Zachary Mercer was surprised by Paige Summers’s explanation, but as the head of the family, he was a pragmatist. After a moment of calculation, he realized that wasn’t the real issue. Whether the idea had been inspired by the Mercer Family or not, the fact remained that *she* was the one who could create such a weapon. That proved she had an incredible talent for Artifact Making.

That alone was reason enough not to push her away.

He sidestepped the thorny question. "After seeing the diagrams in this book, you’ve probably guessed that the Mercer Family was once masters of Artifact Making," he said instead. "Unfortunately, due to changing circumstances, we weren’t able to continue that development. But even so, there are still members of the Mercer Family who are passionate about the craft... Would you like to see for yourself?"

Now it was Paige Summers’s turn to be stunned.

To be honest, she had been holding back her anger.

She couldn’t stand being doubted in the one field where she excelled.

She had even been ready to argue the point with the Mercer Family Head.

But unexpectedly, he had changed the subject in the blink of an eye and even opened the door for her—literally. A Noble House’s workshop wasn’t something you could tour just because you wanted to. Most people guarded their secrets jealously, afraid outsiders would learn even the smallest detail.

’What’s going on?’

’Is this his way of admitting the weapon is my own creation?’

She couldn’t quite figure him out.

But she had to admit, the offer to tour a workshop hit her right where she lived. The thought of refusing didn’t even cross her mind; she was instantly filled with excitement.

Fortunately, she remembered to feign some politeness.

"If it’s not too much trouble..."

Zachary Mercer smiled faintly. "Of course."

He rose and led the way out, and an excited Paige Summers followed close behind.

Zephyr Mercer, who had been waiting anxiously outside, finally relaxed when he saw the two of them emerge with pleasant expressions. After learning from his father that they were headed to The Mercer Workshop, he unhesitatingly fell into step beside Paige Summers.

Unfortunately, Paige Summers still had no desire to speak with him.

Zephyr Mercer was deeply frustrated.

’He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with himself. The engagement was a fact, and he hadn’t said anything untrue. So what if his attitude had been a little harsh? She had caused him to lose a huge amount of face. He was willing to let it go, so why was she still giving him the cold shoulder?’

’With any other woman, even if he didn’t get a chance to save face, he would simply ignore her from now on.’

’But with her, that just didn’t work.’

’When he didn’t see her, he wanted to. When he did, he couldn’t stop his eyes from locking onto her. Even when she was talking alone with his father, he’d been on edge, worried his father wouldn’t like her, worried her temper would infuriate his father, worried they would end up arguing about something he didn’t know...’

’And yet, she knew none of this. No, perhaps she just didn’t care...’ Zephyr Mercer lowered his gaze, a wave of dejection washing over him.

It had to be said, he wasn’t wrong.

Paige Summers really hadn’t spared him a single thought. To her, he was just some irrelevant person. The only thing here that could stir her heart was The Mercer Workshop!

The Mercer Family’s workshop wasn’t particularly large, only slightly more spacious than the Family Head’s residence.

It had no open courtyard and looked like a large warehouse from the outside. Once inside, however, you could see it was divided into numerous separate rooms.

But every space was crammed full, even the main hall just inside the entrance.

Piles of scrap metal, leather, and wood—offcuts and discarded materials—were everywhere. Yet even this was enough to make Paige Summers freeze in her tracks.

There was only one reason: the sheer variety was staggering.

There were so many materials she had only dreamed of, materials she had never seen during the apocalypse. And these precious resources, some of which still bore traces of their original, perfect forms, were now just defective pieces or shattered fragments!

Paige Summers stared at the "mountain" of materials with a look of longing and sorrow. It felt like a thousand ants crawling over her heart. She desperately wanted to scream, ’Can you please stop wasting all this good stuff?!’

...

’Okay, I still have my sanity,’ she thought. ’I can’t actually do that.’

All she could do was sigh to herself.

Zachary Mercer didn’t miss her look of profound regret, and his own expression dimmed slightly.

Only Zephyr Mercer was baffled. Seeing her hesitation, he couldn’t help but say, "This is all just scrap. It’s useless. The finished products are inside."

Paige Summers glanced at him, then gave a slight nod after a long moment.

While the three were lost in their own thoughts, a middle-aged man emerged from within. He bore some resemblance to Zachary Mercer, but he was taller and had a more rugged look. However, the cheerful smile on his face was instantly likable.

He waved before he even got close. "Big Brother! Finn! What brings you two here today? Huh? And who’s this little friend hiding behind you?"

The corner of Paige Summers’s mouth twitched.

A hint of a smile flashed in Zachary Mercer’s eyes. "Abe," he said smoothly, "come, let me introduce you to someone. This is Paige Summers. She’s very interested in Artifact Making and is quite accomplished herself, so I brought her for a look around."

The moment Paige Summers realized this man was likely the mastermind who had "ruined" all those perfectly good materials into the pile of trash beside them, she had to force herself to hold back a condemnatory glare and offer a polite greeting.

Blake Morrison, however, didn’t overthink it. As soon as he heard she was interested in Artifact Making and had been brought by his elder brother personally, he greeted her with great enthusiasm and offered to give her the tour himself.

Zachary Mercer had no objection and thoughtfully let them go on their own. In fact, this was precisely his goal.

As kindred spirits in the craft, they would obviously have more to talk about.

Some things lose their grace when forced. A subtle arrangement like this was far more likely to win genuine cooperation.

For an Ancient Martial Clan, weapons were a critical component. Any improvement in Artifact Making would benefit the entire family, so naturally, he took the matter very seriously.

Paige Summers was clearly pleased with this arrangement.

Even with his friendly demeanor, the presence of the Mercer Family Head was intimidating. She was visibly more relaxed being able to get away from him and be with another Artifact Maker.

As for Zephyr Mercer, who had tagged along again... she’d just have to ignore him.

Blake Morrison first led Paige Summers to the finishing room. It was a veritable feast for the eyes. Weapons hung on the walls, lay on tables, and filled two long display cabinets. Finished armaments were everywhere.

This, he explained, was where the younger members of the Mercer Family chose their weapons.

Paige Summers thought that it would take a discerning eye to choose a weapon from such a vast collection. After all, the quality was far from uniform.

They didn’t linger there for long. In truth, Paige Summers was more interested in seeing the workshop itself.

Blake Morrison was happy to oblige and immediately led her there.

He might have a rough exterior, but that didn’t mean he was unperceptive. On the contrary, when it came to weapons, he was remarkably sharp. Back in the finishing room, Paige Summers’s reaction to every piece she examined had told him one thing: she was an absolute expert.

And because of that, he felt a private pang of disappointment—and a touch of resentment—that he hadn’t been able to show her a weapon that truly impressed her.