“This Emperor’s Banquet will change the very fabric of the entire Empire. That night, the Kalishi Royal Family will announce their newly developed Star Magic—Teleportation Magic.”
Princess Kresia revealed the greatest secret of the Emperor’s Banquet—Teleportation Magic—in its entirety.
Using the core of star movement as an anchor, Teleportation Magic breaks the boundaries of space, allowing items to be swiftly transported from one predetermined location to another.
However, activating this Teleportation Array demands enormous magical power, the range it can teleport across is quite limited, and the cost of building such an array is exceedingly high—one array costs as much as the entire annual tax revenue of three mid-sized noble domains.
Everyone present could clearly feel the gravity of the matter after hearing this. Indeed, this had the potential to change not only the Empire, but also the entire world.
Although this magic wasn’t exactly convenient, it could undoubtedly break through certain spatial barriers. In the future, it would have an immense impact on both military and commerce.
Floleen pondered, instantly calculating the numbers in her mind: Spices, flax, and grapes from the Weis Domain lose thirty percent of their value during the journey from harvesting to distant markets.
With a Teleportation Array, losses could be cut to below ten percent, and even the outlying mineral resources could be directly sent to the domain’s center for unified distribution to the factories—the profits would at least double.
“Charlotte, it looks like our family might become even richer…”
She finally understood why her father wanted Charlotte dead before the banquet—if Charlotte and Floleen were to marry, the magical strength of the Mistmoon Family combined with the wealth of the Weis Domain would be enough for Charlotte to be elevated to the rank of Duke.
Even more frightening, Teleportation Magic would make it far too easy to allocate military supplies.
If the military movements in the eastern territories were no longer under the Duke of Storms’ control, her father’s ambitions would be thoroughly crushed.
“Why do you have such crucial information?” Charlotte looked into Kresia’s eyes.
Kresia suddenly smiled, her pink hair sliding off her shoulders as she raised her head, a girlish pride in her expression.
“Because it was your senior—Kresia Kalishi—who led the development! Movira personally conducted the stability experiments. Don’t you see how valuable your seniors are?”
Charlotte understood now. “You’re here to win allies, aren’t you? You want to exchange ownership of the Teleportation Array for support.”
He switched to a tone as if narrating in a play, “The Kalishi Empire’s royal family appears calm on the surface, but beneath, currents swirl unseen.
If Princess Kresia neither gives up nor competes, she’ll tread a precarious path in politics, her influence gradually devoured by the First and Second Princes.
Kresia must consider if this is her one and only chance to ensure the Kalishi Empire’s continued prosperity.
Because she knows full well that if either of her royal brothers gains true power, she’ll be purged, and the Empire will head toward an uncertain fate.”
Kresia nodded. “Charlotte, you’re right. I really have no way out. As a princess, I don’t have any political power I can actually use. I never cared much for the Empire’s affairs, but I don’t want to see this nation…”
“Since I was little, I loved the history of the Kalishi Empire. This homeland was founded by humanity at the end of the Creation Age.
It was the first step of mortals rebelling against the gods—that’s why today’s world exists, why there is an age belonging to humans and other races.
I absolutely can’t let Kalishi become like the Aetherland Theocracy, a puppet state controlled by the power of the church.”
“Besides, one of my royal brothers has already begun borrowing the church’s power to secure the throne.” Her voice turned cold.
“The Empire never rejected the church to begin with—if we let them interfere with royal authority, it’s inviting the wolf into the house.”
Hearing about the church, Charlotte instantly felt something was wrong. “You mean one of your brothers has the backing of the church?”
“Yes, but I can’t tell who it is. He might even be willing to become a puppet emperor…”
Charlotte and Floleen exchanged a look. From each other’s eyes, they could see the worry.
If, in the future, the new emperor really permitted the church to act freely within the Kalishi Empire, their situation would become very dangerous.
Bella, too, felt worried, though she didn’t dare show it.
After all, she was now standing on Charlotte’s side—if he prospered, so did she; if he suffered, so did she.
The church gaining power wouldn’t benefit her in any way.
Kresia slowly revealed an even more shocking piece of news. “This Emperor’s Banquet… the Grand Saintess of Aetherland Theocracy will be attending…”
Charlotte’s expression darkened. “Kresia, Floleen. I need to bring you up to date.”
Charlotte told Kresia and Floleen about how Duke of Storms Karl Ennis sent Bella to assassinate him, though, of course, he left out what happened later that night.
Kresia couldn’t help but laugh. “Bella Ennis, I didn’t expect you to have this side to you. The Duke of Karen really ended up biting off more than he could chew…”
She then turned to Charlotte. “Junior, do you need your senior’s protection? It looks like someone already has their eyes on your life.”
Charlotte simply shook his head. “As you can see, even Bella couldn’t kill me. Unless it’s a Transcendent, no one else can really do anything to me. And if a Transcendent really did make a move, I don’t believe the Empire Guard would just sit by and do nothing.”
Bella, truth be told, really wanted to mock Charlotte for being such a hypocrite in front of the princess.
Usually so elegant and refined, yet last night he’d tormented her until she nearly wanted to die.
Yet now he acted as if nothing had happened, and hadn’t even softened his attitude toward her.
Bella: “Your Highness, let’s stick to the main issue… The Duke of Storms in the east has indeed welcomed many people from the Aetherland Theocracy, and he’s even allowed them to establish churches.”
“Yes, at least now we can be sure of the Duke of Storms’ stance, and he has indeed grown closer to the two princes recently. Charlotte, Floleen, what about you two? You’re the Empire’s rising stars.” Kresia clearly valued the opinions of these two heirs.
She knew well how significant they were: Charlotte, the current head of the Mistmoon Family, the youngest Marquis and a third-rank mage in history—if given time, he might break through to the Imperial rank, or even touch on legendary realms.
Floleen, the sole heir of the Weiss Family—the Weis Domain being the wealthiest land in the Empire, controlling the eastern region’s transportation hubs and economic arteries, virtually “rich enough to rival the nation.”
By investing in these two, Princess Kresia was investing in the future.
“If Your Highness is willing to present one of those costly Teleportation Arrays to the Weis Domain, I’d be willing to stand by your side. But that’s just my own opinion—I’ll have to report back to my father and let him discuss things with Charlotte.”
Floleen thought that Kresia truly deserved the Weis Domain’s support, but a matter like this had to be left to her father and Charlotte.
Though she was clever, she was no match for her father or Charlotte in politics—she was better suited to managing the domain.
Of course, Charlotte would stand by Kresia’s side without hesitation.
The church was the Mistmoon Family’s greatest enemy—those fanatics had hunted down the “remnants of darkness” for centuries.
Since the Creation Age, the Mistmoon Family had been forced to live like rats in the gutter because of them.
The Aetherlan Divine Church denounced the God of Memory and Mist worshipped by the Mistmoon Family as an Evil God, proclaiming Aetherlan as the one True God.
The Mistmoon Family had survived centuries of relentless persecution only by sheer luck, sacrificing more than half their kin.
But he still hoped to gain even more benefits from the princess, so he couldn’t reveal that, apart from Kresia, he had no other choice.
“The Mistmoon Family and the Weiss Family have always gotten along. If you win over the Weiss Family, the Mistmoon Family will stand with you as well. But that doesn’t mean it’s my personal intention. If you want help from Charlotte Mistmoon, Senior, you’ll have to offer some extra benefits.”
Kresia suddenly leaned in, her pink hair brushing against Charlotte’s arm, her eyes full of sly mischief.
“Junior Charlotte, your senior doesn’t have much left to bargain with. The only thing I have is… this body of mine, as a princess of the Kalishi Empire~”
With both hands, she gently lifted the front of her dress, making her impressive curves even more dazzling in the sunlight, and even purposely trembled them twice…