At Liya Tower Fortress, in a private room with simple decorations but complete furnishings, Charlotte, who had just showered, sat alone at her desk, her ink-black eyes intently gazing at the crystal stone on the table that emanated magical energy.
As the leader of the reformists and the one with the highest magical attainnt in the magic circles and magical devices, Charlotte was almost constantly researching new mana-energy devices.
Outside, the wind and snow howled, while inside, it remained warm. The soft orange light fell on Charlotte’s hair, illuminating her exquisite and beautiful face. Ti seed to have left no trace on her, but instead added a mature and intellectual charm.
Her mind was currently subrged in the crystal stone, sketching out a specific magic circle, when a rhythmic knocking sound suddenly reached Charlotte’s ears.
There was no sense of urgency that required her, an Arcanist mage, to intervene imdiately, yet the person had entered the defensive barrier set up by Grand Duke Charles. Charlotte, who had already told her attendants not to disturb her, vaguely guessed who the visitor was. A rare ripple stirred in her heart, and her ntal power quickly locked onto the person outside the door.
"Please co in," Charlotte said.
The latch on the door was pushed by the wind. Hearing the sound, the knocker gently pushed open the door and entered Charlotte’s bedroom.
Unlike Lyra’s boudoir, which was filled with the scent of rose grass and citrus, as if carrying a sweet, sun-kissed feeling, Charlotte’s room had more of an amber and patchouli fragrance, mysterious and elegant, yet hinting at the sensuality of a mature woman, as if one could unconsciously surrender beneath her white skirt.
Astrid inhaled the scent, her keen sense of sll detecting a lingering hint of bath perfu in the air.
Her work in her previous life made her extrely sensitive to scents. Even if she lay in bed with her eyes covered, without touching the body and skin of the person next to her, she could clearly perceive whether it was Amalia or Lyra sleeping beside her, or the cold and aloof head maid, or her mature aunt, based on their scent.
"Lady Charlotte, are you still working so late?"
Walking slowly to Charlotte’s side, Astrid spoke softly, her watery eyes lowered as she looked at the person sitting at the desk.
The woman’s waterfall-like ink-black hair hangs down her back. Although the silken nightgown covered large areas of her fair skin, it could not completely conceal her curvaceous figure. Her two plump and slender jade legs, unlike usual, were not adorned with transparent, thin silk fabric, but were exposed directly outside the skirt.
Perhaps it was due to just having bathed, Charlotte’s already smooth and fair skin now glowed with a warm, milk-like luster.
"Yes, at this very mont, many soldiers are enduring the wind and snow, holding fast to the defense line. How can I rest too early?"
Looking at Astrid, who was still dressed in a black dress, Charlotte actively reached out and took the latter’s soft hand. Sensing the warmth emanating from her palm, her beautiful features softened even further.
"But Little Astr, you gave several speeches today. Why aren’t you resting earlier? What brings you here?"
Despite her words, Charlotte’s tone carried a faint joy, clearly pleased that Astrid had co to see her.
That short ti in the morning was nowhere near enough for her to see Astrid. After all, the ti they had spent apart was no less than with Lyra.
"Of course, it’s to see Lady Charlotte."
The astute Astrid naturally wouldn’t say she had sothing to ask, spoiling Charlotte’s current mood.
In most matters, she was not straightforward at all.
Charlotte changed at her upon hearing this, then asked,
"Are you really just here to see ?"
"Yes, mostly to see Lady Charlotte," Aina answered softly, then added,
"Besides that, I also wanted to help Lady Charlotte share so of the work related to mana energy devices. After all, I’ll be staying in the North for a long ti, so I can’t possibly be running around on the city walls every day."
"Although my knowledge of magic is far inferior to Lady Charlotte’s, perhaps this very inexperience can provide so unexpected inspiration."
These were inherently matters. Astrid intended to discuss with Charlotte, and it just so happened that she could do them all tonight.
After speaking, Astrid turned her gaze to the fire-attributed crystal stone in front of Charlotte, her pink lips slightly parted.
"Was Lady Charlotte sketching a magic circle just now?"
"Yes."
"Then my sudden visit must have disturbed you."
Astrid walked gently behind Charlotte, her hands approached the woman’s smooth and rounded shoulders, bending down to lift the ink-black hair that had fallen.
"Lady Charlotte, please continue sketching. I don’t mind waiting a bit."
Astrid knew how focused and passionate an Arcanist mage like Charlotte, who loved knowledge, was about magical research. It was only because she was the one interrupting that Charlotte might set aside her work to converse. If it were anyone else, Charlotte might not.
"If there’s anything I can help with, Lady Charlotte, please say so."
Her fingers pressed slightly harder, and the tender white skin indented with the movent of her fingertips. Feeling the sudden touch, Charlotte unconsciously let out a soft hum, slightly raising her slender white swan neck.
"It’s been a while, Little Astr, and you’re still so considerate."
Astrid smiled sweetly at this, and spoke softly,
"Of course, after all, it’s my dearest Lady Charlotte in front of now."
"If I’m not considerate to Lady Charlotte, who else would I be considerate to?"
Hearing Astrid say this, Charlotte let out a soft puff of air from her delicate nose, her body relaxing, accommodating the movents of the other’s fingers.
"Then I’ll just finish up, and we can chat with Little Astr afterward."
"Alright, for Lady Charlotte, I always have ti."
Even the most composed temperant would find it sowhat hard to resist Astrid’s series of sincere remarks. Charlotte gently stroked the ink-black hair by her earlobe, and her spirit re-imrsed itself in the crystal stone, continuing the unfinished magic circle sketching.
A quarter of an hour passed, and the magic circle was completed. The soreness in her shoulders was also relieved by Astrid’s nimble finger movents. Charlotte picked up the crystal stone and slowly handed it to Astrid.
"Little Astr, tell , how many magic circles are engraved within this?"
Astrid narrowed her eyes at this, and reached out to take it.
"Is this a pop quiz?"
"Not really, just to see if Little Astra still rembers this part of the knowledge."
With the ongoing wars in the Empire, Astrid’s own magical strength had to be formidable. Although at only twenty-three, she was already peak tier Magnus, standing at a pinnacle most mages could never reach, Charlotte believed she still needed to constantly hone her skills.
Maintaining a constant exploration of magical knowledge was key to keeping her state at its best.
Carefully sensing the elental activity within the crystal stone, the elental particles burst forth, transported and arranged along predetermined orbits, moving back and forth. Astrid pondered for a long ti before stopping the transmission of her ntal power.
"The outermost layer consists of two major fraworks: a control frawork used to regulate the unique ntal power transmission and clarify the user’s identity, and a protective frawork that dismantles the corresponding magic pattern device and puts the crystal stone into a dormant state."
That was one of the points Hibbort emphasized during his lifeti for the developnt of mana energy devices: the safety of mana energy weapons.
"Extending inward, the specific magic circle structure can be further refined into five parts: the elental particle passage sequence, the throttle controlling particle movent speed, the energy blockade gate, the reverse flow zone, and the magic pattern export and import interfaces at the bottom and top..."
Carefully examining the internal structure of the magic crystal, Astrid quickly discovered a difference.
When she inspected the soldiers’ mana energy muskets yesterday and today, she noticed that the crystal stone Charlotte now handed her could interface with the mana energy musket, but the arrangent of this interface seed to be designed not just for the mana energy musket. It was a more complex and diverse form.
Seeing Astrid’s expression suddenly change, Charlotte spoke softly,
"It seems Little Astr has also discovered it."
The difference between this crystal stone in her hand and the others.
"Lady Charlotte, are you trying to use one crystal stone multiple tis on different mana energy devices?"
The warm lamplight fell on the rhomboid stone, making the fiery red within glow transparently.
"Yes," Charlotte didn’t deny it, continuing to explain,
"Currently, the mana energy muskets equipped in the army sotis encounter unexpected damage. However, due to the safety control frawork, crystal stones that have already been engraved with magic patterns and are matched with the weapon may not have fully expended their energy, leading to a waste of resources."
"To address this issue, I plan to create more temporary interfaces for it, allowing the sa crystal stone to be used on different weapons, or directly fitted into new mana energy muskets."
"I call this a ’Stereoscopic Reusable Multi-interface’."
"The specific principle is as follows..."
To change the usage of a crystal stone, it’s naturally impossible to just change the interface. It’s like a rice cooker plug from the previous life; you can’t cut it in the middle and connect the latter half to a plug to power a TV.
This involves complex, multi-layered magic circles within the crystal stone, far from being that simple.
Understanding the wide future application prospects of the reusable multi-interface, and listening to her aunt’s gentle explanation, Astrid’s hands didn’t stop moving. She quietly pondered, occasionally exchanging details with Charlotte about specific application directions.
Unbeknownst to them, one topic had extended until nearly ten o’clock.
Charlotte took a sip of tea, reminding that Astrid had been talking for so long without a drink, and her throat must be dry.
"Would you like so water?"
After speaking, the woman’s fingers rested on the cup handle. She seed to recall sothing and paused slightly.
Her room was usually unoccupied, and Charlotte, not one to particularly indulge in noble luxuries, naturally wouldn’t prepare several sets of exquisitely crafted tea sets to use according to her mood.
Having lived alone for a long ti, she only had this one carved porcelain cup in her hand.
Astrid also noticed this and spoke softly,
"If Lady Charlotte doesn’t mind."
Even in her previous life, sharing a cup of water with soone was not sothing everyone could accept, let alone in the Valeria Empire, which was under a dieval system.
Charlotte had originally thought of instructing an attendant to bring a new tea set, but hearing Astrida’s words, speaking up now would make it seem distant.
Anyway, the person in front of her was Astrid Calliste, a half-daughter she had watched grow up. Charlotte naturally had no objection to being close to her.
Since neither of them minded, it didn’t matter.
Handing the hot tea to the other, Astrid gently took it, her pink lips lightly sipping from the rim of the cup.
"Lady Charlotte’s craftsmanship hasn’t declined at all."
From the taste, it was a warm-up tea unique to the North, brewed by mixing two cold-natured tea herbs. Their special magical properties make them gentle when they co into contact with hot water. The taste was bitter and slightly astringent, but it had the effect of warming the body and resisting cold, making it popular among many Northern residents and an excellent choice for won with cold constitutions or uterine coldness to replenish their qi and blood.
Seeing that Astrid didn’t mind that it was tea for her had just drunk, Charlotte, on the other hand, felt an indescribable sensation. There was both the forr’s affection for her and a subtle, peculiar feeling.
How could she, who should appear in front of a junior, be more embarrassed than the other person?
As if to soothe certain subconscious emotions, and to satisfy the inexplicable feelings of an elder, Charlotte did not deliberately avoid it, but took a sip of hot tea from the spot Astrid had just drunk from.
As if doing so could prove sothing.
Astrid didn’t notice this detail. Charlotte then placed the teacup on the desk, shifting the topic to another matter.
"Little Astr, there’s sothing I’ve always been quite curious about."
At this point, Charlotte’s tone suddenly beca a little low, and her mature, charming voice seed to turn a bit sour at this mont.
"That child, Lyra, has grown more and more beautiful."
"The few tis I saw her before, I didn’t pay much attention, only focusing on the war situation, but later, thinking about it..."
"That hair tie she’s wearing, why does it look so familiar?"
It was more than just familiar; the material, style, and color were all identical to the one she had given Astrid, and it even had her personally attached wind elent blessing.
With Charlotte’s hint, Astrid felt guilty. She leaned down, hugged her aunt, and pressed her cheek against her neck.
"Lady Charlotte... are you angry?"
Thinking about it carefully, this matter was indeed a bit inappropriate. After all, that hair tie was a gift Charlotte had given her, imbued with her affection, not so other expensive clothing or personal accessory that Aiena could discard and replace at any ti.
It was just that the night was too deep, and people inevitably beca more emotional than usual. Lyra had revealed her longing for her and was about to embark on a long journey. Astrid truly had no intention of determining the forr, especially since there was no more suitable item to give to the other person at that ti.
She couldn’t possibly give Lyra sothing from under her skirt, or take off the stockings on her legs and give them as a nto.
Although Astrid enjoyed teasing and bullying the pink-haired maid, at that ti, she couldn’t be so direct, as for now, that might be a different story.
"Do I look that petty?"
Charlotte blinked, bringing her face close to Astrid’s. Their skin touched, and their ears and hair brushed together.
"But I feel like Lady Charlotte cares a little."
Astrid’s voice was soft, and the fragrant breath she exhaled fell on Charlotte’s neck.
Charlotte, who had always been indifferent to suitors, completely dedicating her energy to mana energy devices and magical knowledge, to the point of being single for so many years, was rarely heard so intimately. Her delicate body straightened slightly.
"Does Little Astr an I shouldn’t care?" Charlotte asked softly in return, not denying the other’s statent.
"I am indeed a little... unhappy..."
This was a normal human reaction. Anyone in her shoes would probably feel a faint sense of being let down.
It was just that the person who gave the hair tie was Charlotte. If it were a certain loli empress, she might have already been making a fuss in her sister’s arms.
Astrid shook her head at this, her pink lips slightly parted.
"Of course not..."
"Giving away sothing Lady Charlotte gave to soone else, that was indeed my fault."
"So if Lady Charlotte wants any compensation, or wishes for to do anything, Astrid Calliste will comply."
Astrid’s words were flawless, and Charlotte listened with a comfortable feeling.
"Forget about compensation. I want to hear why you chose to give the hair tie to Lyra."
Things had co to this point; there had to be a reason.
Astrid nodded slightly at this, and softly recounted to Charlotte the night before Lyra’s departure.
Of course, she held back so details during the conversation, just as juniors in love instinctively avoid their elders. Astrid didn’t ntion Lyra’s feelings for her that transcended ordinary friendship, nor the ripples that stirred in her own chest at the ti.
"So that’s how it is."
Hearing Astrid’s explanation, Charlotte could understand the forr’s actions. She was no longer an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl, and naturally wouldn’t remain unhappy over such a minor matter.
However... Thinking about the news she had heard from the soldiers today, Charlotte’s heart, though not entirely clear, felt a subtle, undeniable sourness rise again...
"Forget about the hair tie. But next ti, rember to take good care of the things I give you."
Hearing Charlotte’s words, Astrid nodded in understanding.
"I know, Lady Charlotte."
Next ti, she will give sothing else.
"Also..." Charlotte said, stroking Astrid’s silver hair.
"...I heard that Little Astr specifically brought a gift for Lyra when she ca to Liya Tower Fortress this ti."
It was one thing that she didn’t co to see her on the first night, but why did only Lyra get a special gift, and she, her aunt, received nothing?
No matter how she thought about it, Little Astr seed to be playing favorites.
Astrid, however, had anticipated this, and with a slight curve of her lips, she said,
"Who said Lady Charlotte didn’t get anything?"
As Astrid spoke, she took Charlotte’s delicate hand and gently placed it against her own chest.
Feeling the softness and smoothness beneath her palm, Charlotte’s eyelashes fluttered. Before she could react, her hand was guided by Astrid to move further, the warmth on her skin gone, replaced by a smooth, jewel-like sensation.
The ruby pendant on Astrid’s chest sparkled, and the next second, a thin glass clip appeared on the table in front of Charlotte.
"During dinner earlier, I was a bit emotional, engaged in talking to Lady Charlotte whom I hadn’t seen in a long ti, and I forgot to give you this welco gift."
The transparent glass clip was thin and light, about the thickness of two bookmarks. Inside was a piece of sky-blue clover, its vibrant green seeming to pass through the glass and fall onto the table below.
Astrid gently touched the bookmark with her fingertip, and said softly,
"Lady Charlotte loves to read, so I prepared this plant bookmark that you should be able to use often."
"Considering that Lady Charlotte hasn’t been back for a long ti, and might feel a bit hosick, this bookmark uses a specin of sky-blue clover from Lady Charlotte’s private estate on the outskirts of the imperial capital. I saw that the flowers and plants in the garden were in full bloom, so I commissioned artisans to pick so and make them into specins."
"However, to achieve the effect Lady Charlotte sees now, the specific craftsmanship must be exquisite, preferably done by a mage who can expertly control ntal power. Therefore, I simply took on the final decorative work myself."
Looking at the tender leaf inside the glass seal, even with a special anti-corrosion coating, its leaf veins were clearly discernible. The sky-blue clover, made into a specin, retains its most vigorous vitality. Charlotte could vaguely feel her distant holand from it.
It was indeed a very thoughtful gift.
Charlotte picked up the bookmark and examined it carefully, then spoke after a mont.
"Little Astr, you have a heart."
"I didn’t expect you to... give such a gift..."
Both its practicality and the aning it held deeply touched her warst spot.
"It’s good as long as Lady Charlotte likes it," Aiena said appropriately, continuing to hug the woman’s neck.
"You’ve been working hard staying in the northern part of the Empire for so long."
Putting aside romantic feelings, both Lyra and Charlotte were dedicating themselves to the Empire. This spirit was invaluable.
Inhaling Charlotte’s pleasant scent, Astrid whisper,
"Take good care of yourself, don’t stay up too late, and rest earlier in the future, Lady Charlotte."
Charlotte humd softly in response, and quickly took Astrid’s arm that was wrapped around her.
.............
Outside, the night was still deep. No one brought it up, and no one found what happened next strange. The single-strap sandals and high heels were neatly placed by the bed, and next to them, a chair used for clothes held a pure black dress and a similarly colored ball of silk fabric.
The two, in unspoken understanding, lay on the bed, quietly enjoying this long-separated tenderness.
"Lady Charlotte."
"I’m here, what is it?"
Hearing Astrid call her na, Charlotte responded softly while adjusting the strap of the nightgown on the other, making it hang neatly on her shoulder.
Her nightgown wasn’t quite Astrid’s size; overall, it was a bit too big. Although it could still be worn, it would appear sowhat loose.
After all, neither of them had the habit of sleeping in restrictive clothing. If it weren’t for this thin layer of silk blocking, it would be too strange.
"I went to Siyak Town tonight and learned about the patients there."
Aina turned on her side, her crimson eyes fixed on Charlotte, her clear pupils reflecting fragnted light.
"Is it about investigating the plague?" Charlotte asked.
Astrid nodded: "Yes, Grand Duke Charles has issued a lockdown order, and Siyak Town has beco an isolated island."
After briefly explaining the situation at the temporary isolation point to Charlotte, Astrid skipped the tedious steps and went straight to the main topic.
"Ancient incantations related to purification have little effect on these patients. Even the mildest cases can only achieve alleviation, not complete recovery."
"In the history of the Valeria Empire, even during the plague that shook the Empire’s foundation, patients with mild symptoms could still be purified by magic, continuously receive the baptism of holy light, and even develop a certain degree of immunity."
It was just that this required a high cost, so it was rely an indulgence purchased with large sums of money by a portion of the upper class in the Valeria Empire who had no access to magic, as a form of atonent.
"Little Astr also thinks this plague is unusual?"
"Yes."
Astrid looked at Charlotte’s curved and upside down eyelashes, and spoke in a soft voice.
"When the forr Saintess Monica visited the Empire for the magic competition, I discussed so matters with her."
"This plague is very likely another sche by the culprit who caused the Church of Light to beco so narrow-minded and radical, targeting the Valeria Empire."
"And according to my investigation, it is also connected to many other strange occurrences that have happened within the Valeria Empire before."
In the past, discussions with Charlotte mainly revolved around suggestions and ideas for mana energy devices. This ti, Astrid completely reviewed everything with Charlotte, telling her everything except matters related to Gemini within the Imperial Scepter.
"So, what Lyra asked to investigate before must have been that thing."
Charlotte, after all, was soone who had directly defeated Brennild in her embryonic stage, so she had so understanding of her.
Although Brennild was very weak at the ti, the aura she exuded to those around her, the independent barrier that even Charlotte couldn’t release, and the extrely high status that once belonged to a top-tier powerhouse, still left a very deep impression on Charlotte.
Astrid nodded, confirming Charlotte’s intuition.
"It’s normal for Lady Charlotte not to notice her. Four years have passed since her hatching, and the being that could be dealt with so easily back then is now completely different."
According to the prophecy left by Gemini, Brennild will continuously grow stronger after awakening until she accumulates enough power to reclaim her divinity. Only then would she truly be a god above mortals.
"Given the current relationship between the Valeria Empire and the Kingdom of Velya, it’s unrealistic for us to pinpoint her."
In fact, the best ti to deal with Brennild should have been during that trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, but unfortunately, Astrid at that ti couldn’t get the Imperial Scepter, nor could she obtain so much crucial information.
Later, when Brennild fled to the Kingdom of Velys, the two countries were already at war. To send an Arcanist mage-level expert into an enemy country to search for an enemy, the King of Velys and the Pope would not agree unless they were fools.
"Then what does Astrid plan to do?" Charlotte asked.
After saying so much, Astrid’s aning certainly wasn’t to tell herself that they were completely helpless.
"The most urgent task now is to stabilize the front line. We cannot allow more Siyak Towns to appear; the pressure on logistics will be far too great."
Astrid’s tone was gentle, and points of light flowed in her crimson eyes.
"Although the attempt with the ancient spell failed, at least I saw a glimr of possibility. It’s not completely ineffective; it might just be influenced by certain factors, and its intensity isn’t enough to change the overall situation."
"Going back to what I said before, during my contact with Saintess Monica,, I learned that the [Sword of Light] in Lyra’s possession is of the sa specification as the holy relic buried beneath the main cathedral of the Church of Light."
"So, having her, the sword master who possesses such a high-ranking item, chant the ancient spell might yield more significant results."
Upon hearing this, Charlotte imdiately spotted the problem.
"But we cannot chant ancient incantations."
"According to Fanya’s diary left for Little Astr, above Arcanist mages are not spell creators, but other ranks. If one wants to break free from what Little Astr calls the shackles of world will, does it require Lyra to also reach that level?"
No one like that had ever appeared in the entire Valeria Empire. Not to ntion whether it was feasible, or if the ranks above Arcanist mages were just theorized. Even if Lyra truly was such a rare magical genius, by the ti she surpassed Arcanist mages, the war between the two countries would probably have long been over, and even the yellow daylilies would have withered.
"Therefore, I want to know if Lady Charlotte knows of any secret techniques that could allow the knowledge I possess to be expressed through Lyra’s ntal power."
It sounded sowhat like a dark art, and Astrid rely asked out of curiosity. To her surprise, Charlotte seed to have actually thought of sothing, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
"..."
"If I had to ntion such a secret art... I did hear so related spellcasting knowledge once..."
"But the success rate is very low, and it’s quite difficult."
Astrid’s eyelashes fluttered at this, and she spoke softly,
"What thod?"
Charlotte cleared her throat, her voice complex.
"Little Astr, have you ever tried soul contact with soone else?"
Soul contact?
After a mont of silence, Astrid answered truthfully,
"I have."
She and Amalia had already done such a thing. In the past at the ancient castle, she, under the alias Livia, had used the sa thod to guide the then-inexperienced little girl to sense elents and magic.
"The steps are sowhat similar, but the conditions required are quite stringent."
Charlotte recalled as she spoke softly, her two fair, smooth legs gently rubbing together under the covers, inadvertently glancing Astrid.
"The book refers to this thod of spellcasting as resonance casting, which typically involves temporarily rging two ntal powers into one, thereby achieving magic release under specific circumstances."
For example, if one mage has exceptional affinity for light elents, and another has poor affinity for light elents, and both face a trap that requires extrely high-intensity light magic to pass through, the forr’s individual ntal power is insufficient to complete it. At this ti, resonance casting must be used to allow the latter’s ntal power to resonate with the forr, injecting more ntal power into it, and casting spells through the forr’s soul with high light elent affinity.
"Astrid is the chanter of the ancient spell, and Lyra is the caster. Then you must ensure that the target of ntal power casting, Lyra, completely trusts you and can manipulate ntal power step by step exactly according to your instructions."
"This tests both your tacit understanding and demands extrely high precision in your ntal power control."
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