The smell of gunpowder within the banquet hall lingered, refusing to dissipate. That pungent scent of explosives felt like an invisible heavy hammer, pressing firmly against the chest of every dignitary present.
The long table, originally decorated with magnificence and symbolizing civilization and power, now appeared comical and ironic when set against the backdrop of the deathsworn with a hole in his forehead.
King Terry of Orr's fingertips trembled violently. He attempted to lift his wine glass to mask his loss of composure, but the crisp clatter of the rim colliding with his teeth rang out with desperate clarity in the deathly silent hall.
It was too terrifying.
He could not imagine what would happen to him if that object known as a musket made a sound in his direction.
"Your Majesty Sophia..."
King Terry of Orr finally found his own voice, hoarse and dry.
"Is this the weapon rumored to be called a musket?"
The Captain of the Guard behind him subconsciously pressed down on the hilt of his sword at his waist, but his palms were already soaked in cold sweat.
As the top swordsman of the Kingdom of Orr, he hadn't even clearly seen what had sprayed out of that black tube just now. He only knew that in that instant, the will of death had crossed a distance of three steps and announced a finale.
This kind of weapon—no, this kind of instrument of Divine Punishment—had completely shattered their understanding of war.
Sophia did not answer immediately. She carelessly played with a silver fork, her pale golden pupils appearing deep and cold under the reflection of the firelight.
Look at how scared these old geezers are.
Actually, the accuracy of this pocket gun is terrible; it relied entirely on Delilah's own aim.
If Delilah had been a second later, I might have had to rely on that inner armor that's strangling me to death to hard-tank the hit.
"They are merely some toys that are not yet perfected."
Sophia spoke coldly, her tone as casual as if she were evaluating a pudding that wasn't quite sweet enough.
"The current muskets occasionally explode after the thunderous sound, and their stability is extremely poor.
Before it truly becomes the order of civilization, Mason does not intend to introduce it to the market."
The hearts of all the monarchs present tightened once again, cold sweat trickling down their spines.
"Not yet perfected?!"
The pupils of the King of Leighton constricted abruptly, his heart filled with a mixture of terror and shock.
Such terrifying lethality is merely an 'imperfect' semi-finished product?
Then, if the Kingdom of Mason 'perfects' it, wouldn't they be able to destroy whatever they point at?
She isn't selling muskets not because the technology is unrefined, but because she believes that we... are not yet worthy of possessing this kind of weapon capable of judging royal power.
She is clearly telling us that apart from Mason, anyone who touches the thunder will be destroyed.
Queen Matilda's face was deathly pale; the powder she had meticulously applied now appeared aged and ruinous in the face of that killing aura.
"Since the muskets are not for sale, then regarding the Plains Security Treaty..."
King Terry of Orr bit the bullet and spoke. His peripheral vision glanced at the King of Qubi, wanting to make a final struggle to attempt to preserve his ambition of annexing the mining areas.
"There is no need to discuss that kind of thing anymore."
Sophia raised her head, her gaze cutting across the long table like a sharp blade.
"The plains of the Kingdom of Orr are vast, but they do not seem very stable.
This Queen believes that rather than discussing how to restrict neighbors, it is better to talk about how to share resources. Only in this way can we all pass this winter better, is that not so?
For example... the mineral veins of the Kingdom of Qubi."
The King of Qubi, who had originally been sitting on pins and needles, felt his breathing stagnate violently upon hearing these words.
Those conservative nobles behind him had long since put away their previous contempt.
Those few nobles who had once mocked Sophia for being a mere vase now wished they could stuff their heads into the platter of roast goose.
We were truly blind!
How is this Queen a flower in a greenhouse?
She didn't even frown just now; that was a calmness born of extreme decisiveness in killing!
She is saving us!
If not for her shot, King Terry would definitely have forced us to sign a humiliating treaty that forfeited our sovereignty tonight.
She deliberately wants to establish protection rights over us right here on the Orr people's territory!
Envoy Bardess let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes looking at Sophia filled with gratitude and worship.
The King of Qubi hurriedly stood up and performed an extremely standard bow toward Sophia:
"If Your Majesty Sophia can guarantee the peace of the mining areas and the safety of trade, the Kingdom of Qubi is willing to prioritize supplying forty percent of the mining rights of the three main eastern mineral veins to the Kingdom of Mason.
Of course, the price will be executed according to Mason's rules.
Also... Qubi also wishes to open trade with Mason. It does not matter if muskets cannot be circulated for the time being; we want to open trade regarding soap and shampoo."
Sophia nodded slightly, but her heart was blooming with joy.
Eastern mineral veins!
She had seen the mineral vein map given by Bardess last night; that was the place richest in iron and manganese.
With these, Irene can make better things, and my musketeer squads can continue to expand.
Moreover, we can open up the trade market. In the future, besides soap and shampoo, the new gadgets Irene makes can also be traded more easily.
This protection fee was truly worth collecting.
Seeing that the Kingdom of Qubi had already defected, King Terry knew that if he persisted with that bit of arrogance, the flag of Mason would likely be planted in the courtyard of the Orr Palace by tomorrow morning.
He certainly didn't think the sixty people Sophia brought could defeat his country's four hundred-plus soldiers, but if she had those muskets, it was not necessarily impossible.
"Since that is the case..."
King Terry smiled bitterly, the wrinkles on his old face seeming to deepen a few degrees.
"The Kingdom of Orr is willing to provide a batch of this year's highest quality winter wheat seeds and various vegetable seeds.
In addition, the taxes on that piece of fertile land in the Royal City adjacent to the Mason border will be permanently exempted to allow Mason's merchant convoys to station there."
The attendants beside him all lowered their eyebrows and looked submissive, not daring to even breathe loudly.
In their perception, this Queen was no longer doing business; she was redrawing the map of this continent.
Originally, they had thought to possess the best resources of the few nearby kingdoms, but unexpectedly, they were held hostage by Mason instead.
Will the Imperial Capital intervene? They absolutely won't.
In the eyes of the Imperial Capital, even if these remote small countries all gathered together, they wouldn't be as strong as a single army of the Empire. Therefore, until they can threaten the status of the Imperial Capital, it simply won't care about their life or death.
That is to say, even if this madwoman Sophia really used these musketeers to beat them senseless today, those old foxes in the Imperial Capital would pretend not to have seen it.
Seeing this, the King of Leighton also hurriedly stated his position:
"Leighton remains Your Majesty's most loyal ally!
In addition to the existing trade, healthy livestock will be sent again before this winter, exempt from all tariffs, delivered directly to the Mason Palace!"
Throughout the entire conversation, Sophia did not raise her voice from beginning to end, nor did she even move her body much.
But every single word felt like she was modifying the legal code left behind by God.
Princess Vasha, standing behind Queen Matilda, clutched her skirt tightly with both hands at this moment, her heart beating so fast it was about to leap out of her chest.
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