Two days earlier, Jade had requisitioned twenty thousand mechs from the IPC, along with a pile of supplies, rushing them through emergency channels as congratulatory gifts for Jarilo-VI.
Now, another two sets of gifts of the same specifications had to be prepared quickly—but this time for Koolur and the Xianzhou Cangcheng.
Seeing batch after batch of the latest mechs being delivered into Belobog's arsenal, Cocolia's eyes couldn't help but widen in disbelief.
"Belobog's getting better and better... Thank you, Lord Lucian..."
In Cocolia's eyes, what she saw now was the very world she had dreamed of since childhood—people living in peace and stability, with no disasters, no oppression, friendly exchanges with foreign civilizations, and harmonious development.
Her world, which had been on the verge of shattering, was saved because of Lucian.
In the Supreme Guardian's office, after saying her thanks, Cocolia couldn't help but rise on her toes, lean toward Lucian's face, and press a kiss upon his lips.
Being suddenly kissed, Lucian simply smiled, then wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Just call me Lucian. You know, it feels distant when you call me by lord..." Lucian whispered gently into Cocolia's ear, causing her face to flush bright red. "But well, if you really wanna thank me, then work hard tonight."
Hearing such a sweet whisper, Cocolia lowered her head and let out a soft hum, understanding that tonight, she would be working overtime all night.
"Well, those mechs are good things—perfect for Seele to practice with." Lucian changed the subject.
He remembered that although he had taken Seele as his disciple, he had yet to teach her much of anything. Given that she wanted to become flashy like him, he would prepare a mech with dazzling visual effects for her.
In the end, after kissing Cocolia, he immediately went to pick up Bronya and Seele from the Underworld, bringing them to the Overworld to select and try their own mechs.
"Master, this thing's way cooler than a scythe!"
On the outskirts of Belobog, Seele exclaimed with glittering eyes as she tested the mech she had chosen.
However, as expected of her, unable to operate the mech properly, she judged its strength solely by its appearance. Even though the mech was equipped with all kinds of melee and ranged weapons, what mattered most to her was still the visual effects.
As soon as she powered it up, a barrage of blinding flashes burst out from its body at once—which, surprisingly, was also a form of attack.
It was no wonder that in Lucian's original world, mechs were said to be men's romance, proven by how popular the Gundam series was among male audiences.
Seele, being a tomboy, clearly loved nothing more than mechs with overwhelming visual effects.
"I'll take this one."
Bronya, in contrast, chose a proper, feminine-looking mech—its elegant appearance perfectly suited her taste.
"By the way, Bronya, from now on, you won't need to manage the arsenal anymore. Leave that to Svarog." Lucian informed calmly from nearby.
"Eh?" Bronya, not expecting such a sudden decision, looked slightly lost. "In that case, what should I do now?"
"Be a diplomat." Lucian responded calmly. "Together with Seele, you'll handle Jarilo's diplomacy. Be bold—if anyone dares bully you, just tell me. Jarilo has the strength to back you up."
"Me too?" Seele, piloting her mech forward in jerky stops and starts until she reached Lucian, asked in bewilderment. "Me? A diplomat? You serious, Master?"
"Of course." Lucian said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You see, diplomacy's all about fighting when talks fail. Do you really think Bronya looks like the type to fight?"
"Oh, that works for me then!" Seele grinned with confidence. "I'm great at fighting and cursing people out!"
Just as those words fell, however, her mech suddenly toppled over.
Bronya tried to control her own mech to help Seele up, but her poor piloting skills only caused her to crash and fall as well.
*BANG!*
In the end, both mechs sprawled awkwardly on the ground, their mech limbs flailing.
Seeing such a sudden accident, Lucian couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Considering neither Seele nor Bronya knew how to operate mechs—and he himself didn't either—he ended up calling for Jade.
"Can you teach them how to pilot these mechs? If Scott can teach, then you definitely can."
As soon as Jade arrived, Lucian, not beating around the bush, asked directly, his smile deepening upon mentioning 'Scott.'
'Scott? Who's that?' Jade thought, blinking in confusion, then replied with a polite smile. "Of course, no problem. Since you personally asked, how could I refuse?"
Naturally, it was only because Lucian asked that she agreed.
Having a P46-rank executive like her train people close to someone as important as him was something she could brag about in the IPC for a hundred years.
Ultimately, Lucian stayed with them the entire afternoon until evening fell.
===
Inside a luxurious bedroom in the Qlipoth Fort, a man and a woman were bargaining.
"Herta..." Lucian said with half-closed eyes, his voice soft, almost lazy. "Remember our bet? Isn't it about time to settle it?"
As he spoke, he gestured toward a maid outfit lying on the table.
"Lucian, don't push it too far..." Herta muttered through clenched teeth. "Aren't we friends now? Do we really need to be this serious?"
For all the years she had lived, she had never once worn a maid outfit to please anyone—in fact, the very idea itself was hard to accept, almost enough to make her whole body break out in goosebumps.
"A bet's a bet, Herta."
Lucian spoke with his lips curved in a silent arc—his tone was drawn-out and unhurried, every word rolling leisurely off his tongue, dripping with teasing ease.
"What? Is the genius MADAM HERTA going back on her word?"
He continued with narrowed eyes, deliberately deepening his tone as he addressed Herta's nickname.
"Well, what a disappointment... to think that someone as PRESTIGIOUS and NOBLE as MADAM HERTA would go back on her words..."
Upon hearing Lucian's words and seeing his expression, Herta's lips pressed into a thin, razor-sharp line, her face flushing slightly.
Honestly, she never would have expected the Xianzhou Cangcheng to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
In fact, who would expect the already destroyed Xianzhou Cangcheng to suddenly reemerge as if nothing had happened?
Now, the bet she had been certain to win—the one that would have freed her from Lucian's clutch—had been ruined by the Xianzhou Cangcheng's unexpected arrival.
As a result, not only had she failed to regain her freedom, but she also had to let herself be ogled in an embarrassing outfit.
Today was clearly the most humiliating day of her entire life!
"I, Herta, always keep... my word..." Herta said, biting down hard on the last syllable.
Grabbing the maid outfit from the table, she stormed into the bathroom to change.
Lucian had already seen her naked body before, so how bad could a maid outfit be compared to that?
Herta convinced herself that she could endure this minor thing.
However, she swore from today on, she would never bet with him again—he was far too devious.
Meanwhile, Lucian lounged lazily on the sofa, the smile on his lips finally reaching his eyes, rippling with amusement as he waited for Herta to change—he even shifted into a more comfortable position, patiently waiting.
===
Five minutes later, the bathroom door clicked, sliding open just a crack.
In the next moment, a slender foot in a jet-black high heel cautiously stepped out, followed by the other.
At last, the door opened fully.
At this moment, Herta stood at the doorway with a look of pure disdain plastered on her face, making Lucian's smile falter for a fraction of a second.
In truth, the maid outfit she wore had been designed by him personally—not some plain, modest, traditional maid outfit, but a creation balanced between uniform temptation and fantastical allure.
Its main body was a deep, silky black, smooth as midnight, tailored scandalously close to Herta's body, perfectly tracing the lines of her slender yet strong waist.
As for the skirt, it was shockingly short, barely covering the tops of her thighs, leaving the absolute territory beneath fully exposed.
However, the deadliest part, in fact, was her legs.
Her legs were not wrapped in ordinary stockings, but in nearly transparent black stockings, which caused light to pass through the gossamer fabric, highlighting the smooth sheen of her pale skin and the taut elegance of her legs.
Shadows even seemed to dance across them, producing an intoxicating visual impact on the onlookers.
Herta stood there like a finely crafted doll forcibly dressed in ill-suited ornamentation.
Her beautiful face was tight with disdain, but beneath her pale skin, a flush spread from her ears down to her neck as she clutched the absurdly short hem with both hands, desperate to keep Lucian from seeing more.
"Now you've seen it, the bet's done."
Herta spoke coldly, then turned on her heel, ready to change back, but Lucian quickly stopped her.
"Wait, the bet was that I'd get to enjoy it for an hour. A few minutes doesn't cut it."
"You're pushing your luck!" Herta finally snapped, her words spilling out in fury. "Wearing it for you was already the limit! You want me to stand here for a damn hour?! Dream on! Better you kill me, or I kill you!"
Seeing her snap, Lucian ultimately decided not to press her too hard and gave an alternative offer instead.
"Ten minutes, and I'll cut a year off your work time."
Upon hearing this, Herta fell silent for a moment, then finally ground her teeth in reluctant agreement.
Honestly, even a second felt like torture.
How could she, a genius member of the Genius Society, always end up under Lucian's thumb?
Unfortunately for Herta, Lucian always had secrets that hooked her interest, so of course, she was always caught in his snare.
"Alright, turn around. Let me see." Lucian said with a chuckle.
"Hmph!" Herta snorted, standing stiffly in place like a statue.
Seeing her not cooperating, Lucian shrugged and had no choice but to fully appreciate her from the front—the breathtaking legs sheathed in sheer black stockings, the delicate waist, the curves of her chest, the pale neck, and finally that beautiful face twisted with disdain.
He couldn't help but remember a certain anime he had watched, where one of the female characters wore a maid outfit and gave a disdainful look toward the protagonist.
Now, looking at Herta, he couldn't help but feel that when a beautiful woman wore a maid outfit and showed a disdainful expression on her face, it was, strangely, a perfect fit.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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