"If Your Majesty is here merely to persuade the Harcos Clan to come under the Holy Royal Court's influence, then I am afraid you will be disappointed."

"Our paths are different, and the Harcos Clan has no intention of getting involved in the continent's disputes. Please, Your Majesty... return to your palace."

Observing the resolute expression on Great Prophet Margo's face, Queen Charlotte realized that her words were likely falling on deaf ears.

She could have used force as she had with the Nais Clan, but after some thought, she decided against it.

Unlike the Nais Clan, the Crimson Queen, even if truly in trouble, was in seclusion within the holy lands of the Harcos.

Facing a demigod whose condition was unknown warranted caution.

Of course, more importantly, even without Great Prophet Margo's introduction, she had other methods to "meet" the Crimson Queen, Royena.

Thinking of this, Queen Charlotte said with a smile:

"I understand, Great Prophet. Since you insist so much... I won't press the matter. It's getting late; I should be heading back."

Great Prophet Margo frowned slightly:

"Queen Charlotte, weren't you… here to discuss the Holy Presence Day with my Harcos Clan?"

Queen Charlotte drawled:

"The Holy Presence Day was just a pretext. My real purpose was merely to pay a visit to the Crimson Queen."

Great Prophet Margo furrowed his brow even deeper, his gaze towards Charlotte taking on a hint of wariness.

Queen Charlotte smiled lightly:

"Great Prophet, there's no need to look at me like that. As I said earlier, I have no ill intentions towards the Harcos Clan."

After hearing Queen Charlotte's words, Great Prophet Margo's expression turned slightly awkward.

He cleared his throat and said:

"Queen Charlotte, you have witnessed our embarrassment. Although I cannot introduce you, you did extend your help to our Harcos Clan members. We are not ungrateful people; please accept these gifts."

Saying so, Great Prophet Margo clapped his hands, and soon a beautiful young woman from the Bloodline carried a tray into the hall.

Wrapped in red silk, the tray held several shimmering storage rings.

Queen Charlotte raised her eyebrow.

She didn't decline and quickly took them, briefly sensing with her spiritual power, her face then showing surprise.

There was quite a lot inside the rings.

The storage rings contained various transcendent materials of immense value. By Charlotte's estimation, they were worth at least seven to eight hundred million gold tanas.

Considering Queen Charlotte's status, it was not a huge amount, but it was still substantial.

Charlotte, who had accepted the throne of the Falling Star Kingdom, knew her kingdom's finances were in dire straits. Transcendent materials, the more, the better. These goods would perfectly replenish the treasury back home.

Of course, to her personally, the allure of these items was limited; she was most craving the benefits from "purifying" the pollution in the Harcos Clan's bloodline and the potentially possessing Faceless Divine Statues that the Harcos Clan might have.

After receiving the gifts from the Harcos Clan, Queen Charlotte left the "Holy Land" under the personal escort of Great Prophet Margo.

Before she departed, she cast a meaningful look at him and smiled:

"Great Prophet, thank you for your hospitality. Though I did not get to meet Queen Royena directly, I still hold expectations for the Harcos Clan."

"I think… we shall probably meet again soon."

With that, she smiled, transforming into a stream of light flying toward the horizon.

Great Prophet Margo was momentarily stunned.

He wanted to ask something, but after the brilliance had passed, he could no longer sense Queen Charlotte's presence…

…

In the depths of the Great Northern Forest.

A crimson glow flashed, and Queen Charlotte reappeared.

As soon as she appeared, the Roman Sword, unable to restrain itself, burst forth:

"Great master, you... just left like that?"

Charlotte glanced at it:

"Well, did you expect me to storm the Queen's Palace?"

"Why not? You must have sensed it too, right? There's almost no trace of the Crimson Queen's presence in the Holy Land. She's definitely not there, or perhaps she's encountered some problem! Maybe… she has fallen into slumber! This could be an excellent opportunity for you to subdue the Harcos Clan!"

Charlotte shook her head:

"That's merely your conjecture, merely a possibility. Unlike the Stargazer Cosy, the Harcos Clan still receives oracles from the Crimson Queen, and it's clear she steadfastly remains deep within the Holy Land. Don't underestimate any demigod, especially not on their home ground."

"Then… You really plan to just go back?"

"Go back? Of course not. I definitely won't leave without meeting the Crimson Queen."

Queen Charlotte said with a smile.

She spoke, then looked toward the direction of the Harcos Holy Land, her gaze gradually becoming distant:

"Roman, you're right, something must have gone wrong with the Crimson Queen Royena, and this might indeed be a good opportunity to subdue the Harcos Clan."

"However, storming the Queen's Palace is not the best method and will certainly incite fierce resistance from the Harcos Clan."

"I have a favorable impression of the Harcos Clan, and if possible, I would not want to cause too much conflict with them."

The Roman Sword was somewhat puzzled:

"Then… what do you plan to do?"

Charlotte smiled, and with a flash of light in her hand, a small ethereal divine statue appeared:

"Though seeing the person face-to-face would be ideal, there's more than one way to meet the Crimson Queen."

...

Harcos Holy Land, Queen's Palace.

Great Prophet Margo's smile faded, and her expression gradually turned serious.

"Great Prophet..."

Sofia, now dressed in a black robe, bowed to her.

She nodded slightly and asked:

"Are the items… all ready?"

Sofia nodded:

"They are ready."

After speaking, she hesitated for a moment and asked:

"Great Prophet, does the Queen... truly not intend to meet the Favored of the God of Judgement?"

The Great Prophet shook her head:

"If the Queen wishes to see them, a divine oracle will be issued. For our Lord, the most crucial step is now at hand."

"Our reality has been exposed to the Holy Royal Court, and all our hopes… now rest upon our Lord."

"Bring all the offerings before our Lord; our Lord… is about to make the final attempt."

Sofia paused slightly, unable to resist looking up at Great Prophet Margo:

"Great Prophet, is this... also the Queen's divine oracle?"

The Great Prophet was silent for a moment, then nodded and smiled gently:

"Of course, this is indeed the oracle of our Lord, and the goal that our Harcos Clan has been striving for, for hundreds of years."

Hearing her words, Sofia bowed her head and said no more.

After the orders were issued, the Royal Palace Guards inside the Queen's Palace quickly sprung into action.

Before long, various offerings were transported to the grand temple doors deep within the Queen's Palace.

The offerings were diverse, some were sculptures, some were stone statues, some were dried limbs, and some were broken pieces of armor or weapon fragments.

All the offerings were placed in exquisitely crafted wooden boxes, sealed by intricate magic arrays, emitting an aura that made one's heart tremble.

Among all the offerings, the most eye-catching were those several small faceless divine statues.

Seeing the collected offerings, the Great Prophet took a deep breath.

She waved her hand, gathering all the offerings into a storage device, then bowed respectfully toward the grand temple doors:

"Queen, as per your divine oracle, the offerings are ready."

"Please allow me to enter the Holy Hall to aid you in preparing for the final ritual..."

With that, the Great Prophet knelt on one knee and closed her eyes.

A dark crimson glow flickered faintly, and the shadows of the magic lamps flickered in the distance.

A profound and vast breath slowly descended, enveloping the Great Prophet.

Specks of light fell, and the Great Prophet's figure gradually became translucent, until finally... she disappeared.

The Great Prophet slowly opened her eyes.

She found herself in a majestic temple.

The temple seemed to have been unattended for many years, already dilapidated, its walls were covered in sinister dark red veins and chunks of flesh.

Streams of veins converged at the center of the temple, climbing up a large Divine Throne, and atop the throne, a mound of flesh tumors piled up like a mountain.

The flesh tumor trembled slightly, like a beating heart, with a vague female face visible upon it.

Seeing that vague face, the Great Prophet showed a nostalgic expression.

She sighed softly and respectfully bowed down before the flesh mound:

"Queen… Your Majesty…"