"Oh? What conditions?"

"Out of consideration for you, they can keep their faith, but... they must leave the Northern Territory," said the Northern Territory Duke.

Charlotte looked deeply at Duke Stefan and nodded:

"No problem."

The Magic Energy Crystal flickered slightly, and Charlotte's figure began to appear even more ethereal.

"It seems... the time for projection is almost up, Your Grace. I'll leave the rest to my envoy to negotiate with you. I wish us a pleasant cooperation," said Charlotte.

"A pleasant cooperation!"

Duke Stefan raised his glass and laughed.

The magical radiance dissolved, leaving behind only a lackluster crystal on another throne. The crystal floated up and flew into the hands of Albrecht, who was clad in a noble robe and wearing a mask.

Watching the crystal in Albrecht's hand, Duke Stefan's face showed a contemplative expression. He said with a smile:

"I didn't expect that Queen Charlotte's envoy would be a legend. However... to my knowledge, there is no legend named Al within the Falling Star Kingdom, and I have never heard of your name. Or perhaps... Al is merely an alias?"

He looked at Albrecht with interest and continued:

"I sense a familiar aura from you... Could it be that you are of the Bloodline?"

Albrecht appeared surprised.

He did not answer Duke Stefan's question but instead took out a Contract that had been drafted during Charlotte's recent communication with Duke Stefan, and said with a smile:

"Your Grace, this is the draft contract between our two nations. Please review it for any issues."

Seeing Albrecht evade the discussion, Duke Stefan let out an inward sigh of boredom, and then had someone take the contract.

After reviewing the document and ensuring there were no issues, he left his spiritual imprint on the paper before handing it back:

"Lord Al, give my regards to Queen Charlotte. I look forward to meeting her in person next time."

Albrecht took the contract, offered a slight bow, and then exited the palace.

Only after Albrecht's presence had completely vanished did the smile on Duke Stefan's face slowly fade, replaced by a slight sobriety.

"You shouldn't have agreed to her conditions. We've been cooperating for so long; you should know that we won't let any Totem Tribe leave the Northern Territory."

A calm voice sounded, and a swirl of black smoke gathered in front of Duke Stefan, eventually forming a figure shrouded in a black cloak.

Duke Stefan glanced at her and replied calmly:

"I merely granted the Divine Favored Queen's request. As for the fate of the Free Tribe Alliance and whether they can successfully leave the Northern Territory, I am unconcerned."

"Oh? So you intend to make enemies with the Divine Favored Queen and retain the Free Tribe Alliance?"

Emotion was undetectable in the cloaked woman's voice.

Duke Stefan chuckled:

"No, you said that, not me. I mean to say that you can make your move earlier, taking what you want from them before the Free Tribe Alliance leaves."

"I expect that won't be difficult for you, right? After all, even I know where the Totem Statues worshipped by the Free Tribe Alliance are located. You... are after the Totem power they hold, aren't you?"

After speaking, he looked at her with a hint of curiosity:

"Lord Sofia, although our interests align, I am very curious. Why do you place such importance on those tribes' Totems? Could it be... that those Old Gods might actually be resurrected?"

"If that's the case, why haven't you taken action against them yourselves? Why must you rely on us? Or perhaps... for some reason, you are actually unable to act against them directly?"

The mysterious woman looked deeply at Duke Stefan and said:

"Your Grace, there's no need to draw information from me. Rest assured, our cooperation remains solid, and we will still help you take that step. Similarly, the demands of Her Majesty remain unchanged – we still intend to obtain the Totems from each tribe."

"We have intelligence that a mysterious Bloodline God indeed exists behind the Divine Favored Queen, and it has likely already dominated the Nais Clan of Falling Star Island."

"Don't be so surprised. There were more Demigods at the peak time of our Bloodline than you know, although most have either disappeared, been sealed, or suffered a tragic fall. It wouldn't be a shock to us if one or two had resurrected."

"The Nais Clan has long been in decline, and Lord Cosy, the Stargazer, has been missing for too long. It is quite normal for a clan without protection to submit to a Blood Prince."

Duke Stefan paused before adding:

"But it's said... she invoked the Divine Lord's miracle and even judged a Great Priest."

The woman named Sofia shook her head:

"That's not surprising. If the Prince awakened from that era can bring forth the Divine Lord's miracle, there's no need for astonishment. After all... even the Divine Lord himself awoke from among our Bloodline."

"I believe... the Blood Prince behind the Divine Favored Queen must have once been a Prince of the Kilari Clan and perhaps possesses one or two Divine Artifacts imbued with Holy Power. It's just... unclear which one from the Kilari Clan royalty he is and whether he is one of those traitors who renounced the Bloodline identity."

"Of course, whether it's those traitors or the unfortunate ones abandoned by the traitors, the attitude of the Holy Royal Court will reveal the truth."

"As for the Free Tribe Alliance... it's likely they have some connection to the legendary individual we are concerned about, which is why we value them."

Duke Stefan pondered for a moment then said:

"The Free Tribe Alliance had someone Awaken their Totem Belief recently. The Divine Favored Queen wants to provide sanctuary to the Free Tribe Alliance... Could it be possible that the one you're worried about... has already awakened?"

"The god behind the Divine Favored Queen... Could it be the Blood True Ancestor you've always been concerned would return?"

The mysterious woman named Sofia shook her head:

"Of course not. If it were indeed the return of the True Ancestor, the Queen, who is most sensitive to Bloodline among the Princes, would have already warned us."

"Don't forget, unlike other slumbering gods, our Queen Royena... has never been asleep and has always maintained contact with us, her descendants."

"Queen Royena once had the closest connection to the True Ancestor. If the True Ancestor returns, she would surely know."