"The second caravan will go to the Kingdom of Orr."
Sophia's gaze deepened slightly.
"Although the Kingdom of Orr has no mines, they possess the most fertile plains in this region.
Once our trial fields succeed, we will need a massive amount of high-quality farming tools and seed storage containers.
Use soap to exchange for their grain and artisans. I want every pocket in the Kingdom of Mason to be filled with the resources of our neighbors."
To Delilah, this kind of economic plunder utilizing "Aesthetic Hegemony" and daily necessities sounded even more terrifying than the most exquisite military formations.
Just as Sophia was intensely planning the expansion of the trade map, a special letter broke the silence of the West Tower.
Chancellor Valery hurriedly ascended the tower, his expression somewhat peculiar, holding a piece of parchment stamped with gold foil.
"Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Orr has sent an invitation.
The King of Orr invites you to attend the Joint Alliance Meeting at the Royal City of the Kingdom of Orr during the Winter Festival next month.
It is said that monarchs from Leighton, Qubi, and even the further Kingdom of Bere will attend."
Sophia raised her eyebrows slightly and took the invitation.
Alliance?
This kind of huddling together for warmth between small countries usually signifies they are up to no good.
When the Old King was on the throne, they never even sent an invitation.
Now, seeing me selling soap and buying raw iron, have they finally lost their patience?
Sophia looked at the flowery words of praise on the invitation, her paralyzed face showing no fluctuation.
"Your Majesty, this is a trap."
Delilah spoke coldly, her eyes filled with chilling killing intent.
"They must be coveting our soap formula, or perhaps they have become uneasy about the movements of the West Tower.
Such occasions are usually for strong countries to pressure weak ones.
Your Majesty, it would be better if we did not go."
Sophia, however, sat down on the modified soft chair, her fingertips gently tapping the tabletop.
Sophia's first reaction was also not to go.
But for some reason, Sophia had a faint premonition in her heart that if she didn't go, she would miss something.
Sophia believed in her premonitions very much, so she quickly made a decision in her heart.
"No, we are going."
Sophia raised her head, her pale golden pupils shimmering under the setting sun with a luster that resembled a god overlooking the mortal world.
"Tell the envoy of Orr that This Queen will attend on time.
Since they want to see the current state of Mason, then This Queen will show them a Mason they will never be able to understand."
Delilah looked at Sophia's calmness, that of one devising strategies within a command tent, and the worship in her heart sublimated once again.
So that is it.
Is Her Majesty planning to use this alliance to completely integrate these scattered small neighboring countries?
This kind of boldness to face the many alone, this wisdom to reverse the conspiracies of others—this is the true blooming posture of the Black Rose!
"Your subordinate swears to guard Your Majesty to the death on this journey!"
Delilah abruptly knelt on one knee, her voice filled with a longing for war and glory.
Sophia looked at the distance outside the window. The corners of her mouth did not move a muscle, but her heart was sighing.
I hope the Kingdom of Orr really has some good stuff, otherwise going there will really feel like a loss...
*
When Irene learned from Willow that Sophia was preparing to set off for the Kingdom of Orr to attend the appointment, the tube of ripening agent she had just mixed nearly pasted itself directly onto the experimental table.
"What? Going to the Kingdom of Orr?"
Irene spun around abruptly. Her pink twin-tails were flung onto the tip of her nose due to the large movement, and those azure eyes were written full of anxiety.
"Although there are no muskets there, the knights of the old era all have real swords and real spears in their hands!
Moreover, in case that old man, the King of Orr, has impure intentions and arranges an assassin at the banquet..."
Before she transmigrated, she had really read too many novels about this kind of "Hongmen Banquet," and a young Queen like Her Majesty was extremely easy to target as a victim!
The more Irene thought about it, the more she couldn't sit still. Her engineering student mindset instantly activated protection mode.
No way. Her Majesty is the heart of the Kingdom of Mason, and even more so, she is my Party A Patron!
With me here, don't let anyone think about touching a single hair on Her Majesty's head!
There was only half a month left until Sophia departed for the Kingdom of Orr.
Irene decided to push back all civilian orders in hand, taking a few of her core apprentices to start a high-intensity R&D session focused on the Queen's safety.
Irene stood before the material rack in the workshop, falling into deep thought.
Traditional raw iron armor was too heavy. With Sophia's salted-fish personality, she would absolutely not be willing to wear a forty-jin iron shell to parade through the market.
But the defense of pure leather was insufficient. Faced with the hacking of heavy swords and the thrusting of long spears, leather would eventually be torn apart.
"It must be a composite structure."
Irene scribbled frantically on the parchment, the charcoal pen making a scratching sound as it slid across the paper.
The lining could use the top-grade fine sheepskin exchanged from the Kingdom of Leighton.
After Irene's special softening treatment, wearing it next to the skin would not only not chafe the skin but would also be absorbent and breathable.
Subsequently, Irene repeatedly forged the batch of high-carbon raw iron sent by the Kingdom of Qubi.
She did not fashion it into large armor plates but used a hydraulic forge hammer to press it into small, diamond-shaped iron scales the size of fingernails and less than two millimeters thick.
Next came the most critical step.
Irene used a composite gel boiled from cured leather and animal tendons to arrange these diamond-shaped iron scales in a staggered pattern, sewing them between two layers of leather like snake scales.
For the next ten days, the furnace in the West Tower never went out.
Irene practically knelt before the experimental table to perform the assembly.
She disdained the apprentices' handiwork for not being delicate enough; the arrangement of all the diamond-shaped iron scales was completed by her own hands.
This variant of armor, known as a brigandine, was pushed to the extreme in her hands.
Every diamond-shaped iron scale was polished by her until it was smooth as a mirror and coated with a layer of anti-rust varnish.
When sewing, Irene specially adopted a staggered overlapping method, ensuring that no matter from which angle a thrust came, it would simultaneously crash into at least three layers of iron scale defense.
"Miss Irene, you haven't closed your eyes for thirty hours."
Willow walked in carrying milk. Seeing Irene's bloodshot eyes, she advised with some heartache.
"Don't make noise, there's still this final heart-protecting mirror plate."
Irene gritted her teeth, using iron wire as thin as hair to install a heart-protecting mirror plate on the chest position of the inner armor.
In order to make Sophia look more beautiful wearing it, she even utilized those few bolts of precious silk satin to cover the surface layer of the inner armor with a layer of elegant pure black.
From the outside, this was just a slightly thick black form-fitting corset, but in reality, it was a piece of high-tech protective clothing capable of withstanding heavy crossbow fire head-on and ignoring dagger assassinations.
Late at night on the third day before departure, Sophia was mysteriously invited to the West Tower by Irene.
When that protective suit glowing with a faint dark light was presented before Sophia, Sophia, who was originally still a bit sleepy, found her pale golden pupils dilating slightly.
"Your Majesty, try it."
Although Irene's dark circles were scary heavy, her spirit was as hyper as a rabbit on drugs.
"This is custom-made for you.
It weighs less than three jin. Wearing it inside your dress, apart from making your waist look a bit thinner, it will absolutely not affect any of your movements."
________________________________________
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