Where I write my poems whenever inspirations strike, or when I'm procrastinating.

Special thanks to Lonelytree for the cover design.

Just how terrible is my luck? I didn't let anyone see my card, that's for sure. So this pairing must be a coincidence, right? I turned my head forward again when I saw my opponent for Round 1.


The guy earlier who was wearing formal clothing, coal black hair and white skin, was my opponent. Even I can tell that he's a veteran at this.


I just released a heavy sigh in front of this dilemma I'm facing right now. 


"I guess we could struggle for a bit. But I have to tell Ayano Katachi that our chances of winning is very slim."

I reached my hands to my pocket and pulled out my card. 

"I guess, this is useless now."

I stood up, walked towards the trash can and dropped the card there. When I dropped it, the back cover of the card was shown. It was pretty, but I think It's very showy. As expected of the rich guys.

For some reason, I can't get my eyes off that back cover. Somethings not really right! 

"I see!"

At that time, I realized. I was fooled!

To confirm my hypothesis, I ran towards a beginner, and asked them to see their card. The card number is 18, but I don't care about that! I flipped the card and saw the back cover, and like I thought! This is rigged!

For further confirmation, I asked a random rich guy to let me see their card. He's so arrogant and was I about to give up but in the end, he let me see his card. I flipped the card again to the back cover. I just clicked my tongue because of my anger and clenched my fist.

It's confirmed! This lottery is rigged!

+++++

When the moment I was about to go to the platform, I noticed that the light is bright. It's not the normal brightness you'll see at an event room. The room was dark, so It's practical to use a bulb that's not really bright.

The reason for the bright light is for the announcer to see the back of our cards. For some reason, there are different kinds of designs at the back cover. 

Why would they bother to create different designs to each cards for beginners while the veterans don't have any designs at all? For creativity? I doubt that.

I checked my card again and compared it to the card of the other beginner that I borrowed earlier. My card has a yellow background design and a black main design, forming curves and other kinds of lines.

While this card that I borrowed has a light green background design and a black main design. I noticed that the background designs is a light colored, I confirmed at the other beginners. I asked them to let me see their cards for a while. Out of 10 people that I asked, there are exactly 10 people who has a light colored background design.

I don't think It's a coincidence. While the background design is indeed light colored, the main design is all black. I think they made it black so that It will stand out. 

Normally, a dark color will stand out more if It was paired with light colors. That means that there's something hidden at the black design.

So that the announcer will easily see the number of our cards, they made the light brighter, and made some kind of signal with the black design, so he can know our numbers.

But what kind of signal could this back covers possess? Directly writing numbers on it would be too obvious, but If they came up with something too hard, the announcer would have a hard time deciphering it.


As if our numbers can be written as a bunch of lines. Wait, a bunch of lines? I looked at the back cover again, but this time, I focused my eyes to the curve lines.


After I discovered the truth, I crumpled my own card and mixed up feelings was welling inside me. Anger, Regret, and more! 


The numbers could be converted to lines. The curve lines was our numbers all along, since their light is bright and the background color is light colored, he could easily see it. 

If our numbers would be converted to lines, It would be... The Roman Numerals! At first glance, the curve lines looks like a normal design. But that's where everyone's wrong!

The number 26 was written at the back of the card, but instead of the numerical form, they made it like this XII VI! With this, they can convert the number 26 to a bunch of curve lines.

It's not easily noticeable, for two reasons. No one really suspected this lottery to be rigged so there's no reason for them to suspect the back design! Second, even if someone would suspect it like me, they wouldn't look at the back of the card. Why?

Because he's too focused to the number and protecting the number he got! And if he looked at the back of the card, the announcer will see his number! I just clenched my fist because of the regret and anger that I'm feeling right now.

I'm so stupid! Checking the back of the card didn't even crossed my mind! Now that I already raised my hand, I can't just complain and demand that the lottery should be restarted.

In the first place, I don't have any solid proof. Even if I show them this card, they can just feign ignorance and say, "That's only a design."

I just looked at the ceiling, accepting the fact that I'm completely cornered. So this is utter defeat, huh? 

"Round 1, Ryota Kaneshiro's group, Sunflowers V.S Araragi Hideki's group, Cherry Blossoms. May you have a fair match with no regrets."




                  

                   END OF CHAPTER 11

Araragi Hideki is an ordinary high school boy and he attends a prestigious high school called Ahogane High School. But his normal life all changed when he was asked by the popular girl called Ayano Katachi, to be their school idol manager. With that, Araragi Hideki enters the world of Idol Managing.

It was all well and good for Ves to consider designing a space knight. He already knew that they sold for quite a decent profit margin for that product or product margin for short as long as they caught on in the market.
Knight mechs were more expensive than other mechs at the same level of specs due to the high cost of armor. The most expensive component of a mech by far was its armor plating. The thicker the armor, the greater the cost.
However, this also allowed mech manufacturers to get away with charging more for knight mechs than say a light skirmisher.
The market expected knight mechs to be more expensive, ergo the mech companies obliged by collectively bumping up their prices despite the stiff competition. Any mech that was cheaper than the predominant price levels were usually sold by small, struggling mech companies.
The danger in maintaining a thin product margin when selling something like a knight mech was that they became immensely vulnerable to fluctuations in the prices of raw materials needed to fabricate the armor system of the mech model.
Because armor factored so hugely in the production cost of a knight mech, a modest fluctuation in price could immediately double or outright wipe out the product margin of a knight mech model on the market!
Any small mech company that tried to sell knight mechs at a margin of five percent or less was really playing with fire!
In short, as long as Ves designed a good space knight that Professor Ventag subsequently elevated to a higher level of performance, it wouldn't be too difficult to introduce his new product at a product margin as high as forty percent!
His silver label Blackbeaks started selling at 65 million credits a piece when they initially came out. With a production cost of around 45 million credits per mech, the Blackbeak's product margin was roughly thirty percent.
This was very high for a mech designed by a new entrant in the mech industry!
If Ves managed to succeed in achieving such a generous product margin with his first original mech design, then he held a sufficient amount of confidence that he could top that for his fourth original mech design.
Of course, the true cost picture of a mech model wasn't as simple as that. Licensing costs, taxes, after-sales services and more all served to muddle up the profits generated from sales.
Even so, starting high was better than starting low.
Right now, Ves made a rough determination of the market demand for space knights. According to Lord Javier, every mech force needed at least a couple to cover for their more vulnerable mechs.
"Space battles aren't my thing, but I've trained for it in case I ever need to jump into the cockpit of a spaceborn mech." The noble stated as he stared down his empty mug of beer. "Still, I've hung around with enough mech pilots to know that every spaceborn mech force needs them. On land, many mech companies can get away without bringing knight mechs because on most battlefield there's sufficient hard cover on land for mechs to take advantage of. Many times, you don't get that luxury in space."
Spaceborn mech forces either had three choices there.
The first choice was that they could take the offensive and hit the enemy so hard and fast that they didn't become exposed to ranged fire. Lancer mechs and light skirmishers came to mind.
The second choice was that they could fight around their much larger carrier vessels. They could take advantage of their huge bulk to shield their more vulnerable mechs from enemy fire.
This was usually considered as a desperation move because carriers served as motherships to any spaceborn mech force. Once a force lost a carrier, they lost the ability to move around a large amount of mechs! They became stuck and shackled in the star system the battle took place!
The third and most sustainable choice was to field a number of defensive space knights. Space knights took advantage of a combination of formidable defensive power with decent mobility in space to offer continuous cover under changing circumstances.
The tactical flexibility they offered turned them into an indispensable mech type for most conventional spaceborn mech troops along with rifleman mechs.
In other words, this was a product category that always sold well and in relative large numbers.
A high and stable sales pattern as well as increased tolerance for higher price margins in the market all led to stiff competition, however. Ves knew that his space knight design must be a truly exceptional piece of work in order to capture even a fraction of a percentage of this huge product category!
While Ves could rely on Professor Ventag's contribution in the joint project to push his design up to that standard, it depended heavily whether Ves could design a compelling mech of sufficient quality.
He had the confidence to design a good mech. But did he have what it takes to design a compelling mech?
It depended on his creativity, imagination, inspiration and passion.
His Blackbeak design did not emerge from a whim. Neither did his Crystal Lord design. He came up with the visions for both mech designs when he became inspired by external influences.
This was the artistic side to mech design. It didn't matter how skilled Ves was in the technical side of his profession. Without a bountiful imagination, he could forget about crafting an exciting concept for his knight mech design.
Ves was not in an inspired mood right now.
He glanced towards Lord Javier who went on to order another mug of beer and decided that he wouldn't gain any inspiration from the man.
"Thanks for answering my questions. I'll be off now."
"Keep me in the loop on your progress, Ves!"
"Will do."
As Ves returned to his cabin on the Lormant Carnival, he began to consider his approach. If he wanted to come up with an inspired concept for his mech, then he needed to stoke his passion somehow.
Thinking back to the past, Ves knew that he would get fired up to design a mech in two different instances.
The first instance would be when he came under intense pressure. This always enabled him to exert his full potential during competitions and design duels when a lot was at stake.
The second instance was when he became inspired by a good story.
In fact, Ves always designed his mechs around stories. Stories enlivened his mechs by breathing life into the images he conjured up in his mind with the Triple Division technique.
Of those instances where Ves made use of stories to enrich the spiritual essence of his designs, none were as effective as using stories that really took place!
"The Crystal Lord design is a shining example of this method!"
In effect, the Crystal Lord was the result of blending reality with imagination. By basing and anchoring the fantasies conjured up by his imagination with real elements, he gave them an easier path towards materializing them closer to reality!
By making use of the spiritual remnants and story of the leader of the miniature race of extinct crystal builders, Ves succeeded in designing his first mech with an X-Factor rated in the B-grade for the very first time!
If Ves wanted to justice to himself, the LMC and Professor Ventag's faith in his ability to design a mech, then he needed to at least match his previous high point in his career. Making use of real individuals and real history would be a good starting point.
"A real story, huh?"
Ves experienced a lot of harrowing adventures and ordeals ever since the war broke out. His time with the Flagrant Vandals left a strong and indelible mark on him, sometimes for the worse but often times for the better.
No matter how mixed he felt about the journey to the Aeon Corona System and the mission to uncover the treasures of the fallen Starlight Megalodon, he was never quite the same when he came back.
He idly chuckled as he sat behind his terminal in his cabin. He hadn't turned it on because he couldn't do much with it anyway with his current authorizations.
While he suffered through many awful situations, it wasn't always bad. He witnessed new wonders, outsmarted several enemies and managed to come back alive with plentiful treasures, the most important of which fixed the many flaws on his hybrid alien physique and improved its overall parameters.
Ves wanted to commemorate his time with the Flagrant Vandals by designing a mech that embodied an aspect of that unforgettable adventure!
"I've witnessed many exciting battles and strange events, but which ones are relevant to space knights or knight mechs?"
Not so much, at least on the top of his head. Ves tried to go over instances related to defensive mechs and only came up with a couple of examples that didn't really inspire him that much.
"Perhaps the most defining moment took place we tried to pass through the Venidse Duchy."
A detachment of the Frosty Meteors of the Venidsan mech legions cornered the Verle Task Force some time after departing from the Detemen System after a successful raid.
What struck Ves the most was that despite their lack of numbers, the heavy-armored mechs of the Frosty Meteors inexorably closed in on the stranded fleet of the Flagrant Vandals!
No matter how much firepower the Vandal mechs unleashed on the Venidsan mechs, the Frosty Meteors endured an incredible amount of damage!
If not for Venerable O'Callahan moving into action and whittling down the incredibly sturdy mechs of the Frosty Meteors one by one, as well as the sacrificial mobbing tactic employed by the Vandals at the end, they might have never been able to survive their escape from the Vesia Kingdom!
The Flagrant Vandals didn't survive this disastrous crisis unscatched. Half of their spaceborn mech pilots lost their lives and even more mechs got wrecked or sustained heavy damage. If not for their subsequent recovery at the Harkensen System, the spaceborn mech contingent of the Flagrant Vandals would have never been able to stand up on their own two feet again!
This story contained a strong emotional attachment to Ves. Yet would it be appropriate for him to use the events of this battle as the basis of his fourth original mech design?
Ves shook his head. "We beat the enemy, but lost almost just as much. A pyrrhic victory is not a victory to be proud of. Besides, the enemy earned all of the glory for their bold and enduring approach."
The Vandals only won that battle because they outnumbered the small detachment of Frosty Meteors and made use of that advantage in the stupidest and most destructive way possible.
He discarded this battle and tried to come up with other memories that cast a better on his experiences.
After fifteen minutes of daydreaming, he suddenly sat up straight in his chair. "Of course! When it comes to showcasing the power of defense, how can I forget about that big lovable lizard!"
The misguided attack of the Sacred Gods of the Eastern Samar Pantheon on the ground forces of the Flagrant Vandals nearly wiped out the latter.
Nobody from the Vandals including Ves ever expected Qilanxo's incredibly strong space barrier to be able to withstand a half a mech regiment's worth of ranged bombardment!
In the end, the Flagrant Vandals cheated and dropped a couple of overloaded power reactors that blew up with the force of a tactical nuclear weapon to overload that ridiculously resilient and enduring space barrier!
Witnessing such an amazing capacity from a primitive exobeast instead of some highly advanced device from the CFA left a strong impression in his mind. Ves' eyes lit up as he realized that this event might serve as a good base for his vision for his space knight!
Even though Qilanxo was a land exobeast and the battle happened firmly on heavy gravity soil, it was the spirit that counted. Ves wanted to draw upon the impression of invincibility and defensive supremacy displayed by the mighty Qilanxo.
Best of all, unlike the earlier example, Ves and the Flagrant Vandals eventually made up with Qilanxo.
How strong would his space knight design become if he became inspired by her example?
"It's not possible for me to implement an actual space barrier as a defensive measure for my upcoming space knight design." Ves conceded.
However, what kind of effect would Ves be able to achieve when he incorporated such a strong phenomenon in the imaginary realm?


Humanity has conquered half the galaxy and the Age of Mechs reigns supreme!

Ves Larkinson lacked the genetic aptitude to become a famed mech pilot. Fighting against his fate, he studied mech design in order to express his love for mechs as a builder instead of a soldier.

When Ves graduated from college, he returned to a new but empty boutique. Left with a small, newly founded mech workshop that his father painstakingly built with a mountain of debt, Ves somehow needs to make ends meet with the bank breathing down his neck.

In the midst of his despair, he found salvation from another legacy his father had left.

"Welcome to the Mech Designer System. Please design your new mech."

--Join The Mech Touch's unofficial Discord server: https://discord.gg/APB5KCU

He was in disbelief. 
The head of the department laughed at his reaction. "Snap out of it, Aihara. You look like I've just fired you."
"I'm sorry, sir!" Kaoru regained his composure. "I didn't expect this. Thank you very much."
The older man sitting opposite him in the meeting room just smiled kindly. "It's a great achievement for someone at your level. Hakusen should have hired you when they could."
Kaoru stared at the mock-up of the cover of the book with his design. It was for an up and coming novelist, who wanted a cover expressing separation.
A senior designer had overseen the project and Kaoru was staffed on the team. They spent weeks trying to meet the novelist's demands, on top of other assignments.
It came to a breaking point when his senior threw in the towel.
"I give up! He's just being fucking unreasonable. What's wrong with our ideas? Screw this."
Kaoru had been helping to polish his senior's work up until then. When the team went home dejectedly that day, he stayed back and thought about what the novelist wanted.
They had been fixated on a darker, wintry look. It made sense since the novel was equally dark and tragic.
To Kaoru, separation was on a warm autumn day, when leaves fell together with the hearts that followed. The memories which kept resurfacing during the entire project. 
He sketched out an idea and showed it to his senior the next day.
His senior was going to throw it into the bin when one of the team leads of the production department passed by and noticed it.
"Hey, let me look at that."
Kaoru had seen him before during meetings. Confident, effective and with a personality which  engaged with others easily, Fujiwara Ren was one of the rising stars in the company.
His senior handed over the sketch grudgingly. Fujiwara's hazel eyes scanned it and then asked Kaoru, "Is this your work?"
"Yes," Kaoru admitted.
A warm smile crossed Fujiwara's face. "I'll ask his editor to show it to him."
Both his senior and Kaoru had been shocked. 
That was three days ago. Now, he was sitting in the office looking down at his first book cover. Kaoru couldn't believe it.
He was on cloud nine for the rest of the day. His co-workers who have heard congratulated him heartily, except for the senior designer who muttered something to the effect of him lucking out.
Kaoru didn't mind if it was luck. It gave him a tiny confidence boost. 
Even if his inspiration was…
Don't think about it at work, he told himself. When he went home, then he could try to piece his heart together, as he often did ever since that day.
He tried to look for Fujiwara to thank him but the man was out for meetings. He did manage to speak to Miss Tachibana over the phone to convey the good news to her. 
When he left the office, he finally saw Fujiwara at the lobby.
Kaoru waved to get his attention.
Fujiwara looked up from his phone and grinned. "Aihara!"
Kaoru went over quickly and bowed. "Thank you so much. For the cover."
"It's your design," Fujiwara reminded him in a friendly manner. "Thank YOU. If not, the project would have been delayed and I'm probably still in the office."
Kaoru was embarrassed. "No, I..it was just an idea which came to me."
"Don't be so modest," Fujiwara chuckled. "You're such a cute junior!"
"Who's cute?" a deeper voice asked, amused.
A taller and very good-looking man appeared beside Fujiwara. In a suit and still carrying a briefcase.
"Shin! You're on time," Fujiwara exclaimed happily. "Meet Aihara Kaoru. From the design department."
Then to Kaoru, he introduced the man easily, "This is Kurosawa Shinobu. My partner."
Kaoru was surprised. 
"Nice to meet you," he said.
"And you," the man returned and added wryly. "Ren isn't giving you trouble, is he?"
"Of course not!" Fujiwara protested with a pout. "I'm the perfect senior."
"He's very kind to me," Kaoru agreed. "I got my first book cover because of him."
"He's just being unnecessarily humble," Fujiwara countered and told his partner, "My project is back on track. He's the reason you can take me out to dinner today."
"In that case, you have my thanks too," Kurosawa told Kaoru.
They made a dangerously attractive couple. It was clear that they were in love. Kaoru could see the adoring laughter in Fujiwara's eyes and although his partner seemed to be the more reserved type, the glances he gave Fujiwara contained a certain softness.
"Not at all! Anyway, I shouldn't take up more of your time." Kaoru smiled. "Have a good evening."
"Bye! See you around in the office!" Fujiwara waved cheerfully.
He could still make out bits and pieces of their conversation as he walked away.
"Just dinner? I haven't seen you for a week."
"What else?"
"Shin, don't tease me. Unless you don't want to..."
"Fine. A quick dinner."
"Now we're talking."
It didn't take much imagination to know what they could be referring to. Kaoru found himself smiling at how comfortable they seemed with each other.
When he got into the packed train, he finally let his mind wander. 
What was Keigo doing right now? Was he still in the office or traveling for work? Did he find someone who could make him happy?
Somehow, seeing Fujiwara and his partner together made him missed Keigo so intensely. What wouldn't he give to have just one dinner, free of any consequences and repercussions?
Kaoru knew back then that it would crush his heart. 
He hadn't expected that it could possibly be irreparable. Unlike the defect from his childhood, this could not be healed by any surgery or medication.
The human heart, once scarred, was never quite the same.

"You need money. I want company. It’s a fair trade.” That was the start of the relationship between Wada Keigo and Aihara Kaoru. How far will they go?

The bullet had unique design engraved on it which was the thing that Leonard was expecting. But the problem was...the design was not what Leonard expected. The design was something unfamiliar. The design was something that he has never seen before. 



"Whoever is behind all this is clever." Leonard said and turned off his phone.


Even after seeing the photo several times Leonard couldn't recognise the design so he called Harriet and asked if she could bring the bullet to the forensic department of agency. 




After a while Harriet was in agency with the bullet. 



"Wear gloves." Harriet said as she passed the bullet to Leonard. 


The result was same. Even when Leonard looked at the bullet from so close he still was unable to understand which agency would engrave only some black holes as their symbol.




"This looks like an ordinary bullet..." Harriet said. 


"Maybe it is..." Leonard said. 


"But how about we scan these unique designs which is engraved and then magnify it in computer?" Harriet said. 


"You can do that?" Leonard asked. 

"Yep." 


After scanning the design she magnified it in computer...but now it even became more confusing. 

"What the hell does BWT stands for?" Leonard said. 

"I don't know..." 




Just when Leonard got out of Harriet's office the electricity went off and he heard a loud scream. 


"What happened?" Leonard came running back to Harriet's office. 


"I am scared of dark...." Harriet said. 

Just when Leonard heard this he turned on his mobile's flashlight. 


"Let's go on the rooftop...my phone's battery is not that much..." He said. 





"Whole city's electricity is out!" Harriet said as the whole city was shining under the dim light of moon and stars. 



"It feels so quiet..." Leonard said. 


"Well yeah...it is...you can feel the wind...." Harriet said.




At this moment there was silence between the two and they both were enjoying the quietness and the wind. But to break this silence Leonard asked "By the way... Can I ask who that guy is from your letter? I can be your wingman you know." 



At this moment her heart was beating fast. She wanted to confess to him so badly but she was afraid that what if he rejects her? She was afraid that her confession can make her lose her friendship with him but still with mustering some courage she asked. "Um Leonard, if a girl who is not from some agency that is against ours...confesses you, would you accept?"


This question confused Leonard but he still answered with a calm expression "I would love to...but I can't." 

"Why? Is it because you think that what happened to your aun.." 

"No, it isn't because of that. You remember William from school?" Leonard asked. 

"Yeah...why?" 

"Do you know how he died?" He asked with a sad expression. 


"In an accident..." 


"No. He did not die in an accident. He died because of me...During a mission, those bastards wanted to hurt me...but I don't know when and how he appeared out of nowhere and pushed me from the spot where the bomb was about to blast... In that bomb blast he died.." Leonard said with his head down as he wanted to cover his tears. 



Harriet went silent until he controlled himself. 


"So, Harriet...Please...Don't love me." 


The moment Harriet heard this sentence she was a little sad and shocked. 



"How did you...?" 


"I was thinking about your letter for quite some time so...I guessed and when I asked the question just now...I saw your expression and I got sure. But Harriet.... There is no place for love in my heart." 


"One incident doesn't mean that every person near you will witness the same thing. And if there is no place for love in heart...would you never marry?" Harriet asked. 

"I would...but if the girl is someone who I am not attached to that much then maybe I won't get hurt that much... I mean yes, if she is in danger I would try to rescue her...but..." 



"I get it...You are letting guilt take over you." Harriet said. 

"It's not like that!" He said. 


"Hmm...I need to go, the electricity is back too. See you tomorrow!" Harriet said and left the rooftop.

Alena, Ally & Sabrina's life changes when they find out that they have been chosen as agents to work for a secret agency. The training starts and the first rule to become agent is to be punctual. 

"Is this usual that she is this careless or she wants the punishment that badly, hmm?" Mike asked.

Her fair cheeks flushed, which amused Sheng Yize greatly. He poked her in the face and said, "You blush as easily as ever."
She had been like this since she was little.
An Xiaxia brushed his hands away, the frown never leaving her face. "What if it's something really serious?"
"Like what?"
An Xiaxia gave it some thought. "Like, if the babies aren't yours?"
"…" Sheng Yize was speechless.
Realizing how inappropriate that analogy was, An Xiaxia explained right away, "It was just an example! That's all!"
"Use another one." Sheng Yize's face darkened and he looked frustrated.
Any man would be upset when told by his wife that his children weren't his!
"How about… if I swindle you of all your properties and run away with your money?" It took An Xiaxia forever to come up with another example.
Sheng Yize chuckled and gave her a disdainful look. "You're not smart enough for that."
"…" This man just couldn't let a day pass without shattering her confidence… 
An Xiaxia gnawed on a corner of her duvet. "But if there really is a day when…"
"It won't come to that," said Sheng Yize resolutely. "I trust you."
An Xiaxia was touched and found Lan Yu's words all the more deceptive.
But on second thought, she realized that Sheng Yize meant that he trusted that she wasn't smart enough for that.
An Xiaxia was disheartened again.
"Xiaxia," said Sheng Yize, changing the subject, "how would you like to take some wedding photos?"
"Hm?" An Xiaxia came back to herself. "Can we do that?"
Come to think of it, they barely had any pictures together, let alone wedding photos.
Sheng Yize smiled. "Of course."
"Let me ask Momo first which studio she and He Jiayu took theirs at…" An Xiaxia fumbled around for her phone.
"There's no need for that." Sheng Yize stopped her. "We won't be shooting it in a studio."
"Where, then? Rent a private workshop?"
Sheng Yize shook his head and said in a mysterious voice, "You'll find out soon enough."
-
The next day.
Sheng Yize led An Xiaxia past the busy streets as they zigzagged their way through the alleys until they reached a shop in a mall.
The interior of the shop was warm and refreshing. A few potted plants lined the windowsill and various quaint objects lay around the shop.
It had a poetic name as well: Love's Time.
There was only a young woman in the shop, who quickly exchanged a few words with Sheng Yize, then smiled at An Xiaxia and took the white cloth cover off a mannequin, revealing an unbelievably exquisite wedding gown underneath. 
The dreamy white dress was dotted with tiny rhinestones, and the layered dress reminded one of a whorl of petals. It already looked stunning on the mannequin.
"This is…" An Xiaxia stood dazed on the spot.
Sheng Yize squeezed her hand. "Do you like it?"
How could she not… 
An Xiaxia bit her lip in excitement.
The girl told her in English, "Your husband designed it himself. I envy you so much, Madam."
An Xiaxia turned to Sheng Yize in disbelief. He knew how to design clothes?
"Ahem. I studied architecture; fashion design isn't really my forte. I was part of the design team, that's all. The designer did the actual job." Sheng Yize was quite modest. "It's our family tradition that a husband should design the wedding gown himself."
It started a long time ago, and Grandma Sheng also had a wedding dress which Grandpa Sheng had designed for her.
Sheng Yize's mother was the only one who didn't have one.
He didn't want An Xiaxia to have any regrets.
Even so, An Xiaxia was already greatly touched. Diving into his arms, she said, "Thank you."
Sheng Yize froze a little, then rubbed her head. "You dummy… you never have to say thank you to me."


As an anti-fan of the idol group, Starry Night, An Xiaxia is happy to spend her time online slandering lead singer Sheng Yize. 

But things take an unexpected turn when An Xiaxia starts high school - the Starry Night trio somehow becomes her classmates, and even end up moving into her house. 

Also, the nation’s idol Sheng Yize seems particularly interested in An Xiaxia for some reason...

Sheng Yize: Xiaxia, if I and a chicken wing fall into the water together, which one will you save?

An Xiaxia: Hm… I can't swim, so obviously you're going to save yourself and get my chicken wing out!

Sheng Yize: I thought I was the nation’s idol???

What an angelic voice!
Zhuang Nainai turned and saw Ji Chen behind her, showing a warm smile. She cheered up instantly. 
On their way to the human resources department, Ji Chen inquired, "Madam, which department would you like to work in?"
Which department?
She had a degree in design and had worked in the area of wedding planning and venue set up after graduation. However, she had a broad-based curriculum in university and was exposed to a wide range of design topics. 
She did not want to hang around and do nothing in the Imperial Group. It would be great if she could do something she liked.
Zhuang Nainai thought for a second before asking, "Do you have a design department here?"
Ji Chen smiled. "Yes, we do."
"Right, then can I go there?"
Ji Chen smiled. "Of course, but we have a strict procedure for employee promotion. Everyone has to go through it, even Mr. Si himself. He had to work slowly from the bottom up to where he is today."
Slowly?
Si Zhengting was only twenty-four now. How "slow" could that be?
But she understood what he had intended to say. "Executive Ji Chen, I get it."
Ji Chen led her into the employee lift. "The design department is the biggest department in our company. It takes up the entire tenth to the eighteenth floor. We cover many different domains, including venue design, project planning, and our prominent fashion designer labels. Each domain is further split into a few teams."
The lift stopped at the eighteenth floor.
It was crowded on the eighteenth floor. All the employees were busy at work at one glance.
Ji Chen brought her in front of a large office. The label on the door read "Director of Design."
Ji Chen knocked on the door and a pleasant lady's voice sounded from inside the room. "Come in."
The office was huge, and the lighting in the room was great.
A young lady in her early twenties sat behind the desk. She looked up at the sound of them entering the room. She was dressed in a white pantsuit, and her long, straight hair framed her delicate face. She looked puzzled when she saw Ji Chen and stood up hurriedly. "Executive Ji, what brought you here?" 
"I am inducting a new employee." Ji Chen turned and introduced her to Zhuang Nainai. "This is the Director of the design department, Mi Nuo. She is a world-renowned fashion designer."
Zhuang Nainai's eyes brightened at the sight of Mi Nuo.
Of course, she had heard of the name Mi Nuo. She was about her age but she had already shown great talent in university and was asked to join the Imperial Group design team before her graduation. She displayed even greater potential at work and was quickly promoted to be the youngest director in the Imperial Group!
Ji Chen proceeded to introduce Zhuang Nainai to Mi Nuo. "Mi Nuo, this is…"
"Zhuang Nainai." Zhuang Nainai blurted out her name before he could finish. 
Since she had to start from the bottom, why should she reveal her identity and make herself uncomfortable here? Besides, Si Zhengting never mentioned what identity she should assume here. She would not dare to introduce herself as his wife.
Mi Nuo laughed softly. "It's you!"
She reached out to shake Zhuang Nainai's hand. "Hi! Welcome to the Imperial Group."
Oh?
Mi Nuo knew her?
Why would she say that?


He's the heir of the Imperial Group, ruthless and calculating. Yet, he dotes on his wife so much. 

"Hubby, I'm thinking of getting a pet. What do you think is good?"

"You are the pet."

"…"

"Hubby, is a rose or peony prettier?"

"You are the prettiest."

"…"

Zhuang Nainai: …Can you say something constructive?

One day, someone asks him, "Why are you always the one bowing your head first when you quarrel with her?"

Si Zhengting: "Because I'm 185 cm, and she's 165 cm. When am I not the first to bow my head?"

In short, this is a black-bellied CEO who dotes on his wife in every way you could think of and tries his best to build a family after marriage by baking a little bun baby.
 


In the interview room, Tang Mo'er had spotted Gu Mohan at first glance. He was seated right in the middle of the panel of interviewers.
He didn't lift his eyes to look over at her, but rather, his head was lowered and he was focused on looking through the design sketches.
Tang Mo'er was a little dejected, but she straightened her back and gathered her confidence. She needed to nail this interview.
"Miss Tang, please have a seat."
Tang Mo'er sat down and the clerk submitted her design sketch to the panel of interviewers. The higher-ups were all pretty satisfied with her design, they nodded their heads in approval and handed the design sketch over to Gu Mohan for him to have a look.
"Miss Tang, we've just taken a look at your design. May I know where you get your design inspiration from?" a higher-up asked.
Tang Mo'er gave it some thought before replying, "I…"
"This is your design?" A magnetic voice resounded in her ears, interrupting her answer. Tang Mo'er rapidly lifted her head, glancing at Gu Mohan.
Gu Mohan narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on her ravishing beauty. "This is your design? It's totally subpar, so mainstream yet tacky. How dare you even apply for the position of an interning designer at the Gu Corporation?"
Mainstream yet tacky.
How dare she.
Color drained from Tang Mo'er's face, she looked at Gu Mohan in shock.
The other higher-ups were also observing Gu Mohan, not daring to utter a single word. But they just couldn't figure out, why did President even use such strong words? Was her design that bad in his eyes? 
Gu Mohan narrowed his eyes and gave a cynical laugh, he picked up her design and continued, "We have many capable candidates applying to join us here. With your standards, you're just here to fill the vacancy though you're don't have the capabilities to perform well. I'll give you a piece of advice, you should put in more effort in improving your designs instead of using unscrupulous ways and trying to take shortcuts." 
He then let go of the sketch and with a gust of wind, her sketch flew up in mid-air. He announced ruthlessly, "Miss Tang, you don't make the cut. Don't appear before me ever again."
Don't appear before me ever again.
His words were repeatedly played over in Tang Mo'er's ear, putting her into a light trance.
A greater gust of wind blew her sketch out of the windows.
Her sketch!
Tang Mo'er quickly got up and ran outside.
… 
Once Tang Mo'er left, the atmosphere in the interview room plummeted to an icy coldness. Gu Mohan didn't seem to be happy, his facial muscles were tense and gloomy.
One of the interviewers asked, "President, why did you say that? Though Miss Tang's design is a little amateurish, it is creative and quite novel. We've interviewed many candidates and she has the best design by far."
Before the interviewer could even finish his words, he could sense Gu Mohan giving him a cold-eyed stare.
The interviewers quickly learned to shut up and gulped.
Gu Mohan stood up. "I'm leaving first. The rest of you can interview the rest of the candidates."
He then stretched out his long legs and left.
… 
President's office. 
Gu Mohan pushed the door open and entered his office, making his way in front of the windows. He looked downstairs.
Along the busy streets downstairs, Tang Mo'er had chased outside of the building, hoping to get her design sketch back.
The sketch had drifted through the wind and ended up opposite the street, she sprinted over with all of her might in order to get her sketch back.
There was a loud screech as the brakes were activated, it turned out that a vehicle had almost knocked into Tang Mo'er. The driver wound down his window and started scolding her, "Hey, are you blind?! Why aren't you looking out for cars while crossing the road, are you courting death?"
"Sorry, I'm really sorry." Tang Mo'er apologized twice before crossing the road in a hurry.
By now, the design sketch was already filthy and run over by car tires. Tang Mo'er squatted down and picked up her sketch with her dainty fingers.
This was her first jewelry design sketch ever, but he had criticized her so badly, that her design was devoid of any merit. 
She was aware of his silver tongue but it was her first time trying it out for herself. She wasn't dumb and could tell that he was being sarcastic and humiliating her with his words.
He had announced that she didn't make the cut.
He wanted her to never appear before him ever again.
Tang Mo'er's eyes were instantly red and watery, her eyelashes fluttered like delicate butterfly wings as she lifted her head, looking at the windows of his office on the opposite building. 
This was the company her mother had founded, she really wished that she could perform well in jewelry design and continue her mother's legacy, but she didn't have any confidence in herself. This was the first time she had tried jewelry design in the 21 years of her life. She was really nervous and didn't know what to expect. He didn't need to do anything for her, her only wish was for him to give her some words of encouragement, to cheer her on.
It was such an important milestone in her life and he had missed it.
… 
Gu Mohan noticed that Tang Mo'er was looking in his direction though she was very far away from him. He blamed himself for having perfect vision at that moment. He was able to see that she was teary-eyed and truly pitiful.
He turned around and stood in front of his desk, wanting to ignore her.
She must have been confident that he would fall for her tricks right?
He removed his blazer and threw it on the desk. How could this girl whom he didn't know for long affect him so much?
It didn't help with his condition even after he had chased her away.
He wanted to bury himself in work so that he could distract himself. He wanted to forget about her but when he picked up a document, there was a magazine right beside it and he spotted her winsome face on the cover of it. 
It was an old pictorial of Tang Mo'er's. She was dressed in a retro outfit with light makeup on. She was blowing bubbles and laughing while posing for the camera. 
He stretched out his thumb and ran it over her eyes.
Her eyes were beautiful, as though they were able to convey words and one couldn't help but fall for her. 
He flipped open the magazine and noticed she had filled the pages. Though she had already left the entertainment industry for quite a long time, she still had a great following of a hundred million followers. She didn't need to be active in the industry to stay relevant, her legend was already ingrained.
The magazine was filled with her photographs, be it paparazzi shots or official press released photographs. Fans were crazy over emulating her look and any piece of clothing that she wore would often become a sensation and get sold out in no time.
Netizens had even given her the title of the "Queen Who Causes A Shopping Frenzy".
Gu Mohan recalled the outfit she was sporting today. It was a simple yet refreshing look. A white knit sweater with black, slim-fit pants and a denim belt, she was indescribably attractive.
She had great fashion sense, even a simple look like that could bring out her beauty. Indeed, she was a charming woman who knew how to make her beauty stand out.
Someone knocked on the door, it was Jun Xiyan.
"Come in." 
Jun Xiyan entered his office and walked in front of him and smiled beautifully. "I heard about someone lashing out at a girl today. Mohan, you're not being like your usual self. Where's your gentlemanly manner?"
Gu Mohan pursed his lips. "Who told you that?"
Jun Xiyan had placed a design sketch on his desk. "I've taken a look at it, although Tang Mo'er is inexperienced and amateurish, it is a novel design. She has great potential and even the top student that the A University is recommending to us, Li Fei'fei, is miles beneath her. All Tang Mo'er needs is some time and encouragement." 


After facing her fiancé's betrayal, things take an unexpected turn after Tang Mo’er inadvertently gets involved with the Capital’s preeminent magnate, Gu Mohan.

Fast-forwarding, Tang Mo’er clenches on a pregnancy test kit with two red lines—testing positive—and confronts him. “Young Master Gu, why did you make me pregnant?”

Gu Mohan hands a baby over into her arms. “My dearest wife, be good. That’s our second child.”

And so Tang Mo’er can only hustle and take care of her two children, but unbeknownst to her, Young Master Gu has also been coveting her love and affection…

This is a face-smacking, sweet-love novel set in the entertainment industry.


Their group took the truck to their fortress and started to extract the sap. Out of six water tanks, one is half filled with mana milk, one is filled with mana water, and on which is filled with mana grains.

Lucas took two water tanks to use as the sap container.   Because of its size, manual extracting is pretty troublesome. They can only extract one carcass at a time. They only have a pair of shrink glove, so, they let Lucas and Hugo lift the carcass while Ranrem, Della and Rita will make a shifting in making a cut on its body and make the sap drip inside the tank.

After three hours, they finally extracted every single drop of sap from the first carcass. Lucas was surprised with the result. 'So once they mutated into a treetan, trees will automatically dry when the sap was extracted?'

The sap is not the only good part of the mahogany borrowed, but also its body. He made his ax shrink and use it as a sculpting knife. He chopped its back limbs and observe its sharpness. The limbs are so amazing that it takes a form of a screw, suitable for digging the land like a drill.

He decided to store the drill like limbs inside his so-called 'Underworld' for future use.

The limbs are just the smallest part of its body, on his front is a gigantic carcass half the size of its leader. 'I remember a game from my world, the game build defense towers and cannons to fend of enemies. But the best thing I build in that game is the automatic crossbow that shoots arrows continuously. An X-bow huh? Maybe I can create something like that! But I don't know how to make it automatic. 'Hwacha' needs gunpowder, and this world has given up on firearms in front of treetans. Right now, I need to think of a way to fend of human forces. The guild can provide me their adventurers, building archer tower is the best defense we can make.'

He first draws the main parts of his defensive tower, a five-meter tall tower, the ladder behind the tower, and a cover to protect the archer. One of the archer tower's weakness is the lack of defense for the archers, the cover he draws is like like a sphere cut in half the upper cover is lifted and separates from the lower part like a p*keball. The upper cover and lower cover are separated with a thick pole that serves as the core of the tower.

The whole design looks like a p*keb*ll trophy. The thickness of the cover and the balance of the tower is the most important part. The upper cover is designed to deflect nonexplosive projectiles, the body of the tower is protected with several layers of thick wood, the core of the tower must be rooted in the ground for five meters.

'I need to ask Buckler to make eight sphere glass added to the defensive tower for the coconut cannons. I also need a lot of woods. The pine thrower's carcasses are not enough, they can serve as ammunition of the archers but not defense. I need to send an exploration team in a nearby forest to search for suitable wood for the body.'

He started to draw the weapon that will be used on defense. A gigantic crossbow that is larger than a normal crossbow. The size of the crossbow is not possible if it's in Earth since the size doesn't match a manual crossbow, but in Hearth, the body of the mahogany burrowers are the best material and the adventurers are trained to fight.

It was midnight and everyone in the dome is already asleep. The Underworld might be the best, but the fortress defense is not that right, and a raid is possible from time to time.

Lucas went out with the mahogany burrower's carcass. With his shrank Ax as the sculpting blade, he makes the most important parts of a crossbow for two hours. The design is bland since it's only made out of wood which doesn't have any other color other than brown. But every part has its use, the cocking stirrup, the barrel, the trigger, the limbs, etc. He used a screw made of wood to splice every part of the crossbow and leave him the most important part, the strings.

'The strings don't need to be rubber, that's rubbish. The limbs flexibility will be the one that will produce the piercing force. I only have to make the string strong enough to handle the pressure. I don't have any materials to make a suitable string, I will be making the other parts for now.'

He started to collect the five to eight-meter tall carcasses of pine throwers and started to craft the stick he will use for the bolts (arrows). The crossbow is one meter long and the bolts needed for this weapon is at least 80% of the crossbow length, which is 80 centimeters while the thickness is ten centimeters.

But there's something strange with his bolts, he made his bolts five times the length and thickness of what he needed. And every carcass could only make ten to sixteen bolts.

The five hundred pine throwers carcasses aren't perfect, they are sometimes cut in half or a lot of cracks. But until the morning he is able to make 3,800 bolts. Every tip was craft like a drill, he did not bother making bolts head instead, he sculpted it to be larger than the shaft. The fletching that stabilizes the arrows is made of pine throwers that are not suitable for making a bolt. The fletchings are also strange, it forms a spiral design that will make the bolt spin in the mid-air.

5:00 am

Neil and the rest woke up and continue their everyday routine except for Hugo, Lucas, and Rita. They are in charge of extracting the sap, so until twelve noon, they are busy and unable to tend other chores.

In front of the dining table, after everyone has eaten their share Neil started a conversation. "Lucas, I saw the crossbow you made, and it looks great and boring... But, something's bothering me. How can you load a FOUR METER long bolts on your ONE METER long crossbow!?"

"Woah, grandpa, we just ate and you're already mad. Of course, there's a way, right, Ranrem?" Lucas said as he throws a look to Ranrem.

Ranrem was silent at first, but she raised her eyebrow as she remembers something, "Shrink Gloves?"

"That's right! Shrink gloves aren't suitable for archery, it gets in the way. But because we have this stock of mahogany burrower's sap, we can make our own shrink equipment!" He stood up to the table and started to speak like an inventor trying to convince his investors. "Think of it, we make fingerless gloves or archery gloves that could shrink every non-living thing. We can craft a string that could hold this crazy bolts like a normal bolt, and make the bolt have more power to penetrate the defense of our enemies! We can craft a quiver that could store this crazy bolts! And we can build a catapult that could throw a gigantic stone to the enemy!"

Neil and rest were shocked on what he said, their eyes pop out to the thought of making such crazy ideas. But Lucas isn't done yet, put a stronger force on his voice like a leader of the country, "Think of it guys! What kind of planteros this bolts can't penetrate? MCdame Rhinos? The hardest planteros in the world? Don't joke around, they have their own weaknesses! Fuck the nobles, fuck the treetans, fuck the world organizations who will go against our will! They want a war, a war it is! Our fortress will stand until the end. If we are able to use this sap to its fullest, who will be able to stand in front of us?"

Bang! Neil slam the table and laugh so hard, "Hahaha! Great! Great! You are able to think this crazy thing, unlike the leaders who only think of this sap as storage! I can finally take my revenge!"

The rest gripped their first and started to smile maniacally, it shocks him to think the people around him was seeking a revenge, especially Ranrem. 'To think that she could make a scary face, what kind of thing these nobles did to make them angry? I want to know.'

Neil was able to tell what he was thinking, he calmed himself and started to explain, "All of us, we can only watch our family as this noble kill them. Not only us but those who are trying to fight against them. Redford and Rita lost a wife and a mother, Ranrem lost everything, Hugo lost his childhood friend, and Della who lost her parents!"

Della cries as she hears Neil story, she gritted her teeth as she tries her best to speak, "The death- of my father-hik and mother. They can't pay it with just mana grains! Mom, Dad!"

'What the fuck, the atmosphere becomes awkward for me!' Lucas thought as he regrets what he did he shook his head and look at Viola and Violet, "Eh, how about the two of you? What with that scary face?"

When the twins heard him say 'Scary' they felt embarrassed, "A-actually, we are family of slaves before, grandpa and grandma died fighting for our rights to live as a normal family."

"Oh... These nobles sound crazy. Looks like I have a greater reason to fight them." Lucas said as he steps down the table, "Okay, brother Hugo, please tell Redford to come here and bring his most trusted men. I will leave later and talk to Grandpa Buckler about my requests."

The rest where suddenly motivated and started to work. Viola and Violet who could do nothing but cook started to train how to use Bow and Arrow under Ranrem. Hugo drives his trucks without grumbling. Della and Rita started to train with their sword while Neil was left to tend the planteros Lucas is raising.

Lucas left the dome afterward and ask Buckler for a new project. He also asked for a good string for a now, and he was pointed on a store near the workshop.

"Hello?" He said as he enters the store. Outside the store, he could not tell that it was a store, but when he entered the door, he saw a row of materials he is unfamiliar with.

"Hello, is there something you need?" An old lady who sitting stealthily in the corner of the room spoke.

Lucas was shocked when he heard her speaking, he never thought that there's a person on that corner, "H-hello Grandma. I was recommended here by Grandpa Buckler, I am looking for strings."

"Oh, you are recommended by that greedy old hag?" She asks in surprise and approaches Lucas. When she stepped out of the shadow, it revealed her appearance. Even though she was old her hair is still black, and her face has fewer wrinkles.

"Yes, Gr- Madam. Actually, I want a string, the best string this store have!" He said as he bows to pay respect.

"Oh! A great spender?" She exclaimed, "I'm Suma, I'm an adventurer too so you don't have to bow in front of me unless I'm your master. Come over here, this is the best I can offer for a newcomer."

Lucas nodded as he follows her to the table, "Here's the best string I can offer. It's made up of Corn Dog's hair, but don't look down on them, this hair came from a second pace General Corn Dog!"

Lucas reaches out his hand to check the quality of the string. It is indeed good quality, it can even stretch a little but he felt unsatisfied with its durability, "Grandma Suma, I know it's late, but I'm Lucas Rankin. I was here with Grandpa Neil's order, this string... It is not good enough for my Crossbow. Money is not a problem, please offer me the best you can give me."

Suma looks at him a surprise, 'To think that Neil also knows him. Haist, what a greedy youngster.' She nodded her head as she smiled bitterly. She went inside her storage and was gone for a while.

Lucas was left behind waiting for her. 'Sorry Grandpa, I don't to use your name, but I really need a better string!'

Note: Before you read the synopsis, please read my announcement on my reviews^~^ I don't want to disappoint you^~^

Also, every time I can't update, I will update twice the next day!!! Also, please write in the comments if there's mistakes in editing! Someone offer editing for free^~^

What will happen if a human from earth pick up a hoe that could allow him to travel to another world?

Lucas was fond of farming since he was young. When he left his work, he decided to make a living out of farming. He was about to start when he tumbles into the Gods' Hoe and decided to leave his world for a world that will satisfy his pleasure.

But he did not expect that it will be more than pleasure. "Treetans, Planteros, Plantons, and Thumy. I already decided I want to conquer this world!"

Zenia really went to where her feet literally took her, and she dragged her husband along with her. Shadora had various things to offer, and they were totally new in Zenia's eyes. She also thought that their technology was more advanced than other kingdoms. She was not certain about their expertise in the field of medicine, but the contraceptive pills that Doctor Lizbeth had given her were truly advanced.
The good doctor informed her that the pills had no side effects and proven effective. Many Shadoran women who did not want to get pregnant were using the pills. 
She even put her name on the line when she told her, "Let the people in Shadora know that I'm a fraud when the pills fail to protect you."
When Zenia was busy checking out the fabric store, Vaughn saw a nearby weapons shop. There were weapons in the display that he couldn't recognize, but they looked impressive. The weapons could easily pass like the ones that Zenia had designed. If he did not know that Zenia had never been to Shadora, he would suspect that the designer of the weapons was his wife. 
He went to Zenia and whispered, "I just need to check the weapons in that store," he pointed at the store that he wanted to visit, "Look for me there when you finish here first."
"Okay," Zenia replied and smiled warmly at him.
Vaughn leaned closer and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Zenia was surprised, and he did it in front of so many people. Everyone who saw it couldn't help but grin. The people of Shadora were very affectionate, and it was natural for them to express their feelings openly. However, they knew that Vaughn and Zenia were mere tourists in Shadora. In fact, they knew that they were the couple that recently got married in Shadora.
Vaughn did it so naturally that Zenia couldn't complain. She just nodded her head and Vaughn went on his way. She refused to look at the faces of people who were shopping with her. She knew that they were looking at her. She could feel their gazes. She continued inspecting the different fabrics and acted as if nothing happened. In the end, the people began to disperse, and some of them started gossiping.
Zenia sighed and accepted the fact that there would never be a perfect place. Shadora was almost perfect if not for the gossip-loving citizens of the kingdom. 
Zenia had decided that the Shadora linen was the best fabric in the kingdom, but the Ishelon silk was still far superior in quality. She could sell the Ishelon silk without trouble, and it would surely become popular a few months after she introduced it in the market. But, the linen possessed a distinct charm. She liked it very much.
"Shopkeeper, how much is this linen?"
"A bolt costs two gold coins."
"Hmm, how many bolts for a gold nugget?"
The shopkeeper gasped. No one paid a gold nugget to her again ever since the last visit of that certain princess. If the Madam before her would spend one gold nugget for bolts of linen, could her shop meet the number of bolts that the Madam wanted to purchase?" 
"For a gold nugget, I can give you 25 bolts of linen."
"That many? Do you also have a dressmaker here? I want something easy to wear and comfortable using the linen. I only need two bolts of linen for me and my husband. Can the rest of the nugget cover for the tailor and dressmaker's fees?"
"L-let me take care of everything for you, Madam. Your gold nugget is more than enough to cover everything that you require. You still have a lot of change for that."
"You can keep it and treat it as my compensation for you. So make sure to do an excellent job."
"I will make sure that you will be satisfied. Please wait here for a while, Madam, and I will prepare right away."
"Hmm, I will keep looking for other interesting things in your shop."
The shopkeeper went to find a dressmaker and tailor for her very important guest. It had been a while when she last served a rich customer. If she was not mistaken, the last customer was a Princess from Tissuria. It was not surprising since Shadora and Tissuria were sharing the same sea. The emergence of the portal made it even more convenient to travel back and forth to Shadora and Tissuria. 
That princess bought two bolts of wool for the cold months, which had already passed. The shopkeeper thought that the customer must have been unsatisfied with her purchase because she did not return. She knew that she failed to be attentive to the needs of that customer and often wondered whether things turned differently if she gave enough attention to that customer. 
The shopkeeper learned her lessons well and decided that she would pay more attention to every customer that would visit her store. The shopkeeper left Zenia and went to a shop next to the weapons store that Vaughn had decided to check out.
"Good sir, you have good weapons here. Is there a way to try them out?"
The store manager smiled and nodded his head, "Every weapons store in Shadora has its own testing ground. I can let my apprentice take you there to try out the weapon that you wish to test."
Vaughn picked up something similar to the semi-automatic crossbow that Zenia had designed. It contained more arrows than the one in Zenia's blueprint.
The store manager's apprentice accompanied Vaughn to the testing ground. The apprentice showed Vaughn how to use the weapon. It was the same as the semi-automatic crossbow of Zenia. But, Zenia's semi-automatic crossbow was easier to handle and reloading of arrows was much faster. 
Vaughn chose a target and released the arrows. Zenia's semi-automatic crossbow was more powerful and more precise. Zenia's semi-automatic crossbow was way better in almost every aspect, except one. The crossbow in Shadora could release more arrows simultaneously, but Vaughn doubts if the arrows could kill the enemies during battle. In Vaughn's opinion, the released arrows lacked the needed power to take down the enemies.
The apprentice returned to the weapons store together with Vaughn after testing the crossbow. The store manager was already excited to know about Vaughn's opinion.
"Well, what do you think of it, sir?"
"Hmm, it's good. How much do you want for it?"
"I can give it to you for ten gold coins. This is already a bargain. I usually sell this top quality product for fifteen gold coins."
'Ten gold coins? Are you trying to rip me off?'
To be precise, Vaughn only paid Mr. Smith a total of three gold coins for each semi-automatic crossbow. The materials used and labor were already included in the payment, and he added two gold coins for each bow as a bonus. All in all, he only paid five gold coins per semi-automatic crossbow.
Vaughn looked like he was caught between buying and leaving the store. In reality, he was thinking of whether to ask who designed the weapon or ask to meet the designer in person. He was curious because Zenia once told him that the design was something she did when she was young, but she couldn't find the flaw in the design. The first thing that popped into his mind was that someone found her design, found the flaw and fixed it, and sold the design. However, the Weaponsmith Master of Tissuria was able to make great improvements in the design of the semi-automatic crossbow.
The store manager feared that Vaughn would not make a purchase and informed him, "That is our last piece for the lot, sir. A few days ago, two gentlemen purchased so many crossbows like the one you're holding and only left us with few pieces."
"When will the next batch of this crossbow arrive?"
"I'm afraid that we will not be able to produce it anymore. We get our materials from Prazia, and King Odhran suddenly stopped selling the materials to us. One of my apprentices even heard that the two gentlemen who had visited us earlier were indeed from Prazia. We heard a rumor that King Odhran wanted to recall the metals that they had sold to different kingdoms before. You might not know this, but Prazia's metals are the best in Maecaea."
"Is that so? How come I only hear it now?"
"Ah, you must be from Tissuria or Ishelon. In comparison, Tissuria and Ishelon have the best of the best metals but both kingdoms are not selling their raw materials. The next best source of materials is Prazia."
"Why do you think King Odhran stopped the selling of metals?"
"We have a hunch that Prazia has started producing their weapons. They must have acquired a good weaponsmith. Before, they could only rely on other kingdoms, such as Shadora, to supply them with the weapons that they need. I'm afraid that I will go out of business soon without good materials to produce my high-quality weapons."
"I will get this crossbow for fifteen gold coins. I am interested to know more about Prazia's plan. Please gather some information for me and who knows… I might be able to help you get the raw materials you need to produce your weapons."
The store manager's eyes beamed when he heard Vaughn's statement. If he was lucky, he could get metals from Tissuria or Ishelon, he dared not ask where the gentlemen before him had come from.
"Thank you so much, sir. I will see what I can do. May I ask why you are interested to know?"
"Ah, just like you sir, I am just very curious, and I won't be able to feel at ease until I get my hands on the information that I need to know."


The pampered young miss and decorated military tactician of the Anisen household once asked, 
“Why do I have to be the sacrificial lamb?"

The Crown Prince of Tissuria in his younger days once declared, 
“I will marry you when we grow up.”

The trusted retainer once informed the grown Crown Prince, 
“The replacement bride was reluctant to take on the role.” 

Vaughn smirked. He knew that Zenia would likely refuse the marriage.

“Should we continue monitoring the movements of the siblings, my Lord?”

“Yes, that’s already a given. A prey like that is not easy to capture and keep.”

The Crown Prince promised, 
“We will meet again soon Zenia. It’s time to put you to your rightful place.”

Join Zenia and Vaughn in their crazy and funny adventures as they uncover 
the truth and witness how they nurture their love to stand the test of time. 

***********************************************
Regular updates: 1 chapter per day

Thank you all for your support. I may release 2 chapters at any given day ^_^ 
as a treat or give you a surprise mini mass release.
 
I am the rightful owner of the cover.

***********************************************

You may buy me a coffee:
ko-fi.com/nanotchkalexiskyler

You may also want to donate via Paypal:
sarisari.biz@gmail.com

Thank you all ^_^

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