Simplicity, Yet Not 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 doesn't have "ribbon-cutting ceremonies" yet, saving Raven from a long and boring experience.

If he had to stand under the scorching sun, his face glistening with oil, and spout unbelievable pleasantries, how could he possibly be in the mood to appreciate his achievements like this?

It was a square building with sides of 56 meters. The four surrounding walls were 5 meters high and 3 meters wide, with four 3-meter-high watchtowers at the corners. From there, one could overlook the entire workshop and its surroundings, ensuring no blind spots.

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

The moat connected to the interior of the workshop, not only preventing fires but also supplying water for daily use within.

Inside the workshop, on the west side, were three rows of stone workshops, each 36 meters long, 12 meters wide, and 4 meters high. Each row was divided equally into three rooms.

In the northeast corner stood a warehouse, 20 meters long north-south, 8 meters wide east-west, and 5 meters high.

In the southwest corner was a two-story building constructed back-to-back, 25 meters long north-south and 8 meters wide east-west. Excluding the first floor, which served as a canteen and kitchen, and a manager's office on the second floor, there were 15 dormitory rooms, each approximately 15 square meters. These could accommodate a total of 75 people, or 150 if bunk beds were used.

To prevent fires, there was at least a 3-meter gap between each building. The main road between the workshops, warehouse, and dormitories was a generous 5 meters wide, enough for two carriages to pass each other.

The workshop's two large gates were located on the north and south sides of this main road.

Along both sides of the road were drainage ditches that Raven had insisted on digging, covered with stone slabs featuring hollowed-out horizontal patterns. This ensured that the workshop, already situated on higher ground, had no issues with standing water.

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

Since it had only recently been completed, the air in the warehouse wasn't stale. Sunlight streamed in through the windows covered with gauze netting, falling upon Denise.

She had changed into a pair of men's formal attire today, suitable for movement. Her black hair was tied back into a neat ponytail, and she wore a pair of small, brown calfskin shoes.

Despite her somewhat androgynous outfit, she exuded an incredibly sexy aura. If Angie weren't standing beside her, Raven's hand would have likely reached out long ago—in fact, he had tried before, only to be repelled by Denise's sharp gaze.

With a click.

Denise, wearing leather gloves, skillfully pried open a crate. She pushed aside the straw and presented a glass bottle to Raven, saying, "Take a look, what do you think?"

Taking the bottle, Raven's eyes lit up.

The glass bottle before him perfectly inherited the shape of porcelain vases, with a narrow mouth and a rounded body. The lower half tapered naturally, resembling a square skirt hem, narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. Its design was not only aesthetically pleasing but also offered excellent stability.

Fiddling with the bottle, Raven smiled and said, "Whatever you're thinking, I'm thinking the same."

Denise raised an eyebrow. "Then it seems I can have the manufacturer start mass production."

"Oh? Aren't you afraid I might guess your thoughts incorrectly?" Raven asked.

"Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're thinking," Denise said, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "If I didn't like this bottle, I wouldn't have called you over; I would have returned it immediately. So, I'm definitely satisfied, which means you are too, right?"

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

"I've always been a good businesswoman," Denise scoffed. She walked over to another crate and pulled out a long piece of parchment. "This is the sample for the labels. It only arrived last night, and I haven't looked at it yet."

Saying this, she took off her gloves and handed them to Angie. She then rubbed the parchment with her fingers, examining it closely.

Although the parchment only had one type of label, it contained ten copies. They were shaped like hada (Tibetan ceremonial scarves) and needed to be cut individually. Half of the parchment, held by Denise, dangled back into the box.

In this era without patent protection, even samples had to be profitable for merchants.

Raven leaned closer and reached out, retrieving the other half. His fingers moved slightly, brushing against Denise's smooth, soft hand, which was slightly damp from sweat.

The latter pulled her hand back and glanced at him. "You should be looking at the label, not at me."

"You're much better looking than the label," Raven said, a smile tugging at his lips as he saw Denise's cheeks flush slightly. He then lowered his head and began to examine it seriously.

The label was embroidered with a four-winged angel standing in mid-air, wings spread wide. The angel was depicted in gold, with a handsome, androgynous face, a serene expression of piety, and a blue tear flowing from the corner of its eye, cascading into cupped hands below. The words "Angel's Tear" were woven into the design.

"Tsk," Raven frowned and looked up, meeting Denise's gaze. They nodded simultaneously.

In unspoken agreement, they tossed the sample back and took out another one.

This label featured a completely different art style, depicting a soaring eagle.

It had to be said, the factory's artist had some skill. The eagle's feathers were rendered with meticulous detail, and its eyes held a sharp, predatory glint, giving the impression that it was staring directly at them.

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

Raven's frown deepened.

"Sigh..." Denise rubbed her temples and sighed. "It seems my efforts were in vain. Neither of these labels will do. I'll have to contact the manufacturer and request a different style."

Raven rubbed his chin, remaining silent, seemingly deep in thought.

"Madam, aren't both of these labels very good?" Angie asked cautiously, seeing her mistress lost in thought. "Why are you and Baron not satisfied?"

Denise, wanting to vent some of her frustration, replied, "Tell me, what do you think is good about these two labels?"

"Um..." Angie thought for a moment and stepped forward, picking up the label embroidered with the eagle. "This one is excellent. The eagle looks very majestic and lifelike, perfectly showcasing the style of the Griffith Family."

Denise shook her head. "But this is 'Angel's Tear,' not a promotional poster for the Griffith Family. The Griffith Family isn't a performing troupe that needs to put on a show."

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

"It's too gaudy," Raven finally spoke, having been in deep thought. "Angel's Tear needs to become a true luxury item, a high-end red wine that only nobles and wealthy merchants can afford.

"The color scheme of this picture is too vibrant, making it look cheap at first glance. On the other hand, an angelic image that doesn't conform to the descriptions in the holy scriptures, while not explicitly forbidden by the church, could still cause trouble if someone with ill intentions decides to make an issue of it."

Angie hadn't expected so much consideration to go into a small label. She stuck out her tongue slightly, put down the label, and stepped back.

"It seems the new packaging for Angel's Tear will be delayed for some time," Denise said regretfully. "I'll have to order a few more designs to try out."

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

Denise frowned, her expression one of trying to smile but not quite daring to, and said, "Raven, I think everyone should do what they're good at."

Angie lowered her head, suppressing a smile.

Raven's old face flushed.

His education in this life was very limited. Although he could read, his writing skills were truly pathetic; what he wrote looked like a spider crawling, all crooked and uneven.

Not to mention his previous life, where he was constantly accompanied by keyboards and phones, often not even touching a pen a few times a year.

"Ahem!" Clearing his throat to ease the awkwardness, Raven said, "I'm not going to write it myself. How about this: I'll describe it, and you draw it, what do you say?"

Denise replied nonchalantly, "Sure, now that you mention it, I'm curious to see what brilliant ideas Baron Raven has."

As a proper maid, Angie carried an ink sac and a quill, respectfully placing them on a nearby box.

Picking up a blank piece of parchment, Denise took the quill, stretched her wrist, and said, "Speak, how do you want to design it?"

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

A rustling sound followed. Denise lightly swung her slender wrist, and before long, a feather appeared on the paper. The lines were clear and simple, yet they depicted the image very well.

This surprised Raven a little. "Wow, that's really well done."

"Hmph, of course," Denise said confidently. "Go on, what else do you need?"

She also came from a poor family in Monen City. Although not as utterly destitute as the villagers of Eagle Town, her life was quite difficult. From a young age, she had to shoulder many household chores, including mending clothes.

Later, as she grew older, she began to embroider clothes and accessories herself to sell, which were quite well-received. She did possess some talent in art.

"Since that's the case, I'm going to increase the difficulty," Raven said, half-jokingly.

Denise seemed to be spurred on by a competitive spirit. "Make your requests."

"Then don't blame me for not holding back," Raven leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Have you seen the dew on the leaves in the early morning? Add one at the tip of the feather, that's an angel's tear. It would be best to give it a feeling of swaying in the wind."

Although she was slightly displeased with Raven's sudden move to get close, Denise's eyes lit up upon hearing his words.

She flipped the parchment over, conceived for a moment, and then began to draw.

Raven inhaled her subtle fragrance, propping up the box with one hand to help steady it, preventing her strokes from going astray. His gaze fell upon her delicate face.

They say a man is most handsome when he's serious, and a woman is equally charming when she's focused.

This scene was all caught by Angie. She told herself not to look, but her eyes involuntarily drifted over.

In the dim warehouse, bright sunlight streamed onto both their faces, illuminating the planked crate that served as a temporary table.

Denise was engrossed in drawing the pattern, completely immersed in her own world. Her brows furrowed and relaxed intermittently, her lips curved and pressed together at times. Occasionally, she would pause to ponder, exuding a vivid and lively aesthetic.

Raven stood beside her, very close, but without disturbing Denise. His right arm was extended gentlemanly to support the crate, his knee also resting against it. His left arm was draped over Denise's shoulder, forming a small canopy above her forehead to shield her eyes from the direct sunlight.

The posture was clearly uncomfortable, but the noble Baron remained motionless, his eyes filled with a gentle, appreciative, and joyful emotion.

The scene was incredibly harmonious. If Angie hadn't known their identities, she would have almost mistaken these two for a perfectly matched...

Couple.

Startled by her own thought, Angie wanted to lower her head but couldn't bear to look away. At this moment, her heart was filled with envy for Denise.

If only I could have a man like that.

"Ah..." Denise let out a soft sigh. She raised her head, rubbing her neck, and then noticed Raven's hand. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"You've worked hard," Raven's arm naturally lowered to rest on her shoulder. "If I had known your drawing skills were this good, why would we have looked for someone else to design the labels?"

Denise calmly patted his hand away. "You think it's very good?"

"Extremely good," Raven nodded repeatedly. "Even much better than I imagined."

On the parchment, the feather was depicted as if being blown by a strong wind, even possessing a texture of fluttering in the breeze. The round, pearl-like tear was placed at the tip of the feather, giving the impression that it would slip off if one wasn't careful.

"How is it, are you tired? Do you want to rest?" Raven asked.

"Tch, do you think I'm a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse?" Denise glanced at Raven with her moist eyes. "Go on, what else do you need?"

"Next, the text," Raven said. "Below the feather, in Spencerian script, 'Angel's Tear'. Make the font larger, the entire phrase should ideally be as wide as the feather, with the first and last letters emphasized and enlarged."

Denise nodded and lowered her head to work. Before long, the design was completed.

"Hmm... make the first letter a bit bigger. The last letter can be smaller, but the tail of the 'r' should float up," Raven instructed.

Denise thought for a moment and began to draw again.

"Now it's almost right," Raven continued. "In the bottom right corner, 'Nothing is true, everything is permitted', in italics. The text should be small, but legible."

And so, the two of them worked, one speaking, the other revising, with Denise occasionally offering suggestions.

Time passed from morning until noon. The air grew hotter and more humid, but the expressions of the two became increasingly exhilarated, showing no signs of fatigue.

Angie dared not approach, feeling drowsy in the stuffy air.

"Done!" Raven's voice startled Angie awake. "This is the final version! Someone!"

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

Raven said without looking back, "Go to Eagle Town immediately and find me a seamstress. Regardless of age or appearance, the one with the best skills. Take a carriage, hurry!"

"Yes!" Volkov accepted the order and left.

Denise, as the artist, still hesitated. "This... I feel there's still room for improvement. Are we really going to finalize it like this?"

"Just listen to me, you won't be wrong." Raven looked at the newly drawn parchment before him. "This is just the effect on paper. Once it's on silk, it will definitely be completely different."

"Silk?" Denise only now understood why Raven had called for the embroiderer. "You plan to use silk to package the Angel's Tear? That's too extravagant..."

"That's exactly the extravagance we want." Raven nodded. "Whether it's parchment or kraft paper, they're too rough, the texture is too poor. For our design, only silk can truly express it."

In fact, Raven's favorite was the modern, direct-to-bottle printing from his previous life.

Alas, he lacked the technology; he knew what to do but not how to do it!

Half an hour passed, and hurried footsteps sounded. Volkov strode in like the wind and saluted, "My lord, I've brought the person."

He then turned and roared, "Hurry up, don't dawdle!"

A middle-aged woman, dressed in rough cloth full of patches and wearing tattered cloth shoes, walked in with her head bowed. She didn't dare to look at Raven and knelt, saying, "Greetings, Baron!"

Raven's eyes showed satisfaction because he saw that on the patch at the woman's elbow, the stitches had outlined a chrysanthemum, which was remarkably lifelike.

"Look up," Raven said.

The woman raised her head, revealing a weathered and wrinkled face that looked at least fifty years old.

Raven asked kindly, "What is your name?"

"Joya, my lord." The woman's eyes darted away.

"Can you embroider this pattern?" Raven handed the parchment to Angie, who then passed it over.

Joya took a look and said, "Yes, I can."

"Very good. Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to say." Raven continued, "Use silk to embroider. The base should be white silk, the feather in the middle should be embroidered with gold thread, the tear with light blue, the text in the center with gold, and the bottom right corner should transition from red to black. Can you do it using only silk thread?"

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

"You don't need to compensate me," Raven said. "I only need the finished product. Even if it's not embroidered well, it's not your fault."

"On the contrary, if you can embroider it well, I'll reward you with 10 copper coins."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of desire flashed in Joya's eyes. "Then... my lord, I'm willing to try!"

Volkov escorted the woman, along with the embroidery tools, materials, and pattern, into the nearby workroom.

"You must be tired too," Raven asked gently. "We don't know how long it will take for the sample to be ready. Would you like to go back to the castle to rest?"

"No need." Denise shook her head. "After all, I drew it myself. I also want to see the quality of the finished product as soon as possible."

Hearing her say that, Raven didn't insist further. He simply 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 little while later, Volkov returned with people. "It's done, my lord."

He turned and said, "Why aren't you presenting it quickly?"

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

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

Denise's eyes lit up immediately.

When she was drawing it, she hadn't felt it so deeply, but when it was turned into silk and presented before her eyes, the feeling was completely different.

The feather in the center was golden, the tear was a faint blue, and under the soft texture of the silk, it seemed to be dancing in the air. The "Angel's Tear" text in the center was grand, elegant, and beautiful.

The deep red "Everything is empty" at the bottom right caught the eye, and the downward "Everything is allowed" gradually transitioned to black.

All is vanity, all is permitted.

The gradient colors inspired endless imagination.

"Simple yet not simple, this is truly elegant," Denise couldn't help but exclaim. "Raven, sometimes I truly think you're a genius. How did you come up with this design?"

Raven chuckled and shook his head. "That's a secret."

It wasn't that he had any design talent, but rather, after being baptized by the high standards of modern society's design, he had seen too many truly exquisite designs. Raven had merely picked out a few classic design concepts and combined them.

In his previous life, this kind of logo would be worthless, but here, it was a groundbreaking treasure.

"Reward her," Raven said.

He hadn't brought any maids with him, but Angie was perceptive and immediately went to pay.

Holding 10 copper coins, Joya was overwhelmed with gratitude. "Baron, you are truly too generous!"

This was the largest income she had ever received.

Raven smiled. "From now on, your job is to embroider this pattern here. For each piece you finish, I'll give you 1 copper coin. You must complete at least 8 pieces a day. However, the condition is that you will have to live in the workshop from now on, only being allowed to go home for one day at the end of each month. How about it, are you willing?"

1 copper coin per embroidery, 1 day of leave per month. If this were his previous life, Raven would have been spat on.

But in Joya's eyes, this was simply a windfall from heaven. She nodded repeatedly. "I'm willing, my lord! I'm willing!"

"I have one small request, I wonder if you..."

"How dare you!" Volkov reprimanded. "What kind of person do you think you are to dare make demands of my lord?"

Joya lowered her head like a startled duck, "I-I'm sorry..."

"No need to be nervous," Raven said with a smile, ignoring Volkov who was trying too hard to butter him up. "Just tell me your request, as long as it's reasonable."

"It's like this..." Joya said cautiously, "I also know a few sisters who are very good at embroidery, and they can do it too. Sir, could you let them come as well..."

"Certainly." Raven had already planned to hire more female workers. "Then you can choose the people. For now, including you, I need 10 embroiderers. Remember, I only want those with good skills. For every 10 pieces they complete, I'll give you a reward of 1 copper coin."

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

Volkov quickly took his people and left to select the workers. Raven and Denise walked along a small path in the castle.

The latter was a bit tired, but her spirit was still quite excited. "Your arrangements at the end were very good. If you were to go into business, you might carve out a niche in Monen City."

She knew very well that while Raven seemed to be giving Joya unnecessary money, this incentive was quite effective.

With this reward, the people hired wouldn't just be Raven's embroiderers, but also Joya's source of income. This would not only guarantee the quality of the embroiderers to the greatest extent but also motivate Joya to ensure the quality and speed of the embroidery.

It was equivalent to finding a qualified quality controller and supervisor with a little bit of money.

Back at the castle, Denise, unable to bear her fatigue, went back to her room to rest.

Raven's work, however, had just begun.

"Lord Baron."

In the conference room, old Gordon adjusted his monocle and reported, "According to the news we just received, the assigned residents set off 10 days ago. They should arrive within half a month at the latest, which is September 28th."

"That's fast," Raven sighed, stretching his stiff ankles. "Today is...?"

"September 13th, my lord," old Gordon replied immediately.

Raven stroked his chin. "Hmm, by this time, the rainy season in the Bloody Highlands should be over, right?"

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

"It's finally time," a slightly fanatical glint flashed in Raven's eyes. He tapped his fingers on the table:

"Give the order immediately, summon Simon to me!"