"Hey, Lord Charlotte, everything is moving forward!" The Falling Star Magic Association is quite interested in the cooperation you proposed. They're happy to get the support of the Royal Court and Castel's mithril resources for their magic research."

Nisi said cheerfully.

Charlotte nodded slightly:

"What about the nobles?"

Nisi chuckled:

"Heh, everything is going smoothly on that front. I know these people too well. When there's money to be made, they're more than willing to get involved. I dropped a hint of our intent to cooperate to Count Stafford and it seems many families are very interested. Now, who doesn't know that the alchemy industry of the Falling Star Kingdom is the most profitable!"

With that, Nisi turned towards Charlotte curiously:

"Lord Charlotte, how did you come up with this idea? Utilizing magic-guided and alchemy industries to tie the Falling Star Magic Association to our chariot, while bringing the nobles together to start... start that what's it called again?

"Magic-guided and Alchemy Industries Company."

"Oh right! The company! Bringing the nobles and the Bloodline together to start a Magic-guided and Alchemy Industries Company, forming a community of shared interests, making the alliance of Falling Star Kingdom and Castel a strong partnership, and getting the Falling Star nobles and Mage Association on board to make money together... It's simply a genius idea!"

Nisi said with a look of admiration.

Charlotte: …

She gave Nisi a sideways glance and shook her head:

"Alright, stop with the flattery. Don't tell me you hadn't thought of this yourself. In recent years, the magic-guided technology and alchemy industry of the Falling Star Kingdom have been developing at a rapid pace. Many of the new nobles have started out with alchemy workshops. If not for the serious lack of mithril, the alchemical goods business of the Falling Star Kingdom would have expanded to the Western Yonette Empire long ago."

"Hehehehe..."

Nisi laughed sheepishly.

Combining the advantages of Castel with those of the Falling Star Kingdom to develop the magic-guided and alchemy industries was one of Charlotte's money-making plans.

Of course, making money was one aspect, technological innovation was another, and strengthening power was yet another.

Charlotte had a weak foundation, and even after becoming the queen of Falling Star, her dependable power was very limited. The Dark Night Church's power also paled in comparison to mainstream churches like the Holy Royal Court.

With Holy Presence Day approaching, the gods would soon return, and Charlotte needed to strengthen her forces as quickly as possible.

Improving herself was one aspect, and elevating the power of her forces was another.

Charlotte had not yet undergone Divine Enthronement, and she had to preserve her power to face possible mythical-level enemies, so she couldn't afford to use too much Divine Power on enhancing her followers.

The power of the Nais Clan wasn't weak either, but Charlotte couldn't just rely on the Bloodline; their weaknesses were too obvious and easily targeted.

She had to think of other ways.

Waging wars in the south and north wasn't the first choice, and the growth of Transcendents also took time, so... the best approach was starting with the equipment and upgrading the industry.

This was not just Charlotte's idle fantasy.

In fact, having crossed over for so long and through various observations, Charlotte had already realized that the world of Mireya was actually at a delicate point similar to the early Renaissance in Blue Star's history.

The power of religion was waning, secular power was on the rise, and with the continuous improvement of Magic Energy Formation technologies, there was a trend of increasingly rapid updates to magic-guided technology year over year, and various alchemy workshops were popping up like bamboo shoots after rain...

Perhaps for the inhabitants of Mireya, the most direct feeling was that magic-guided alchemical tools were becoming more and more common in the market; it seemed that any noble could buy one or two magic tools as luxury items to flaunt.

But for Charlotte, who had lived two lives, she realized that the human civilization on the Mireya Continent was possibly at a historical turning point. If it moved one step further... it might be something akin to the Industrial Revolution on Blue Star.

Of course, on Mireya, it probably couldn't be called an Industrial Revolution, but rather a Magic-guided Revolution.

To be honest, Charlotte didn't think she had any particular talent for governing a country, inventing things, or engaging in trade.

Before she crossed over, she was just an ordinary person, and most of the knowledge in her head had been returned to her teachers. Even after becoming a Demigod and having those forgotten memories awakened, the knowledge she learned wasn't enough to create inventions like other transmigrators.

But she didn't have to.

The world wasn't lacking in smart people, and she didn't need to see herself as too clever; she just needed to use her advantages and push with the momentum.

Like with innovation in magic-guided and alchemy technology, Charlotte had the money and mines, and it was enough to pull those powerful nobles and organizations into the fold.

Charlotte only needed to offer the assistance a king could provide and to grasp the overall direction; the rest could naturally be left to the professionals.

"Hmm, I'll leave this matter entirely to you. Go ahead and do it well. I hope that within ten years, I can see magic-guided products from Falling Star-Castel being sold in every corner of the continent."

Charlotte told Nisi.

Nisi promptly thumped his chest:

"Don't worry, Lord Charlotte! I've got this covered!"

"Don't forget, there's also the development of new magic-guided technologies; don't stop that."

"Hehehe, of course, that's my specialty! The Mage Association of the Falling Star Kingdom does have some stuff. According to your ideas, getting those things out shouldn't be a problem! There's no technical difficulty; it's just a matter of reducing the cost."

Nisi said with a laugh.

After speaking, it hesitated briefly, then added:

"However... Lord Charlotte, are you sure you really want to try going down this path? Although it's not certain yet, I can almost foresee that, if we proceed with your idea, magic-guided technology will indeed become widely available."

"The further spread of transcendent powers among ordinary people... Is this really a good thing?"

Charlotte looked at it and smiled:

"What's wrong with that? This is the general trend. I'm just giving it a little push and taking the lead in advance, that's all."

"Taking the lead in advance, huh..."

Nisi pondered thoughtfully.

"Furthermore..." Charlotte paused, then added,

"I need you to continue pretending to be my stand-in for the next few days."

"Disguising as your stand-in? Lord Charlotte, do you... plan to leave Falling Star?"

Nisi's heart stirred, prompting him to ask.

Charlotte nodded:

"Yes, I'm not at ease with the situation in the Northern Territory, I must go there myself."

Nisi nodded:

"I understand, go ahead with peace of mind! I've got Falling Star covered, nothing will go wrong! If there's any problem, I'll pray to you through our contract!"

...

This was a world engulfed in dark red.

The sky was dark red, the earth was dark red, and even the castle perched on the hillside emanated a profound dark red.

Countless black crows flew in the sky, cawing hoarsely, circling the castle. If Charlotte were here, she would notice that the architectural style bore a striking resemblance to the residence of the Nais Clan.

At the center of the castle cluster was a towering palace.

The palace, equally dark red, was carved with ancient mythical murals and decorations. At its pinnacle, a blood rose emblem glimmered with a faint red light.

It was the symbol of one of the Five Great Bloodline Clans that governed the Path of Blood and Flesh, the Harcos Clan.

Suddenly, the blood-colored brilliance burst forth, and a circular Array appeared in front of the palace.

After intense spatial fluctuations, a figure in a black robe emerged from the void.

Seeing the dark figure, the black-clad Blood Servants standing guard before the palace paid their respects:

"Lady Sofia..."

The shadow nodded slightly, before proceeding directly into the palace.

At the heart of the palace lay a massive Blood Pool, around which complex and mysterious magic runes were inscribed, extending outward and virtually enveloping the entire palace.

The thick red liquid in the Blood Pool writhed as if alive, and at its center, a tall altar was erected, upon which stood a dark red Divine Statue.

The statue, also draped in a cloak adorned with blood roses, appeared upon closer inspection to be a seductive female deity.

Before the Blood Pool, an old woman in a dark red robe was praying softly.

Hearing footsteps, she ceased her chants and looked toward the newcomer, her aged voice betraying no emotion:

"Sofia, you have returned. How did it go?"

Sofia removed her hood, revealing a captivating face.

She glanced at the immense Blood Pool beneath the statue, bowed slightly toward the statue, then turned to the woman:

"It's somewhat troublesome. The Northern Territory Duke doesn't fully trust us; he seeks to involve the Divine Favored Queen's power to counterbalance our influence in the Northern Territory."

"The Divine Favored Queen has reached into the Northern Territory, and the deity behind her... has already subdued the Nais Bloodline of the Falling Star Kingdom. She is now interested in the affairs of the Northern Territory, and it is highly likely that she represents the Kilari Clan Prince."

"The Northern Territory Duke has already promised the Free Tribe Alliance. The True Ancestor's relic there is vital; it concerns the Queen's grand strategy. Our plan... may need to change."

Hearing Sofia's report, the woman fell silent.

After a while, she sighed:

"The Queen does not wish for us to act directly against the Free Tribe Alliance. Although we've chosen different paths, that land... was once the homeland of His Grace."

"Thus, we shall report this matter to the Queen. With Holy Presence Day upon us and the Prohibitions becoming harder to maintain, our time is running short, even the Queen... may have to make a decision."

"Come with me..." she said, standing and heading deeper into the palace.

Sofia took a deep breath and respectfully followed.

Together, they walked to the rear of the palace, and after passing through a long corridor, arrived before a grand closed door.

The door was tall and ornate, decorated with intricate and mysterious patterns, glowing with a dark red light, majestic and mysterious.

The woman inhaled deeply and bowed respectfully toward the door:

"Your Majesty, a new development has arisen, and we seek your guidance..."

She reiterated the affairs reported by Sofia.

The dark red brilliance flickered, the magic lights cast wavering shadows, and as the woman recited the Crimson Queen's true name, a profound and immense presence... slowly descended.

The woman closed her eyes, her body alight with specks of radiance, as if listening to the whispers of a grand entity.

After a long while, the light faded, and she opened her eyes, her expression serene once more:

"The Queen has commanded that none of the Old Gods' fragments... leave the Northern Territory, including the True Ancestor's lost Divine Statue."

"The plan remains unchanged, carry on with the execution. Retrieve all of the fragments as soon as possible, no matter... the cost!"