A New Plan
Gold Rose Avenue, the most bustling street in Lucentia.
It was famous as a favorite haunt of the Empire's wealthiest citizens and nobles.
Nestled right in the heart of that glamorous avenue was Celestia, widely considered the most luxurious restaurant in the city.
I headed there, bringing Chloe and William along with me.
The moment we stepped through the entrance, an elegant atmosphere enveloped us.
Crystal chandeliers cast a soft, warm glow over the space, while famous paintings hanging on the walls exuded an air of sophistication.
"Whoa... So this is the famous Celestia."
Chloe marveled in a hushed voice.
William looked around in silence, his eyes wide with wonder.
We were guided to the table I had reserved in advance.
From our table by the window, the nightscape of Lucentia stretched out before us in a single, breathtaking view.
"Go ahead, pick whatever you want."
At my prompting, the two of them cautiously picked up their menus.
I smiled as I watched their expressions instantly freeze.
"Don't worry about the prices. Just order whatever looks good."
Chloe looked at me with startled eyes.
"Edward, are you sure about this? The price of a single dish here is more than my monthly allowance..."
I nodded.
"Of course. Today is a special day."
William asked, curious.
"What makes today so special?"
"It's a celebration of us joining forces to successfully wrap up our project."
At those words, bright smiles spread across both of their faces.
We each ordered the dishes we wanted.
Before long, elegantly plated dishes were served at our table.
"Wow..."
Chloe let out a soft gasp of admiration.
William stared at the food with sparkling eyes.
"Are we really supposed to eat this? It's so beautiful, it almost feels like a waste to ruin it."
The plating, reflecting the chef's meticulous care, was truly a work of art.
The dish placed in front of Chloe was a truffle-infused lobster risotto.
William had chosen the tenderloin steak with foie gras, and I had ordered the chef's special tasting course.
"Alright, let's dig in."
With that, we began our meal.
"Mmm... This is delicious."
Chloe closed her eyes, a blissful expression on her face.
"I've never tasted anything like this. It's incredible."
William also kept voicing his admiration as he savored the food.
Seeing their reactions made me feel happy in turn.
While we enjoyed our dessert after the meal, I pulled out the boxes I had prepared.
"Here, Chloe. This is the premium alchemy toolset you said you wanted the other day."
Chloe's eyes went wide.
"Oh my gosh...! Edward, is this really for me?"
She accepted the box with a look that suggested she thought she was dreaming.
William turned his head toward me.
"What about me...?"
Smiling, I pulled out another box.
"Of course I have one for you too."
A bright smile spread across William's face.
"Thanks, Edward!"
"You guys worked so hard, so consider this your reward."
Both of them looked at me, visibly touched.
I took a brief breath and pulled out two sheets of paper.
"And this is..."
Chloe and William stared at the documents with curious eyes.
"This is the profit from selling the shield we made. I split it four ways, including Lily."
Chloe and William's eyes widened into perfect circles.
They took the papers, checked the numbers, and couldn't hide their sheer shock.
"Wait... How can we accept this?"
Chloe asked, her voice trembling.
William nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. You did almost all the work, including the design."
I smiled and replied.
"You still deserve fair compensation. We wouldn't have gotten these results without your hard work."
A brief silence fell over the table. Then, William asked hesitantly.
"What are you going to do now?"
Chloe hesitated before answering.
"I'm not really sure... Honestly, there isn't much else I need..."
William looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
"Ah, right... Your family was already rich to begin with."
Chloe nodded and turned to William.
"What about you, William?"
William shrugged.
"I don't know, either. Now that I actually have the money, I have no idea what to spend it on."
Chloe's eyes sparkled.
"Come to think of it, Ed, don't you have a ton of money saved up from selling the Kraken series on top of this? What are you going to do with all of it?"
I fell into thought for a moment before speaking.
"Ah... I already have a plan."
Their curious gazes locked onto me.
I glanced around briefly and lowered my voice.
"Actually..."
Chloe cried out in excitement.
"What?! You're going to start a brand?"
William quickly tugged on her arm.
"Chloe... Everyone's going to hear you. Keep it down."
Chloe blushed and apologized.
"S-sorry. I just got so surprised."
I nodded and continued.
"Yeah. I'm going to use this money to set up a workshop equipped with the absolute best facilities. Of course, I'm still a bit short on funds, but I can expand it gradually. And I plan to hire a few top-tier talents."
I paused to think for a moment, then spoke again.
"After trying it out, I realized that mass-producing the same weapons over and over isn't really my style."
Making this shield had taught me something.
The thrill of innovation—developing new technologies and crafting weapons that shattered the boundaries of common sense.
The excitement and sheer ecstasy I felt in those moments.
I realized that to satisfy my endless desire for exploration and creation, I had to keep making new things.
That was how I would change the world.
To achieve that dream, I needed better materials, superior facilities, and greater influence.
And to get those, I had to make money and expand my business.
That was also why I wanted to hire new craftsmen.
Of course, it would be difficult to find people with my level of skill—talents who could effortlessly churn out legendary-grade weapons.
But as long as they had pre-existing recipes, I could hire artisans who were at least capable of producing the Kraken series, and use them to scale up the business.
Once that happened, I could grow the business by distributing those weapons, and use the steadily accumulating resources to develop even newer things.
That way, I would be able to realize my dreams one by one.
As I explained my dreams and plans, my words grew increasingly passionate.
I could see the light in Chloe and William's eyes growing brighter.
Their expressions shifted between surprise and admiration.
William spoke slowly.
"You're already... walking a path on a completely different level from us."
A sense of awe was laced in his voice.
Just then, Chloe suddenly stood up.
"I've made up my mind."
Chloe thrust the document showing the payout back toward me.
Her gaze was firm and resolute.
"You said you were short on funds, right? I want to invest in you. I know you're bound to succeed."
Her voice grew more and more passionate.
"When you achieve that dream...! I want to be right there next to you! I want to become a top-tier artisan like you and be a part of the world you change...!"
At Chloe's words, William also seemed to fall into deep thought.
His eyes wavered for a moment, but he soon nodded as if he had reached a decision.
He pulled out his own document and handed it to me.
"I feel the same way. I want to join in on your plan."
He spoke with a solemn expression, a stark contrast to his usual self.
I was deeply moved by their words.
To be honest, I had secretly worried that getting their hands on this much money at such a young age might lead them astray, but seeing these two made those worries feel completely foolish.
Looking at them, a warm sensation swelled in my chest.
Chloe's eyes shone with passion, and William's face was etched with determination.
I could feel their genuine trust and friendship.
Look at these guys. Pretty admirable.
"Thanks, guys. I'll make sure this investment is worth every copper."
I paused, then added with a playful smirk.
"But you'd better brace yourselves. Becoming a top-tier artisan is going to be way harder than what we've done so far. This is your last chance to run away."
[Re-evaluating the Integrated Mana Conversion Circuit Research]
[Shield Crafted Using Mana Conversion Circuit in Weapon Crafting Department Project Becomes Daily Sensation]
[Sold to 'Mystic Arts' for 50,000 Gold...]
Ever since the project presentation, newspapers had been flooded with related articles.
Lily let out a sigh as she opened the door to the lab for the first time in a week.
Even from the hallway, the professor's excited voice drifted into her ears.
"Yes, yes, that's correct. That is indeed the paper published by our research team."
As the door opened, the professor's gaze shifted to Lily.
A broad smile spread across his face.
"Oh? You're here! Where on earth have you been all this time? We need to get started on the follow-up research right away!"
Lily blinked.
The professor's expression was completely different from what she remembered.
He was smiling so widely that the wrinkles around his eyes deepened, and his voice was brimming with excitement.
"I'll scrape together all of this year's research budget to support you. Bwahaha!"
Lily was bewildered.
Is this really happening? she thought to herself.
Just a week ago, this was the same professor who had dismissed her research as utterly pointless.
She couldn't comprehend how a person could change their attitude so drastically.
Unaware of Lily's flustered expression, the professor pointed to the middle-aged gentleman standing beside him.
"This gentleman here is from the Golden Magic Tower Research Foundation. He has offered to fund our research going forward."
The gentleman offered a gentle smile and extended his hand to Lily.
"Hello, Miss Lily. I am from the Golden Magic Tower Research Foundation. I've heard a great deal about your research. I look forward to seeing great results from you in the future."
Lily shook his hand awkwardly.
"Ah, yes..."
The professor turned toward Lily.
A cunning glint flashed in his eyes.
"How about we publish the next paper as co-authors, just the two of us?"
Without even waiting for her answer, the professor turned back around.
He eagerly resumed his conversation with the gentleman from the Golden Magic Tower Research Foundation.
Greed for money and fame dripped from their voices.
The professor's words were a unilateral notification rather than a proposal, showing that her opinion was still of no consequence to him.
Lily hesitated for a moment before speaking up.
"I don't think... I can do that, Professor."
Instantly, the professor's face froze.
He slowly turned his head to glare at Lily.
"Hmm? What did you just say?"
His voice was ice-cold.
Lily took a deep breath and spoke resolutely.
"And I am resigning from this lab as of today."
The professor's face turned pale.
Staring at Lily in disbelief, he stammered.
"What? What do you mean by that? What about our research..."
Urgency crept into his voice.
He seemed to realize that Lily's decision could completely ruin his plans.
"Is this because I was hard on you? That was all for your own good..."
Ignoring the professor's words, Lily began packing her things.
Her movements were calm yet decisive.
"No, it was all my fault. I won't interfere with your research at all from now on."
The professor pleaded, but Lily's attitude remained unchanged.
"No, it's fine."
There was no lingering attachment left in Lily's voice.
She took one last look around the lab and headed toward the door.
Thud—
The heavy sound of the door closing echoed through the lab.
The professor stood dazed for a moment before hurriedly chasing after her.
"Where are you going? Please, come back—!"
His desperate cries echoed down the hallway, but Lily's footsteps did not stop.