Simple Yet Far from Simple

After 52 days of construction, the Riverside Workshop was officially completed yesterday—the second day after Raven attempted to awaken as a mage.

Thank goodness this world had no such thing as a "ribbon-cutting ceremony," sparing Raven a long and boring experience.

If he had to stand beneath the scorching sun until his face shone with oil, all while smiling and spouting polite words he did not even believe himself, how could he have the mood to admire his work as he did now?

It was a square building, each side measuring 56 meters. The surrounding walls stood five meters high and were three meters thick. Four three-meter-tall watchtowers stood at the corners, from which one could overlook the entire workshop and its surroundings, leaving no blind spots.

To the southeast was a canal connected to the Golden Sand River, forming a moat two meters wide around the workshop.

The moat connected to the workshop's interior. It could not only prevent fires but also supply water for daily use.

Inside the workshop, three rows of stone workrooms stood in the west. Each row was 36 meters long, 12 meters wide, and four meters high, and each was evenly divided into three rooms.

In the northeastern corner stood a warehouse 20 meters long from north to south, eight meters wide from east to west, and five meters high.

In the southwestern corner stood a two-story building constructed back-to-back. It was 25 meters long from north to south and eight meters wide from east to west. After excluding the first-floor cafeteria and kitchen, along with an administrator's office on the second floor, it contained fifteen dormitories of roughly fifteen square meters each. They could house seventy-five people in total, or 150 if bunk beds were installed.

To prevent fires, there was at least three meters between every building. The main roads between the workrooms, warehouse, and dormitories were five meters wide—enough for two carriages to pass side by side.

The workshop's two gates stood at the northern and southern ends of this main road.

There were also drainage channels on both sides of the road, which Raven had ordered dug. Stone slabs with openwork patterns covered them, ensuring that the workshop, already situated on relatively high ground, would never suffer from flooding.

At that moment, Raven and Denise had already arrived at the warehouse.

Since the warehouse had only recently been completed, its air was not yet particularly stale. Sunlight streamed through the windows covered with mesh screens and fell upon Denise.

Today, she had changed into a men's formal suit suited for movement. Her black hair was tied into a neat ponytail hanging behind her, and her feet were clad in a pair of small brown calfskin shoes.

Though the outfit was somewhat gender-neutral, it gave her an extremely seductive air. If Angie had not been standing nearby, Raven's hand would probably have touched her long ago. In fact, it was not as though he had never tried—only to be defeated by Denise's sharp glare.

Crack.

Denise's cowhide-gloved hand deftly pried open a crate. She pushed aside the straw and held a glass bottle out to Raven. "Take a look. What do you think?"

Raven took the bottle, and his eyes lit up.

The glass bottle before him had inherited the shape of a porcelain vase. It had a narrow mouth and a rounded body, while the lower half tapered inward naturally, like a square skirt. Narrow at the top and broad at the bottom, it was attractive while also exceptionally stable.

While playing with the bottle, Raven said with a smile, "Whatever you think, I think."

Denise raised an eyebrow. "Then I suppose I can have the manufacturer begin mass production."

"Oh? Aren't you afraid I've misunderstood what you mean?" Raven asked.

"Hmph. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking." A knowing smile curved Denise's lips. "If I disliked this bottle, I wouldn't have asked you to come. I would've returned it immediately. So I must be satisfied, which means you're satisfied too, right?"

Raven chuckled and nodded. "You're becoming more and more like a merchant, Denise."

"I was a good merchant to begin with." Denise snorted. She walked to another crate and dragged out a long sheet of parchment. "These are the label samples. They only arrived last night, so I haven't seen them either."

As she spoke, she removed her gloves and handed them to Angie. Then she rubbed her fingers over the parchment and examined it carefully.

Although this sheet of parchment contained only one kind of label, there were ten copies of it. They looked like khatas and had to be cut apart by hand. Even as Denise held them, half of them drooped back into the crate.

In this era without patent protection, even sample goods had to leave merchants room for profit.

Raven leaned over and reached out to retrieve the other half. As his fingers shifted slightly, they touched Denise's smooth, tender hand, which was slightly damp with sweat.

Her fingers shrank back, and she cast him a sidelong glance. "You should be looking at the label, not me."

"You're much prettier than the label." Seeing the faint flush on Denise's cheeks, Raven smiled. Then he lowered his head and began looking seriously.

Embroidered on the label was a four-winged angel hovering in the air with its wings spread wide. The entire figure was golden, with handsome features impossible to distinguish as male or female and a calm, devout expression. A blue tear flowed from the corner of its eye into its reverently cupped hands, where it formed the words "Angel's Tear."

"Tsk." Raven frowned and raised his head. He exchanged a glance with Denise, and the two nodded at the same time.

In tacit agreement, they tossed the sample back and took out another label.

The artistic style of this label was completely different from the previous one. It depicted an eagle soaring with its wings spread wide.

One had to admit that the factory's artist had some skill. Every feather on the eagle was rendered in exquisite detail, and its eyes held a fierce, murderous glint, making it seem as though it were staring straight at the viewer.

Its sharp talons clutched a wine bottle, on which the words "Angel's Tear" were written.

Raven's brows furrowed even more deeply.

"Ah..." Denise rubbed her temples and sighed. "It seems I was being wishful. Neither of these labels can be used. I'll contact the manufacturer and have them make another style."

Raven rubbed his chin and remained silent, apparently deep in thought.

"Madam, aren't both of these labels very good?" Seeing her mistress troubled, Angie asked cautiously, "Why are neither you nor Lord Baron satisfied?"

Denise happened to want to vent her frustration. At that, she said, "Where do you think these two labels are good? Explain it specifically."

"Hmm..." Angie thought for a moment, then stepped forward and picked up the label embroidered with the eagle. "This one is excellent. The eagle looks imposing and lifelike, and it displays the character of the Griffith Family very well."

Denise shook her head. "But this is Angel's Tear, not a promotional poster for the Griffith Family. The Griffith Family isn't opening a theater troupe for public performances."

"I misunderstood." Angie hurriedly lowered her head to admit her mistake, then picked up the other label. "But since this is packaging for Angel's Tear, isn't the angel portrait on it perfectly fitting?"

"It's too gaudy." Raven, who had been deep in thought, finally spoke. "For Angel's Tear to become a true luxury, a high-end red wine that only nobles and great merchants could afford, this design won't do."

"The colors are too bright. At a glance, they seem vulgar. Besides, although this angel's appearance isn't expressly forbidden by the Holy See, it doesn't match the description in the holy scriptures. If someone with ill intent seized on that point, it would become a troublesome matter."

Angie had not expected such a small label to involve so many considerations. She secretly stuck out her tongue, put down the label, and withdrew.

"It seems the new packaging for Angel's Tear will have to be delayed for a while." Denise said regretfully, "I'll order a few more styles and try again."

"No need," Raven said. "I have an idea now. It might work."

Denise's brows drew together. She wore an expression that seemed to want to laugh but did not quite dare. "Raven, I think everyone should do what they're good at."

Angie lowered her head to hide her laughter.

Raven's old face flushed.

The education he had received in this life had been limited. Although he could read, his writing was truly terrible, and whatever he wrote looked like a spider crawling in crooked, twisted lines.

As for his previous life, that went without saying. He had spent every day with a keyboard and phone, often going an entire year without touching a pen more than a few times.

"Ahem!" Raven cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness. "I don't intend to write it myself. How about this? I'll tell you what to do, and you draw it."

Denise replied indifferently, "Sure. Now that you've said that, I really want to see what brilliant idea Lord Baron has come up with."

As a competent maid, Angie carried an ink sac and a goose-feather quill with her. She respectfully arranged them on a nearby crate.

Denise took a blank sheet of parchment and picked up the pen, stretching her wrist. "Go on. How do you want the design done?"

"In the very center, a feather from an angel," Raven said.

Rustling sounds arose as Denise lightly moved her fair wrist. Before long, a feather appeared on the paper. Its lines were clear and simple, yet they captured the image perfectly.

Raven was pleasantly surprised. "Wow, that's really well drawn."

"Hmph. Of course it is." Denise spoke with confidence. "Go on. What else?"

She, too, came from a poor family in Monen City. Although her family had not been as utterly impoverished as the residents of Eagle Town, life had still been quite difficult. From a young age, she had been responsible for many household chores, including sewing and mending.

When she grew older, she began embroidering clothes and accessories herself and selling them. They had been well received, and she possessed some talent for art.

"In that case, I'll raise the difficulty." Raven said half-jokingly.

Denise seemed to have been roused by the desire to compete. "Go ahead and make your requests."

"Then don't blame me for showing no mercy." Raven leaned closer and whispered beside her ear, "Have you seen dewdrops on leaves in the early morning? Add one to the tip of the feather. That will be the angel's tear. Ideally, it should look as though it's swaying in the wind."

She had been somewhat displeased that Raven had suddenly tried to take advantage of her, but upon hearing those words, Denise's eyes immediately lit up.

She turned the parchment over and began drawing after thinking for a moment.

Raven breathed in her fragrance. One hand braced the crate to hold it steady and keep her strokes from wavering, while his gaze fell on her exquisite face.

People said that a serious man was at his most handsome, but a serious woman was just as captivating.

The entire scene fell into Angie's eyes. She told herself she should not look, yet her gaze still drifted over involuntarily.

In the dim warehouse, bright sunlight spilled across their faces and illuminated the crate serving as a temporary table.

Denise concentrated on drawing the design, completely immersed in her own world. Her brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed, while the corners of her lips sometimes curved upward and sometimes pressed together. At times, she would stop and think for a moment. She radiated a vivid, lively beauty.

Raven stood beside her, very close, yet he did not disturb her. His right hand supported the crate like a gentleman, with his knee also braced against it. His left arm reached around Denise's shoulder and formed a small canopy before her forehead, blocking the sunlight stabbing into her eyes.

The posture clearly was not comfortable, but the honored baron did not move an inch. His eyes flowed with admiration and delight.

The scene was extraordinarily harmonious. If Angie had not known their identities, she would almost have assumed that the two were a perfectly attuned...

Couple.

Startled by her own thought, Angie wanted to lower her head, yet she could not bear to look away. At that moment, her heart was filled with envy for Denise.

If only I could have a man like that too.

"Ah..." Denise let out a relaxed sigh. She raised her head and rubbed her neck, then noticed Raven's hand. A trace of astonishment flashed through her eyes.

"Thanks for the effort." Raven's arm naturally lowered and rested on her shoulder. "If I'd known your drawing was this good, why would we have looked elsewhere for label designs?"

Denise slapped the offending paw away without changing her expression. "You think it's good?"

"It's excellent." Raven nodded repeatedly. "Even better than I imagined."

On the parchment, the feather appeared to have been lifted by a strong wind, possessing the texture of fluttering in the breeze. A round tear, as smooth as a pearl, adorned its tip, giving the impression that it might slide off at any moment if one was not careful.

"How is it? Are you tired? Want to rest for a while?" Raven asked.

"Tsk. Do you think I'm a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse?" Denise's moist eyes glanced toward Raven. "Go on. What else do you want?"

"There's also the lettering." Raven said, "Beneath the feather, write 'Angel's Tear' in Spencerian script. Make the letters larger. The whole phrase should preferably be as wide as the feather, with the first and last letters bolded and enlarged."

Denise nodded and lowered her head to work. Before long, she had finished the design.

"Hmm... Make the first letter a little larger. The last letter can be smaller, but let the tail of the r trail upward," Raven said.

Denise thought briefly and painted over it again.

"That should be about right." Raven continued, "In the lower-right corner, write 'Everything is empty, everything is allowed' in a calligraphic style. The letters should be small, but still clear."

And so, one spoke while the other revised, with Denise occasionally offering suggestions of her own.

Time passed from morning into noon. The air grew increasingly hot and stuffy, yet the two became more and more excited, showing no sign of fatigue.

Angie did not dare approach. In the stifling air, she grew somewhat drowsy.

"Done!" Raven's voice jolted Angie awake. "This is the one. Someone come here!"

The warehouse door opened, and Volkov strode in. "Lord Baron!"

Without turning his head, Raven said, "Go to Eagle Town immediately and find me an embroiderer. I don't care about her age or appearance—the only requirement is that she have the best skills. Take a carriage. Quickly!"

"Yes!" Volkov accepted the order and left.

Denise, the designer, still seemed somewhat hesitant. "I... I think there are still things that could be improved. Are we really settling on this?"

"Trust me. You won't go wrong." Raven looked at the newly drawn parchment before him. "This is only how it looks on paper. Once it's embroidered on silk, it will definitely look completely different."

"Silk?" Only then did Denise understand why Raven had asked for an embroiderer. "You plan to use silk to package Angel's Tear? That's far too extravagant..."

"That is precisely the point." Raven nodded. "Whether parchment or leather paper, they're both too rough and lack texture. A design like ours can only be brought out properly on silk."

Actually, what Raven preferred most was the modern style from his previous life—a trademark printed directly onto the bottle.

Unfortunately, he did not possess the technology. He knew the result but not the process behind it.

Half an hour later, hurried footsteps sounded. Volkov swept in like the wind and bowed. "My lord, I've brought her."

Then he turned around and shouted, "Hurry up. Stop dawdling!"

A middle-aged woman in coarse clothes covered with patches and a pair of worn-out cloth shoes walked in with her head lowered. She did not even dare look at Raven. Kneeling on the ground, she said, "Greetings, Lord Baron!"

A satisfied look appeared in Raven's eyes. He had noticed that the patch on the woman's elbow was embroidered with a chrysanthemum, and the stitching was so lifelike that it was astonishing.

"Raise your head," Raven said.

The woman lifted her head, revealing a weathered face covered in wrinkles. She looked at least fifty years old.

Raven asked kindly, "What's your name?"

"Joya, my lord." The woman avoided his gaze.

"Can you embroider this design?" Raven handed the parchment to Angie, who passed it on.

Joya looked at it and said, "Yes."

"Good. Then remember what I'm about to say." Raven said, "Embroider it on silk. Use white silk as the base. Outline the feather in gold thread, and make the tear light blue. The words in the center should be gold, while the lower-right corner should fade from red to black. Use only silk thread. Can you do it?"

"Silk?" Joya's eyes filled with undisguised fear. "My lord... I've never embroidered anything with silk in my life. If I ruin it, I—I can't afford to compensate you."

"You won't have to compensate me." Raven said, "I only want the finished product. Even if you fail, it won't be your responsibility."

"On the contrary, if you do it well, I'll reward you with ten Copper Coins."

At those words, longing flashed through Joya's eyes. "Then... my lord, I'm willing to try!"

Volkov took her, along with the embroidery tools, materials, and paper design, into the workroom nearby.

"You're tired too." Raven asked gently, "We don't know how long it will take for the sample to be finished. Would you like to return to the castle and rest first?"

"No need." Denise shook her head. "I drew it myself, after all. I want to see the finished product as soon as possible and find out how good it is."

Hearing this, Raven did not press her. He merely took her for a walk around the factory to help her relax.

By the time they returned to the warehouse, an hour had passed.

A while later, Volkov returned with the others. "It's finished, my lord."

He turned back and said, "Hurry up and present it!"

Joya walked forward with her head lowered, holding a small strip of silk in both hands.

At Denise's signal, Angie took the silk and unfolded it before the two of them.

Denise's eyes lit up at once.

While drawing it, she had not felt particularly moved. But once it had been transformed into silk and presented before her, the feeling was completely different.

The feather in the very center was gold, while the tear was a pale blue. Set against the soft texture of the silk, it seemed to be flying through the air. The central "Angel's Tear" lettering was grand, elegant, and beautiful.

The dark-red "Everything is empty" in the lower-right corner drew the eye, while the "Everything is allowed" beneath it gradually faded into black.

Everything is empty, everything is allowed.

The gradient colors left limitless room for the imagination.

"Simple yet far from simple. It's truly elegant." Denise could not help saying, "Raven, sometimes I really think you're a genius. How did you come up with this design?"

Raven shook his head and chuckled. "Secret."

It was not that he possessed any talent for design. Rather, he had been exposed to countless exquisite designs through the advanced standards of modern society. Raven had simply selected several classic designs and blended them together.

In his previous life, such a logo would have been worthless. But here, it was an unprecedented treasure.

"Give her the reward." Raven said.

He had not brought a maid of his own, but Angie was perceptive. She immediately stepped forward and paid her.

Holding the ten Copper Coins in both hands, Joya was overcome with gratitude. "Lord Baron, you're truly generous!"

This was the first time she had ever received such a large sum of money.

Raven smiled and said, "From now on, your job is to embroider this design here. For every piece you finish, I'll pay you one Copper Coin. You must complete at least eight pieces a day. The condition is that you live in the workshop from now on and may return home for only one day at the end of each month. What do you say? Are you willing?"

One Copper Coin per embroidered piece and one day off per month. In his previous life, Raven would certainly have been spat in the face for offering such terms.

But to Joya, this was a fortune dropped from the heavens. She nodded repeatedly. "I am! I am willing, my lord!"

"I have one small request as well. I wonder if, my lord, you..."

"Impudent!" Volkov rebuked her. "Who do you think you are, daring to make demands of my lord?"

Joya lowered her head like a startled duck. "S-sorry..."

"Don't be nervous." Raven ignored Volkov, who was laying it on a little too thick, and said with a smile, "Whatever you need, just ask. As long as it's reasonable."

"Well..." Joya said carefully. "I know a few sisters who are good at embroidery, too. They could do it as well. My lord, could you let them come, too...?"

"Certainly." Raven had already planned to recruit more female workers. "You can choose the people. For now, including you, I want ten embroiderers. Remember, I only want those with good skills. For every ten pieces each of them embroiders, I'll give you a copper coin as a bonus."

Joya's voice was filled with gratitude. "Lord Baron, I'll remember your kindness and generosity forever!"

Volkov soon took his people away to select candidates, while Raven and Denise walked along the castle paths.

The latter was somewhat tired physically, but still rather exhilarated. "That arrangement at the end was excellent. If you were willing to go into business, you might even be able to make a name for yourself in Monen City."

She knew perfectly well that Raven seemed to be paying Joya unnecessary extra money, but that incentive was remarkably effective.

With this reward in place, the people recruited would not only be Raven's embroiderers but also Joya's source of income. It would not only guarantee the embroiderers' quality as much as possible, but also motivate Joya to ensure the quality and speed of the embroidery.

It was like spending a little money to find a qualified quality-control inspector and supervisor.

After returning to the castle, Denise could no longer withstand her fatigue and went back to her room to rest first.

Raven's work, however, had only just begun.

"Lord Baron."

In the meeting room, Old Gordon adjusted his monocle and reported, "According to the news we just received, the relocated residents set out ten days ago. They should arrive within the next half month at the latest—that is, by September 28."

"That was fast." Raven sighed as he moved his somewhat stiff ankle. "Today is...?"

"September 13, my lord," Old Gordon replied at once.

Raven rubbed his chin. "Hmm. By now, the rainy season in the Bloody Highlands should be over, right?"

Not understanding why Raven was asking, Old Gordon replied, "Yes, my lord."

"The time has finally come." A slightly feverish glint burst into Raven's eyes as his fingers tapped against the tabletop.

"Give the order at once. Have Simon brought to me!"