You Only Just Realized?!

Time ticked by, second by second.

Neither the Graycastle Emperor nor the shadow dared make another sound.

They simply waited in silence.

Waited for the mysterious aura around Archmage Andrew to fade.

About three minutes later, Andrew's eyes suddenly widened. "Your Majesty, there's no need to test it any further. This is a divine gift, an extraordinary creation forged by the Magic Goddess and the Technology God—a miraculous creation capable of connecting the entire world!"

"Archmage Andrew, just now...?"

The Graycastle Emperor revealed an expression of knowing it all along, yet still asked aloud.

"It was the Goddess!" Andrew's face was filled with reverence. "She has tasked me with conducting a ritual to usher in the miracle of the Magic Web!"

Hiss—

Even though he had been prepared, the Graycastle Emperor could not help drawing in a sharp breath. "Lord Andrew, what must be prepared for the ritual? I will order the Royal Mage Association and the Mage Legion to cooperate with you and provide every convenience."

It really was a god!

The Magic Goddess, who was said to almost never answer her believers, had actually responded.

Miracle Rituals were rarely held even by those few commonly seen churches!

The sudden news left him feeling dizzy and muddled.

At the same time, he was filled with joy.

Magic Net Rings allowed spellcasters from every region to communicate freely. No matter how far apart they were, they could send messages instantly. This was simply too important for an empire!

Communication between the imperial palace and the provinces, or between the palace and the borders, was often exceedingly difficult. Even the fastest Griffin messengers might take several days, while ordinary messengers could easily spend months on the road.

If war or some other event broke out, there would not be enough time to react. The local authorities could only make their own decisions.

This was no small weakening of imperial authority!

But if they possessed such magic... it could be said that the emergence of the Magic Web would accelerate the operational efficiency of the entire empire and directly affect his centralization of power over it!

Even as the emperor of the Graycastle Empire, humanity's strongest nation, the moment he learned of this news, he could feel his heart pounding wildly.

Having stood at the pinnacle of power, carried out reforms, standardized and coordinated the management of extraordinary professions, accomplished what countless kings and human ancestors throughout history had failed to do, and turned Graycastle into an empire, he had believed that nothing in this world could move him any longer. Yet at this moment, his heart was stirred—deeply stirred!

No one understood better than he did the enormous benefits of such a magical creation!

The Graycastle Empire truly deserved its status as the nation at humanity's peak.

The imperial capital in particular had gathered a community of spellcasters far surpassing that of the Dawn Kingdom.

Under the Graycastle Emperor's orders, a great number of spellcasters had assembled in less than three quarters of an hour. With spells such as Stone to Mud, Mud to Stone, Weight Reduction Spell, and Shaping Spell, they forcibly built an altar and a road leading to it atop a hill outside the eastern gate of the capital in half a day.

Large numbers of converts and shallow believers of the Goddess gathered together, while countless ingots of refined iron were hauled here by carriage and piled into mountains!

"The Goddess actually responded to Archmage Andrew!"

"They used to say that Archmage Andrew only converted to avoid a political marriage and the struggle for succession. How ridiculous!"

"I wonder when my prayers will receive the Goddess's response too! I have so, so many mysteries I want the Goddess to answer."

"This time will definitely work! Archmage Andrew said that the Goddess will bestow upon us a great many miracles called Magic Net Rings. She will surely watch over us!"

"I heard that many people in the Dawn Kingdom are already using them. I wonder what kind of miracle these Magic Net Rings truly are!"

The believers, already prepared and waiting for the time of prayer to arrive, gathered in twos and threes, seeking out familiar faces and discussing what was about to happen...

The mages, normally so aloof, all became devout in such an atmosphere.

"It finally looks a little like a god."

Roger looked at the projected scene before him and could not help sighing. "It wasn't easy to find this many spellcaster believers in the Dawn Kingdom. Fanatics were practically nonexistent."

"In the Graycastle Empire, anyone who becomes a mage, even an apprentice, can receive a stipend from the Royal Mage Association. If they are willing to join the Mage Legion, then even if they cannot become low-rank mages, they can still earn very generous wages. In such an environment, there are countless people who want to become mages. As for those who pray to the Goddess, hoping to gain magical talent and change their lives, there are even more beyond count. How could the Dawn Kingdom compare? Even the elves..."

Perhaps because of the mortal-world projection, Betty seemed particularly excited. Her speech took on a slightly bookish quality as she talked on and on without pause.

"Puppet, when the prayer ritual begins, don't forget to tell them to distribute those Magic Net Rings as quickly as possible and activate them promptly. Don't let them hoard them."

Roger gave the reminder, but his attention remained fixed on the "television."

"Don't worry! But if we hand such miraculous items as Magic Net Rings to them, would they really hoard them? Shouldn't they activate and use them as soon as possible?"

"Ordinary mages certainly would, but believers might not." Roger spoke casually, then added, "And without a divine decree, the higher-ranking people among them will definitely hoard some for their own confidants, or their king might intercept them..."

"Right, we also need to worry about the king intercepting them. How about this? When the time comes, tell them when the second miracle will descend as well. Otherwise, I'm worried they still won't spread quickly enough."

In order to restore his normal body as soon as possible, learn more truths quickly, and make the Divine Kingdom more stable, Roger racked his brains to expand the user base.

Betty stared blankly at Roger. "I really can't understand human behavior. Why are you like hamsters?"

Roger shook his head slightly. "Instead of complaining, come watch them work with me. Spellcasters really are convenient. Such a long road and such a huge altar, yet they managed it so quickly."

"What's there to watch? They're just constantly casting low-rank spells. Your Mana Bombs... huh, Roger, I take back what I said before. Your Mana Bombs can't replicate every kind of magic."

The puppet seemed to have thought of something and immediately cried out excitedly.

"I know. Mana Bombs can't handle any spell that requires mental control, like the magic they're using to build the road right now." Roger spoke helplessly. "You made all the Mana Bombs, yet you only just realized that?"

Spells like Flame Vortex could be thrown out and attack directly, so Mana Bombs naturally placed no requirements on their users.

But if it were replaced with Energy Hand, which had to be controlled to pick things up, how could it possibly work without mental power?!

Even Stone to Mud, Mud to Stone, Weight Reduction Spell, and Shaping Spell all faced similar problems.

Unless he wanted to mass-produce swamps.

But Roger had no intention of improving it. There was no need.

Rather than spend time on that, he might as well consider whether magical firearms could be realized...