Villain Simulator, Ch 94

"Don't worry," Lucas said softly. "I won't tell anyone about this. After all, we're good friends, right?"

"Please... just stop!" Venti pleaded, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Give me the photos, I'm begging you."

"Sure, here you go," Lucas said, slowly pulling out a thick stack of photos and handing them over to Venti. He smiled mischievously. "There are no negatives, so be careful not to lose them."

"You better not be lying..." Venti hurriedly reached for the photos, but just as his hand was about to grab them, Lucas "accidentally" let go. "Oops, my hand slipped!"

The moment the photos fell to the ground, a sudden gust of wind swept through, sending the pictures flying in all directions.

Venti's compromising photos were now scattered in the air like confetti.

"Look what you've done!" Venti exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"

"Ehe," Lucas teased, playfully tapping his head and sticking out his tongue. "Rather than blaming me, I suggest you hurry up and gather those photos."

"Damn it!" Venti, who loved playing pranks himself, had never been on the receiving end like this. He raised his hand toward the sky, and with a flick of his fingers, an invisible gust of wind gathered all the photos into a swirling vortex, pulling them back into his hand like a vacuum cleaner.

Normally, Venti avoided using his powers openly, but this was a special situation.

Lucas clapped his hands in admiration. "Impressive!"

"Don't underestimate me," Venti boasted as he held up the stack of photos proudly. But then, his expression changed. "Wait... why does it feel like a few are missing..."

"Are you talking about those ones?" Lucas pointed up, where a few remaining photos had already drifted far away on the wind.

"Don't you dare!" Venti immediately kicked off the ground, using wind currents to launch himself into the air in pursuit of the photos. As he flew off, he yelled back at Lucas, "You better keep the rest safe for me!"

"Got it, see you~" Lucas waved casually.

As Venti disappeared into the distance, Lucas smirked. "By the way, about those 'no negatives'—that was a lie."

...

With the Lawrence family matter resolved, Lucas finally felt some relief. He had originally planned to head back to the Knights of Favonius, but his stomach growled with hunger. It suddenly dawned on him that he had been running around all day and hadn't eaten a single meal.

Luckily, the marketplace wasn't far. How could he visit Mondstadt without trying the local delicacies at the famous "Good Hunter" restaurant?

Unlike the bustling commercial city of Liyue, Mondstadt's economy was much more modest. Many merchants didn't even have proper shops; they simply set up stalls along the street. Even many of the restaurants were open-air, giving the city a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.

This city felt both strange and familiar to Lucas. As he entered the marketplace, the sound of clanging metal caught his attention.

In the nearby blacksmith shop, a burly, bearded man was swinging a hammer, shaping a blade. Behind the counter, a young man with thick eyebrows and a frustrated expression was buried in a ledger.

It was Wagner the blacksmith and his apprentice, Schulz!

In the simulator, Lucas had caused the deaths of both of these men, but here in reality, they were still alive and well.

Seeing them alive filled Lucas with a strange sense of comfort, as if their existence was proof that the terrible things he had done in the simulator weren't real.

Interestingly, the name of the blacksmith shop was "Schulz's Forge," named after the apprentice. This had been the result of a drinking contest Wagner had lost, and as punishment, he'd had to name the shop after Schulz.

Lucas entered the blacksmith shop, and as he expected, despite Wagner's weapons being of exceptional quality, his gruff and arrogant demeanor meant business wasn't exactly booming.

As Lucas stepped inside, Schulz greeted him with a smile. "Welcome, welcome! All weapons and equipment are 20% off today, and we offer even better discounts if you buy more!"

"There's no discount!" Wagner snapped, shooting a glare at Schulz. "Just because I lost a bet and named the shop after you doesn't mean you're the boss here!"

"Master, now's not the time to be stubborn," Schulz replied helplessly. "Selling at a discount is better than not selling anything at all. If things keep going like this, we'll have to close the shop for good!"

"This isn't about money," Wagner said firmly, shaking his head. "These weapons are the result of my hard work. If I sell them for less than they're worth, they'll be heartbroken."

"I think the weapons will be even sadder if they stay here unsold," Lucas chimed in. "With such high-quality craftsmanship, how could business be slow?"

"Ah, you must not know," Schulz sighed. "Ever since the attacks by Stormterror, the monsters outside the city have become much more aggressive. As a result, ore prices have skyrocketed, making production costs higher than ever. Master Wagner refuses to lower prices, which is why our business is suffering."

"On top of that, the Knights of Favonius had ordered a batch of weapons from us, but Liyue sent over a shipment of equipment as a gift, so they canceled the order," Schulz explained further.

Lucas felt a bit awkward upon hearing this.

So, it turned out that Keqing's goodwill gesture of sending free equipment had inadvertently put Wagner's forge in a tough spot.

"Hmph!" Wagner grunted. "Free equipment? There's no way those weapons are as good as mine. The Knights will regret their decision!"

"Not necessarily." Lucas pulled out his [Lion's Roar] sword from his inventory. "This is one of the weapons Liyue sent. Want to take a look at the quality?"

Wagner's gaze was immediately drawn to the [Lion's Roar] sword. He held it in his hands, inspecting it from every angle. After a while, he let out a deep sigh and said, "This is definitely Liyue craftsmanship. The blacksmith who forged this sword must have skills on par with mine."

Of course, Lucas had played a little trick. Although the [Lion's Roar] was indeed crafted by a Liyue blacksmith, it was one of the highest-quality weapons from the batch, which was why Keqing had specifically set it aside for Lucas.

While Wagner's personality was less than agreeable, there was no denying his talent as a blacksmith. He glanced at Lucas and asked, "Where did you get this sword?"

"Well..." Lucas replied awkwardly, "I'm actually the one responsible for delivering that batch of weapons from Liyue."

Upon hearing this, both Wagner and Schulz's expressions changed slightly.

"So," Wagner sneered, "you came here just to mock me, didn't you?"

"No," Lucas shook his head. "Actually, I want to purchase this shop. I will supply you with ores, tools, and even blueprints. All you have to do is continue forging weapons as you always have. You can set your own prices, and I'll pay you based on a percentage of the profits."

"R-Really?" Schulz's face lit up with excitement. "Master, this could save the shop!"

Wagner, despite his stubbornness, wasn't a fool. He eyed Lucas with suspicion. "Why should I trust you? Supplying ore is one thing, but blueprints? You think they're that easy to come by?"

"Your skepticism is understandable," Lucas nodded. "Give me a moment, and I'll be right back."

With that, Lucas left the shop and found a secluded spot to summon the Serenitea Pot.

It had only been a few days since he last entered the teapot realm, but already there had been significant changes. What had once been a few scattered wooden huts had now grown into a small village. The Hilichurls, once clad only in animal skins, were now wearing proper clothes.

Lucas couldn't help but feel that the Hilichurls were starting to resemble humans more and more.

"Ha!"

Suddenly, a loud shout echoed in the distance. Surprisingly, none of the Hilichurls reacted to the sound, as if they had grown accustomed to it.

Lucas followed the sound and saw two figures engaged in a fierce battle—it was the female Hilichurl chieftain sparring with Raiden Mai, Lucas's loyal puppet.

The chieftain wielded a massive iron rod, swinging it fiercely at Raiden Mai, but the latter calmly dodged the attacks with ease. With a quick sidestep, Raiden Mai maneuvered behind the chieftain and struck her in the back of the neck with a single precise hand chop, knocking her unconscious. As the chieftain collapsed, Raiden Mai caught her gently before she hit the ground.

"Looks like she hasn't given up yet," Lucas chuckled as he approached Raiden Mai. "How's managing the Hilichurls going?"

"Master," Raiden Mai greeted him, her tone as calm as always. Perhaps due to her being a puppet, she didn't show much emotion, even upon seeing Lucas. "They are a bit wild, but strong. They excel at gathering and mining, but when it comes to tasks that require patience, like weapon forging, only a few are capable."

That result didn't surprise Lucas. Most Hilichurls wielded crude weapons, which indicated they lacked the aptitude for more intricate craftsmanship.

"No worries. I've found a more suitable blacksmith," Lucas smiled. "I need a few samples of ore, and can you help me analyze these weapon blueprints?"

Lucas handed over the weapons he had obtained earlier, asking Raiden Mai to analyze them. She quickly processed the simpler weapons, but when she reached the blueprint for the [Song of Broken Pines], her expression shifted slightly—an unusual occurrence for her.

"Master," Raiden Mai said with a rare hint of hesitation, "this weapon's grade surpasses my current forging capabilities. Moreover, the materials required to forge it are extremely rare. Reproducing a weapon of this quality is nearly impossible."

Lucas wasn't surprised.

In the lore of the game, weapons of this caliber, like five-star weapons, often had extraordinary origins—crafted by gods or tied to significant historical events. They weren't something that could be easily replicated through conventional means.

Even with Raiden Mai's talent, or even with Raiden Ei herself, it would be a challenge to recreate such a weapon.

"That's fine," Lucas reassured her. "What you've already done is more than enough."

"While I cannot fully replicate the weapon, I can try to create a simplified version of the blueprint," Raiden Mai offered. "Allow me to try."

Even though Raiden Mai always appeared stoic, her unwavering loyalty to Lucas was evident in her desire to help him in any way she could.

"Of course," Lucas nodded. "But don't push yourself too hard."

After about half an hour of analysis, Raiden Mai finally produced a blueprint labeled [Prototype Song of Broken Pines].

Although Lucas wasn't familiar with weapon forging, the complexity of the blueprint—filled with intricate steps—was obvious even to him.

The fact that Raiden Mai had managed to replicate even a simplified version of the artifact was astounding. It was as if she were the blacksmithing equivalent of Doraemon!

"You're amazing, Mai," Lucas praised her, patting her on the head. "Thank you so much."

"Helping Master brings me great joy," Raiden Mai responded, though her face remained expressionless.

After Lucas left the Serenitea Pot, Raiden Mai's body began to tremble slightly, with faint wisps of smoke rising from her ears and mouth.

"Overloaded... I pushed myself too hard," she murmured. "But for Master's praise... it was worth it."

...

Back at the blacksmith shop, Lucas spread the ores and blueprints across the counter.

"Schulz, go check the quality of these ores," Wagner instructed, picking up the blueprints with a skeptical look. "As for these blueprints, don't think you can fool me with some third-rate designs."

However, as Wagner flipped through the blueprints, his dismissive expression slowly faded. By the time he reached the final blueprint, his eyes were wide with excitement, practically glowing with awe.

"Well, Mr. Wagner?" Lucas asked confidently. "Do these meet your standards?"

A skilled chef can tell the flavor of a dish just by glancing at the recipe.

Similarly, a master blacksmith like Wagner could immediately see the brilliance in the blueprints laid before him. The final design, in particular, the [Prototype Song of Broken Pines], far exceeded his expectations.

"Please... please let me forge these weapons!" Wagner exclaimed, visibly excited. "I don't care if you take over this shop—no, you can have it for free! Just let me forge these weapons!"

His apprentice, Schulz, was equally taken aback, not because his master was willing to give the shop away, but because Wagner, a man known for his foul temper and harsh words, had just said the word "please."

"Don't worry, I won't take advantage of you," Lucas said calmly as a contract appeared in his hand, as if out of thin air. "Just sign here."

[Talent Activated: "Capitalist." Paid 6.4 million Mora (discount applied, tax-free), acquiring full ownership of "Schulz's Smithy."]

[Ownership acquired. Would you like to rename the shop?]

"Rename it, huh?" Lucas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let's go with... 'Dragon's Breath Smithy.'"

[What a tasteless name.]

"Who asked for your opinion?" Lucas snapped back.

At that moment, Lucas had no idea just how far this "tasteless" name would go in the future.

It's worth noting that the [Capitalist] talent wasn't just about getting discounts. Once the purchase was complete, the shop fully belonged to the user in every sense. A new [Assets] section appeared in Lucas's system interface, allowing him to monitor the shop's financial status, employee details, and other information as if he were playing a management simulation game.

As for the 6.4 million Mora he used to purchase the shop, along with the capital needed to run it, it was all paid with the black card that Diluc had given him.

Luckily, Diluc didn't care about money; otherwise, he might have been a bit puzzled as to how Lucas had managed to spend nearly 10 million Mora in just two days. 

Even if he found out, Diluc probably wouldn't mind—he might even be pleased. After all, being the heir to Dawn Winery meant knowing how to spend money was a valuable skill.

…

After grabbing a quick bite at "Good Hunter," Lucas headed to the Knights of Favonius headquarters to report on the situation with Eula.

However, the gatekeeper informed him that Acting Grand Master Jean had been up all night dealing with a murder case and was currently resting. He also mentioned that if Lucas came by, he could wait in Jean's office.

With nothing else to do, Lucas settled into Jean's office and began flipping through the novels she had on her shelf.

At that moment, the long-silent voice of his system, Xiao Xi, suddenly chimed in:

[Ah~ Little Xi's simulator has been so lonely without its host playing~ I miss your presence, Host~]

For some reason, Lucas's mind immediately translated this into, "Ah~ Anya! Waku waku!"

"Come to think of it..." Lucas mused. "I really haven't used the simulator in a while."

[Let's play! Waku waku!]

"Stop copying other people's catchphrases!" Lucas groaned, rubbing his forehead. "You're not as cute as Anya, you know."

----

Author's Note: Originally the smithy was named "Daily Good Deeds Forge"...

Well if you got any better name tell me.. I just named it that cuz of Ursa xD

And as a new week has started, lets reach 600 ps today and I give you 2 more chapters!