"How's it going? Any progress?"
"There's been some progress. I'm drawing it now, but the materials and expenses may end up costing quite a bit more than expected."
While Lan Qingyou was overseeing a comprehensive development project in her Maple Leaf Territory,
in the basement of a manor outside the Imperial Capital,
Perry Entrecolais, the Old Emperor's illegitimate son, was having a "friendly conversation" with a Mage.
It was called a "friendly conversation"
because the ankles of the Mage, who looked to be in his fifties or sixties, had been shackled to the specially reinforced leg of an equally specially made table.
In other words, apart from the limited space he could move around in this underground Alchemy Workshop,
the Old Mage couldn't go anywhere.
"Budget? If money can solve a problem, then it isn't a problem."
When Perry heard that they were talking about money, he scoffed.
Although he was an illegitimate son,
and held only the lowest-ranking title of Knight,
he actually had plenty of money.
Especially the few princes who, as fellow illegitimate children, would never threaten his position.
They were always sending him gifts.
So money was the one thing he truly didn't lack.
What he lacked
was status...
That's right.
Because he was an illegitimate son, all the nobles looked down on him equally.
Even a lowly Baron could walk all over him.
That was exactly why Perry had chosen to kidnap a Mage and copy the magic array in the imperial palace: he wanted to make himself feel important.
His idea was simple.
If he could summon the Goddess
and receive a title from her,
then he could shed the label of "illegitimate son"
and shine in his own domain.
He'd been having a string of bad luck lately, but at least he'd had