The air near the back entrance of Hiro Arcavan shifted slightly as the large crow shrank and fluttered off to perch on a nearby roof.
Axelius, now wearing a sleek black mask that covered the upper half of his face, pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders. Millie followed closely behind, her posture straight and her eyes sharp, now used to her duties as both assistant and shadow.
The back door of the building opened with a quiet hiss magic-driven chanics parting the reinforced tal and glass with a soft shimr. As they stepped inside, a wave of scent hit them: hot tal, oil, and the faint tingle of raw mana.
The first floor stretched wide like a massive hangar, illuminated by soft golden light from overhead crystals.
The walls were smooth steel-wood alloy, and along the edges, enchanted tubes pulsed with mana like glowing veins.
Dozens of craftsn and mages worked in sync so welding mana cores into the skeletal fras of carriage-like constructs, others refining the enchanted tires or adjusting steering glyphs etched into the chassis.
The sound of hamring, mana surging, and controlled fla was everywhere, but the mont Axelius stepped in, everything paused.
The workers noticed him almost instantly, and in less than five seconds, a wave of movent passed through the floor.
"Boss Hiro!" they called out in unison, straightening up and lining up on either side of the walkway.
"Boss Hiro!"
Even the mages so in singed cloaks and protective gear—paused mid-chant and turned to bow. Sparks floated in the air, frozen in place as if respecting the mont.
Axelius nodded calmly, giving them a small wave. "As you were."
The floor returned to motion, though now the workers moved with renewed focus and energy, stealing glances at the masked young man passing through.
Millie stayed a few steps behind him as they made their way through the central aisle. Just before they reached the stairs to the upper levels, a familiar blur of white and purple sprinted toward them.
"Good afternoon, Boss Hiro..." Lyrielle skidded to a halt, her long catlike ears twitching and her tail flicking behind her in a puff.
She was holding several folders and rolled blueprints, her cheeks slightly flushed from running.
She straightened herself and handed over a few pages. "We need to schedule a eting about production flow and distribution routes. If you want the Hiro Mark I to launch by next month, we’ll need three more rune welders. And also! Should we hire sales reps? Or are we using independent sellers per district? Oh! And the test drive courses, I still think we should build one underground! It’s safer that way, nyah—I an—Sir!"
Axelius took the papers, flipping through them while walking. His voice was calm but firm. "Schedule the eting. Tomorrow morning. Sales model? We’ll go with contract-based reps easier to cut them off if they leak anything."
Lyrielle grinned. "Right away, Boss!"
As they walked toward the stairwell, Millie leaned in and asked softly, "Do you really plan to launch the Hiro Mark I that fast?"
Axelius smiled behind the mask. "We’re not just building just carriages here. We’re building a future."
Axelius stepped through a heavy door that hissed closed behind him. This room was quieter than the workshop floor almost too quiet.
The smooth walls were lined with visible, enchanted mirrors that shimred faintly. But these weren’t ordinary mirrors they were one-way scrying glasses.
Through them, Axelius could clearly see another room where a handful of well-dressed nobles sat at a long table, sipping tea and occasionally glancing toward the glass, unaware he could see them.
"Prospective investors," he muttered to himself. "Or leeches."
His eyes narrowed slightly. Most of them were older, wearing family crests proudly, all with that sa hungry glint in their eyes the kind that didn’t care about innovation, only profit and power.
He turned away. "Where is Tiana?" Axelius asked,
Lyrielle, who had followed him in and was already adjusting a few folders, flicked her ears and answered quickly, "We led Princess Tiana to your office, Boss. She’s waiting there with Lady Sylfia."
Axelius gave a small nod and walked out, his pace steady and sharp.
It didn’t take long to reach his private office, tucked at the top floor of the building a sleek space with wide windows showing the sky, a minimalistic design, and a soft enchantnt that cald the senses.
The door swung open with a click.
As he entered, Axelius paused for a mont and respectfully lowered his head. With one fluid motion, he removed the black mask from his face and tucked it under his arm.
Inside, Princess Tiana stood from her seat on the long sofa, her posture graceful, her gown reflecting light in soft hues of blue and silver.
"Greetings, Lord Hiro," she said, dipping into a light but formal bow with a smile. "Or should I say... Axelius Dravenhart?"
Axelius stepped forward and bowed in return, not as a noble, but as a host.
"Princess Tiana Elanore Archantia. You honor this place with your presence."
From the other sofa, Sylfia also stood up. She walked without a word and took her place behind the princess, standing as a proper guard.
Axelius t her eyes briefly and gave a small nod. "Lady Sylfia."
Sylfia, as usual, said nothing, but a subtle nod answered him back.
Princess Tiana sat down again with a graceful motion and gestured for Axelius to do the sa.
As soon as Axelius sat down on the soft black leather sofa across from her, crossing one leg over the other with a calm expression, Princess Tiana flicked her fingers.
Sylfia moved imdiately. She stepped forward with surprising strength, carrying a large, sealed chest made of whitewood and iron.
She placed it gently on the center table between them with a faint thud that echoed in the quiet room.
Axelius can’t help but grin a little, his golden eyes flicking between the chest and the princess. "Hmmm?"
Tiana smiled lightly, folding her hands over her lap as she leaned slightly forward. "Another contribution," she said.
"Refined mana crystals, and imported parts from the eastern archipelago. Rare materials your people have been needing for the next batch of prototypes."
She then added, her voice light but proud, "After all... it was with my initial investnt that you were able to bring all this to life, wasn’t it?"
Axelius leaned back slightly, one arm resting along the backrest. He didn’t deny it. In fact, his lips tugged into a small grin.
"You’re not wrong," he said simply. "The land, the base model of the Hiro ARchavans, the reinforced mana engines, the labor contracts... All this, in just one month."
He glanced briefly at the chest, then back at her. "If not for your connections and gold, I’d still be negotiating with greedy rchants in back alleys and fighting off patent thieves."
Tiana gave a short laugh, her fan gently tapping her chin. "You always make it sound so dramatic. But I’ve seen enough nobles waste their wealth on parties and velvet curtains. At least I know my coin went to sothing that moves."
Sylfia stood quietly once more behind the princess, her presence steady and observant as always.
Axelius tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest. "I’m guessing this isn’t just a delivery visit, is it?"
Tiana’s smile deepened, her gaze growing sharper.
"Of course not," she said, her tone poised but knowing. "It’s ti to talk about your first mass release... and your competitors."
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