"Is it true, as the Great Prophet of the Harcos Clan said, that his Divine Enthronement has reached its most crucial moment?"

"Or is it that... there is some issue with him?"

Charlotte's consciousness stirred, pensive.

"Queen Charlotte, what are you thinking about? Why not try our Harcos Clan's specialty, the blood wine?"

The familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

Charlotte came back to her senses and saw the Palace Guard Captain Sofia approaching with a wine glass, while cautious gazes from others in the hall fell on her.

Charlotte casually glanced over, and the Bloodline who were watching her withdrew their gazes.

Although they withdrew quickly, Charlotte could still sense a trace of tension from them.

Charlotte chuckled softly.

She looked around. Wherever her gaze landed, the Bloodline shifted their eyes away. Eventually, her gaze stopped on the clearly more nervous Sofia, who even seemed as if facing a great enemy.

"It's nothing, just curious about what exactly the Great Prophet is up to."

Charlotte elegantly took the wine glass from Sofia's hand and sipped lightly.

Sofia tensed slightly.

She forced a smile and said:

"Just some private clan matters, a clan member had too much to drink and caused some trouble, nothing serious."

"Oh? Such a matter managed to disturb the Great Prophet?"

Charlotte looked surprised.

"Uh... it involves some high-ranking members; only the Prophet can calm them."

Sofia said a bit rigidly.

"High-ranking members, hm..."

Charlotte's expression was inscrutable.

Seeing Charlotte's insightful and playful expression, Sofia felt a sinking feeling.

She hesitated for a moment, ready to change the subject, but then Charlotte said:

"Lord Sofia, I came here with goodwill and an olive branch. I wonder... when will I truly be able to meet Queen Royena?"

Sofia paused slightly.

She took a deep breath and repeated:

"I'm sorry, Queen Charlotte, but Queen Royena is currently in deep meditation in the depths of the Royal Palace, so she is temporarily unable to meet with you."

"Oh? Temporarily? Any idea... how long the wait might be?"

"That is for Queen Royena to decide. She will appear when the time is right."

"Appear, you say... Lord Sofia, do you know when was the last time Queen Royena made an appearance?"

"This..."

Facing Charlotte's seemingly all-penetrating gaze, Sofia felt the pressure.

She felt as if all her thoughts were exposed in front of the other, an invisible pressure that almost left her breathless.

The similar feeling she last experienced was during the Purification after she was born, facing the Blessing of the Queen.

Eyes converged on Sofia and Charlotte.

In the banquet hall, conversations among the Bloodline had ceased at some point, and they silently watched the two, a tense atmosphere slowly rising.

"Heh, Queen Charlotte, indeed Queen Royena is currently unavailable. If you wish to discuss collaboration with the clan, you may speak with me."

A hoary voice took over Charlotte's inquiry, relieving the lingering tension.

Sofia's spirit lifted.

She turned and saw the figure re-emerging in the banquet hall, discreetly sighed in relief, and then respectfully bowed:

"Great Prophet..."

Seeing the return of the Great Prophet, the Bloodline in the hall also breathed easier.

"Sorry for the wait, Queen Charlotte,"

The Great Prophet once again bowed apologetically to Charlotte.

Charlotte smiled:

"It's alright, but... Great Prophet, are you saying... you can sign a treaty on behalf of the gods?"

The Great Prophet Margo paused momentarily.

She shook her head and earnestly said:

"I certainly am not qualified to represent the gods. However, Queen Royena has entrusted me with full authority over clan affairs before her meditation."

"If you wish to discuss collaboration, we can talk after the banquet. All agreements will be reported to Queen Royena and ultimately decided by the Oracle."

Charlotte nodded and looked around with a smile,

"Very well, since that is the case, let us quickly move on to the main topic. These showy banquets are somewhat tedious, and I think the warriors here would rather not waste time here, would they? After all... they have more important tasks to attend to."

Hearing this, Sofia's expression shifted slightly, and the Bloodline members in the banquet hall also unconsciously stopped their motions, all displaying an expression as if facing a great enemy.

Observing Charlotte's calm demeanor, the Great Prophet sighed deeply.

She glanced at the audience and said,

"Everyone... please leave."

The Bloodline members hesitated for a moment.

"Leave, Queen Charlotte has already clearly seen your strengths and weaknesses; there is no need to waste more time here."

The Great Prophet repeated.

Then, the Bloodline members began to move; they bowed to the Great Prophet before retreating one after another.

Sofia appeared somewhat hesitant.

But under the commanding gaze of the Great Prophet, she eventually nodded silently and left the banquet hall with the other Bloodline members.

Soon, the vast palace was left with only Charlotte and the Harcos Clan's Great Prophet.

The atmosphere sank into a strange silence, and moments later, Charlotte's voice broke the quiet,

"Great Prophet, I wonder... how long can the Harcos Clan maintain itself in its current state?"

The Great Prophet paused briefly.

She chuckled and responded,

"Queen Charlotte, I am afraid I did not quite catch your meaning."

Charlotte shook her head,

"No, you understand it very well."

The Great Prophet frowned slightly.

Just as she was about to say something, Charlotte suddenly said,

"Seven Earls."

The Great Prophet was momentarily startled.

She looked at Charlotte, who then continued to enumerate more numbers:

"Two hundred and twenty-three Viscounts, five hundred and forty-three Barons, and in addition... four hundred and thirty-two attendants close to becoming Barons... Great Prophet, the numbers I mentioned are accurate, aren't they?"

The Great Prophet's expression turned solemn.

Indeed, the numbers Charlotte disclosed were the true strength of the Bloodline members who had attended the banquet.

"Queen Charlotte, you are more formidable than I imagined. Being able to see through the Prohibition to discern the strength of my Harcos, it appears... the gods' blessing upon you is much stronger than I thought," said the Great Prophet with a sigh and a bitter smile.

Having spoken, she once again looked at Charlotte and said calmly,

"I admit, our Harcos Clan has encountered some minor troubles, but these are not significant issues."

"Oh? Minor troubles? High Tier Bloodline members all falling, conscious clan members dwindling, overall strength plummeting, weakening powers against the Blood Demon, and even the expedition teams to Mireya Continent can only peak with Viscounts strengths... do you still consider these minor issues?"

Charlotte said.

Looking directly at the Great Prophet, Charlotte's golden-red pupils shimmered slightly,

"And you, how much longer can you persist?"

Hearing this, the Great Prophet's expression finally changed.

The atmosphere in the hall tensed up once again.

"Great Prophet,"

Charlotte continued,

"I can assist you in dealing with the Bloodline Curse, purifying the Fallen Bloodline powers within."

The Great Prophet's gaze sharpened.

She was silent for a moment and then suddenly laughed,

"Queen Charlotte, you must be joking."

"Our Harcos Clan's High Tier Bloodline members are mostly just in deep sleep, and they will naturally awaken when the Queen finishes her meditation..."

"I can roughly guess which Prince stands behind you, Your Majesty, but... it's not yet time for the Holy Royal Court to intervene in the affairs of our Harcos Clan, as if we have chosen different paths."

"In consideration of our past camaraderie, we do not wish to interfere in your and other clans' strife, but please also keep your hands away from our Harcos's influence."

"The Queen's wrath... you cannot bear."

"You have your path, and we have ours; your so-called 'Purification,' we do not desire it, better you keep it for yourselves."