Charlotte respectfully.

The Bishop of Cataglia was an elderly cleric, while the Third Consul of the Luna Coast City-State was a nobleman in his forties with dark hair.

They were very enthusiastic about Charlotte, the far-traveling Queen of Starfall, and the welcoming delegation filled the entire dock.

The Starfall Kingdom is one of the top five powers on the Myria continent. Early in the Star-Moon War, it was the strongest nation in the west. Even in its recent decline, it remains influential.

Combined with Charlotte’s status as a Saintess and the trade relations between the Starfall and Luna Coast, her warm reception in this religious city-state was no surprise.

“Your Majesty Castell, Chief Consul Canosa and Archbishop Calabretta have prepared a banquet at the city hall, awaiting your arrival.”

Giuliano di Piazza, the Third Consul, said warmly.

Charlotte nodded slightly, returning a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Lord Canosa and Lord Calabretta, for their hospitality. It is my honor to visit the Luna Coast City-State.”

“Your Majesty Castell, please.”

The emissary from the Luna Coast made a welcoming gesture.

Charlotte nodded and gracefully boarded the lavish carriage prepared by the City-State. Then, escorted by knights and city guards, they made their way grandly into Cataglia.

When Charlotte arrived at the city hall, the nobles of the Luna Coast City-State were already there waiting.

Charlotte had attended many noble welcome banquets and was quite familiar with them.

However, compared to the nobles on the Crescent Peninsula, the banquets of the Luna Coast City-State were grander, with more sumptuous food.

The Luna Coast City-State is renowned for its cuisine on the Myria continent, whereas the Starfall Kingdom’s is relatively simple.

Here, Charlotte met the rulers of the Luna Coast City-State, Chief Consul Catherine di Canosa, and the highest-ranking cleric, Archbishop Calabretta.

Catherine di Canosa appeared to be in her twenties, but Charlotte, having reviewed relevant information, knew she was at least fifty.

Her youthful appearance was due to her elven blood, making her a half-elf.

Moreover, this Chief Consul of the Luna Coast City-State was a powerful extraordinary, close to Legendary, at the peak of the Blazing Sun tier.

As for the Holy Court’s representative, Archbishop Calabretta, his strength surpassed even that of the Chief Consul.

Despite his elderly appearance, Charlotte could clearly sense the intense holy power within him, comparable to the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese, Charles de Lorraine.

Clearly, he was a Legendary cleric.

Perhaps due to being close to the core territory controlled by the Theocracy, Charlotte noticed that the clerics here were much stronger than those in the Crescent Kingdom and the Starfall Kingdom, overall being a level higher.

However, the nobles of the Luna Coast City-State had relatively weaker extraordinary power, with the strongest being the Chief Consul, Catherine di Canosa.

But what surprised Charlotte was sensing a familiar aura among the attending nobles of the Luna Coast City-State.

The aura of bloodbornes.