"Rem, how many mana crystals are left in the warehouse? Do you need more?"
Rem, ever the picture of calm efficiency, walked over to Lucia's cluttered desk, sorted through a stack of papers, and then handed me a report.
"There are 2.5 million mana crystals left, Master. That should last us for about a month."
I nodded. "Alright. I'll send over another 1.75 million later. Make do with what you have for now."
In my mind, though, a decision had already solidified: mass-produce dragon hearts and phoenix blood. Efficiency is key, after all.
Just as I was about to leave, I noticed Rem looking... troubled.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, that statue of Lady Lucia you tasked me with building without her knowledge..."
I froze. Oh no...
"Don't tell me—"
"Yes, Master," Rem interrupted, fidgeting. "It's... in the Dragon Temple."
Oh, for the love of— "Alright, let's take a deep breath," I said, trying to calm both myself and her. "When she gets back, we know nothing. Got it?"
Rem gave me a look—a mix of pity and exasperation, as though she were humoring a particularly foolish child.
"But Master," she said, "the dwarves constructing it—oh!" Her face brightened. "The head isn't made yet! It's barely halfway finished. There's nothing recognizable yet."
Relief washed over me. "Ah, good. No need to panic, then."
---
I paused for a moment in the hallway, checking my reserves. Dragon hearts: 78. Phoenix blood: 6.
My hoard was dwindling fast. I resisted the urge to curse Yin Xie and her extortionate demands. "Efficiency, Ace," I muttered to myself. "Focus on efficiency."
---
Not long after, Kirin called me—more accurately, she yelled at me, her voice hitting my ear drums hard.
"Hey, Ace! What on earth are you doing?!"
I sighed, already regretting picking up. "What now?"
"You posted 8.6 million mana potions for sale at 20 gold a piece! How is your tiny city producing this much?!"
"Well, we halted production for a bit..." I tried to sound sheepish, but in truth, I wanted to mention that we'd already begun mass-producing upgraded potions, which were quietly accumulating in the warehouse.
"Seriously," she continued, her tone a mix of disbelief and frustration.
After a lengthy lecture, she finally calmed down, her expression softening. Was she going to say something sweet like calling me father? I leaned closer to the communicator.
"Thanks for the dragon hearts and phoenix blood, Ace," she said instead, a shy smile crossing her face. "Let me know if you need any help."
Not what I wanted to hear, but okay. I forced a grin. "Sure, Kirin. I'll hit you up when I do."
The moment I ended the call, Yin Xie appeared behind me like a ghost.
"Father-daughter role-playing done?" she asked, her tone utterly devoid of tact.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. "OMG, does this dragon not know anything about privacy?!" I muttered under my breath.
"What about Lucia?" I asked, attempting to divert her attention. "What did you do to her?"
"She's now a half-blood phoenix," Yin Xie replied casually. "A noble bloodline. If you have more phoenix blood, I can evolve her into a pure phoenix."
I blinked. "That's... how it works?"
"Yes," she said with a shrug. "Phoenix blood is precious because everyone wants immortality. But it also requires compatibility."
I hesitated. "I was about to ask you to do the same for me, but... never mind."
Her gaze lingered on me, making me uncomfortable.
"What is it? What do you want?"
"I've been observing you. Twenty-four seven."
My heart stopped. "What?!"
"I still don't know how you acquire all these things," she continued, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "But I'll get to the bottom of it."
And with that ominous declaration, she vanished.
I stood there, frozen. Forget privacy—what is with this level of surveillance?!
---
Still, Yin Xie's revelation about Lucia being a half-blood phoenix piqued my curiosity. Without wasting a moment, I rushed to Lucia's office. But when I arrived, something was... off.
This wasn't the usual overworked, stressed Lucia. No, this Lucia was eerily cheerful. Too cheerful, even. It was the kind of shift in someone's demeanor that made you wonder if they'd been replaced by an imposter—or worse, possessed by some overly enthusiastic spirit.
I paused at the doorway, staring at her radiant smile. Where's Benny when you need him? I thought, only to realize I hadn't seen him in days.
"Lucia?" I ventured cautiously, stepping into the room.
She turned towards me, her smile widening, and before I could react, she rushed over and hugged me.
"Thank you so much, Master!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with gratitude. "I thought you were joking back then, but instead of just one, you used ten phoenix blood on me! I'm forever grateful!"
I was stunned, to say the least. This wasn't the Lucia I was used to, but... I couldn't deny I liked this version of her. Her joy was contagious.
"Yes, yes," I muttered, patting her back awkwardly. You're my most precious personnel, I screamed internally. Your resignation letters won't work anymore!
But outwardly, I maintained my calm demeanor, letting the hug linger until—
Ahem.
A loud cough broke the moment. I turned to see Rem standing in the doorway, looking unimpressed. Of course, I thought, flashing back to the last time a similar hug was interrupted by the very same cough.
I pulled away reluctantly. "By the way," I asked, trying to change the subject, "have you seen Benny?"
Lucia tilted her head, pressing a finger to her lips in thought. God, why does she look so cute when she does that?
"Oh, yes!" she chirped, snapping her fingers. "He's at the outer area distributing food and... ice cream."
"Ice cream? Why?"
"Well," she began, fidgeting slightly, "he said Master was... uh... too lazy—I mean, efficient. He felt he wasn't needed and decided to make himself useful outside."
"Did you just say lazy?" I narrowed my eyes.
"Wura blah blah!" she quickly added, her words turning into gibberish as she waved her hands. "Efficient! I meant efficient!"
Sigh. "Alright, forget it. As long as he's happy."
I left the room, deciding not to dwell on Benny's newfound role as an ice cream vendor.
---
A week passed, though not peacefully. Yin Xie's self-declared 24/7 surveillance was starting to get under my skin. She would pop her head out of the most random places—closets, behind doors, once even from the ceiling—just to remind me, Yes, I am watching you.
During that time, my dragon heart reserves had risen to a healthy 1,337 units. The phoenix blood reserves, however, were still meager at 72, and the phoenix feathers were stuck at a paltry four. Slot limitations were a cruel mistress, but I wasn't planning to change my setup just yet.
"Yin Xie!" I called, already anticipating her arrival.
True to form, she materialized almost instantly, a smug smile on her face.
I handed her 10 dragon hearts. "Here, take these and please, for the love of all things sacred, stop surveilling me."
"Ten a week?" she asked, cocking her head.
"What, are you sharing them with friends?"
"Dragons need resources too, you know," she replied with a shrug. "There's an auction coming up, and I plan to bring some of these along."
"An auction?" I repeated.
"You should come with me, human. Sweep the legendary goods with your ridiculous wealth!"
Out of nowhere, I found myself shaking my head. "No thanks. One step at a time is my motto."
Yin Xie raised a brow.
Well, technically my motto changes based on convenience, but that's what makes us human, I thought as I walked away.
Behind me, Yin Xie looked deep in thought, her expression uncharacteristically serious. Humans and dragons sure are different, I mused, leaving her to her scheming.