CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 132: ESTATE OFFICE

The sound of metal clinking and the soft hum of a forge greeted Axelius as he stepped into the blacksmith workshop early the next morning, the sun barely past the roofs, and inside the air already smelled like smoke, hot iron, and oil.

Tarn, the dwarf blacksmith, looked up from his workbench, raising a brow in surprise as he wiped his hands on a thick cloth and gave a wide grin.

"You’re early, young lord... and it seems you’ve brought more company," Tarn said with a short nod, his eyes drifting toward the two men in plain clothes who stood just behind Axelius—though the way they stood straight and alert made it clear they were no ordinary citizens.

Axelius let out a long sigh, looking back at the disguised knight guards with faint irritation,

"Tsk... looks like the Grand Duke cares a little too much." Tarn added.

Axelius shaking his head. "Care? Looks more like worried I’ll disgrace his name," He simply raised a hand and waved lazily. "You two. Wait outside."

The knights exchanged glances but obeyed, stepping out through the doorway and closing it behind them, leaving only Millie behind.

With a grunt, Tarn moved to the worktable and pulled out a scroll, then another, and another, placing them down one by one until a thick bundle was set in front of them.

"I thought about it all night, young lord," Tarn began, scratching his beard as he took a deep breath. "That car design of yours, while creative, isn’t going to work—not with the way mana flow reacts to the wheels you’re planning."

Axelius blinked, stepping closer. "Why not?"

Tarn pointed at a scribbled sketch on the scroll. "The problem is the weight distribution—those tires, the frame, the magical converter... even if you keep it small, without a stable surface like stone roads or metal tracks, it’ll bounce, shake, maybe even break mid-run."

He paused, then unrolled a new scroll, this one showing something different.

"But then I thought... what about this?"

It was a carriage. Sleek, elegant, with rounded mana tubes running beneath and four sturdy wheels reinforced with something like steel bands. The front had a sealed driver space, and it had armor like plating on the bottom edges, but no visible horses.

"This... this can work," Axelius said, eyes gleaming as he studied the drawing.

Tarn grinned. "It’ll glide better, hold weight, and not draw too much attention from nobles. They’ll just think it’s some fancy magic cart."

"What about materials?" Axelius asked.

Tarn let out a breath and walked to the side of the forge, where he dragged a large scroll tied with red string. He untied it and let it drop—and the paper rolled across the floor like a scroll of ancient law, going and going until it nearly touched the opposite wall.

He handed one end to Axelius. "Here’s the list."

Axelius took it, looked at the names written in tight black ink—materials from four different kingdoms, some rare, some regulated, others he didn’t even know how to pronounce yet—and then looked up, scanning the cluttered workshop with sparks flying from the forge and shelves full of tools.

"This won’t fit in here..." he said, holding the list up and blinking slowly.

Tarn laughed, wiping his hands again. "That’s what I said when I finished writing it."

Axelius rolled the scroll of materials back into a tight bundle, tucking it beneath his cloak as he looked around the workshop one last time, then gave Tarn a short nod and said calmly, "I’ll be back later."

He turned without waiting for a reply, Millie silently falling in step behind him, and as soon as they stepped outside, the two disguised knights stood from where they waited and followed from a short distance.

Axelius pulled up his hood to cover his face, blending into the bustling city . After several turns, they reached a quieter road lined with larger buildings—places made of brick and carved stone, most with signs bearing house symbols or scribbled parchment scrolls hanging above their doors.

These were the estate offices, the places where one could buy land, houses, or even entire properties if they had the gold and permission from the city lord.

Axelius stopped seeing two buildings that sat across from each other—one gleamed with polished wood, golden carvings of dragons and lions adorning the archway, and two men in velvet coats stood by the steps as if guarding treasure.

The other, across the dusty road, was small and crooked, with ivy crawling up one side and a hanging wooden sign that tilted slightly and creaked in the breeze, its letters faded from age. The paint peeled from the walls, and one window had been patched with cloth instead of glass.

Without a second thought, Axelius crossed the street and opened the door of the worn-out place.

The bell above the door gave a jingle, and dust danced in the air, lit by thin beams of sunlight pushing through the cracked windowpane. The inside smelled of old paper and something sweet—maybe tea or dried fruit—and there were shelves stacked with thick books, faded maps, and scrolls tied with string.

A ladder stood against one wall, reaching high up to a shelf almost touching the ceiling.

He took one step inside and the floor creaked under his foot, and just then, a voice from above shouted, "One moment! I just need to grab—"

But before she could finish, the ladder gave a sudden jolt, and the person standing near the top lost balance.

"Ack—!"

Axelius stepped forward, raising his arms just in time as a figure fell toward him.

He caught her, That was when he noticed them— cat ears, soft and twitching, atop her ash-brown hair.

"Whoa..." she said, blinking up at him with wide amber eyes, still in his arms. "Aren’t you strong, young man Nyah~?"

Axelius let go without a word, and her feet hadn’t even touched the floor when she yelped again—landing on her backside with a small thud.

"Ow—hey!" she rubbed her back, wincing slightly. "You could’ve warned me before dropping me like that Nyah."

Axelius looked at her with a blank face. "You landed safely, didn’t you?"

The woman sighed and looked up at him again, her cat tail flicking lightly behind her as she stood and brushed herself off, still eyeing him curiously. "You’re not from around here, huh? What can I help you with nyah?"

Axelius looked around the dusty shop filled with dreams, then reached into his cloak and pulled out the long scroll of materials. "I need a lot of space. Land, preferably somewhere I can build... a workshop."

The cat-eared woman raised an eyebrow, her tail swaying lazily. "Oho? Now you’ve really caught my interest Nyah."