Hate me, Miss Witch!

But as the Dawn Saintess, Su Lun was the symbol of the entire Sacred Court, and even the entire Holy Creed Kingdom. As the face of the Holy See, she often appeared in public on occasions such as sacred festivals. Moreover, the Dawn Church was the most influential religious organization throughout the Western Continent. Its followers were not limited to the Holy Creed Kingdom but spread across nearly all territories of the Order Faction.

Thus, the current Su Lun could be considered a true superstar of the Western Continent, her fame and prestige second only to the Archpriest of the Dawn Church; even Isadella could not compare. After all, as the Second Princess of the Fresta Empire, Isadella, though popular, was not yet crowned. Most people outside the Empire paid little attention to a princess who had not yet ascended the throne. However, believers of the Dawn Church were scattered across the entire Western Continent. Although the atmosphere of faith in Lokiya was not strong... should Su Lun's true face be revealed, it would surely cause a huge stir among those Dawn followers.

It felt somewhat reminiscent of my past life's celebrities who would disguise themselves to dodge the paparazzi.

"It's okay. I am a mechanic, after all. To keep up with the latest progress of the Steam Camp, I have traveled to Lokiya frequently over the years; I've gotten used to it," Su Lun said. "Of course, if you think it's been hard on me, that's fine too."

The Dawn Saintess's beautiful eyes curved slightly, her voice lowered. "The revered Dawn Saintess, braving thousands of miles and countless dangers, sneaking away from her fans to have a secret meeting with you... How about it, didn't your heart flutter for just a moment?"

As she spoke, Su Lun pushed two glass cups with straws toward Shiayar and Enola. The cups were filled with a deep brown liquid bubbling away. "Here, the Happy Soda you used to crave. It's flavored with alchemy and carbonated using magictech machinery. I made it Coca-Cola flavored, not Pepsi, just how you like it."

...

"To be honest, if you hadn't brought it up yourself, I might have been slightly moved," Shiayar said. "However, the current environment makes me a bit reluctant to be moved."

Shiayar glanced at the black-haired girl in front of him. Her hanging black tresses obscured her chestnut eyes, making them appear hazy and difficult to discern. He refocused on the three cups of Happy Soda in front of him. "You haven't secretly put some unspeakable potion in here, have you?"

In the eyes of others, as the symbol of the Dawn Church, the Dawn Saintess was naturally pure and holy, epitomizing perfection with an angelic aura wherever she went. Regarding this, Shiayar's judgment was—do not believe rumors, nor spread them. While Su Lun indeed portrayed a flawless Saintess in front of others, only Shiayar knew that this was all a facade she had concocted, and that underneath it all, she was filled with darkness.

Purely a bad woman. A proper Saintess wouldn't offer to provide leverage or suggest helping to train a former Divinely Favored One into a fluffy ball, would she? Knowing Su Lun's scheming nature, it wouldn't be beyond her to slip something as outlandish as computer parts into his drink, or to try and seduce decent young men.

"So this is how you see me, Shiayar? I'm a bit saddened." The black-haired Saintess showed a tearful expression and lowered her head to sip her drink through a straw. "After all, Ennie is here too. However beastly I may be, I wouldn't do such a thing in front of Ennie.

"However..."

There was a slight pause in Su Lun's speech. She stood up, leaned into Shiayar's ear, and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "You know, that kind of drug you mentioned earlier? I actually brought some. I've already booked a suite at the Osmanthus Grand Hotel. Shiayar, if you're interested, I'll be waiting for you in room 903 of the Osmanthus Grand Hotel tonight at nine..."

HISS—

Shiayar took a sharp breath. This bad woman's level of 'badness' is getting higher and higher. He had to admit, he was somewhat tempted. Since all the fish in his pond were his, Ennie needed some more time to cultivate things; it would take a perfect night to get serious. With Silvia, he worried his strength wasn't enough and he'd be overpowered. But there were no such constraints with the Saintess. A bad woman like Su Lun, who enjoyed seducing decent young men, needed the stern guidance of a righteous partner like himself to steer her back onto the path of righteousness.

But soon, Shiayar was brought back to reality by the ice-cold, murderous gaze coming from beside him. It wasn't only Ennie, who had transformed from a little Angel to a Death Angel, giving Shiayar strange looks; even the white cat glanced at him with a hint of oddness in its eyes.

Are you trying to help your Beastmaster catch me in the act?

AHEM.

Shiayar cleared his throat. "We've strayed a bit too far with the casual conversation. Let's get back to business," he said. "How are my Mechanical Fire Spark and those two sets of mechanical array combinations coming along?"

"They're all completed." Su Lun's voice was still pleasing to the ear, her chestnut-colored beautiful eyes gazing at Shiayar, unaffected by his rejection. "Your concept is very advanced, and the difficulty is high. Several Titled Rank Mechanical-type Beastmasters tried and failed. In the end, I had to invoke the name of the Dawn Saintess and request the current president of the Steam Camp, that Legendary mechanic, to accomplish it."

"The Legendary mechanic's hiring cost..." Shiayar frowned slightly. He was quite wealthy now, not only because he had made a fortune in the Echo of History. Isadella's current popularity within the Empire meant that he—the leading figure of the Second Princess faction—had seen his own stock rise substantially. Many great nobles, who had previously been fence-sitters in the power struggle between the Borgia family and the Royal Family, had now come forward to declare their support. As fair-weather friends, they felt awkward showing direct allegiance to the iron-fisted Princess Isadella, so they turned to show goodwill to Shiayar instead. Along with the entry of the White Tower and other invisible benefits to his commercial ventures... Shiayar's net worth had become quite astonishing, a world apart from his poverty just over a year ago. He could afford to hire a dozen Titled Rank Beastmasters at once without any problem.

But Legendary figures were different, particularly a Legendary mechanic. Just as an alchemist in the fantasy novels from Shiayar's previous life was valued far more than a warrior of the same level, professions like mechanics and alchemists, especially Legendary ones, had an immeasurable hiring value. Shiayar wasn't certain his wealth could meet such a figure's price.

"Although I'd like to take this opportunity to have you owe me another favor," Su Lun said. "However, the president of the Steam Camp said your concept was so advanced that it inspired him. He only requested payment for the materials and didn't ask for any additional fees. What you requested is now stored in Workshop No. 7; just go and get it."

As if sensing Shiayar's thoughts, Su Lun's soft laugh emerged from beneath her mask.

"The president of the Steam Camp really is a good person," Shiayar said, nodding his head. Of course, he knew that Su Lun, as the Dawn Saintess, was no less wealthy than Silvia, the White Tower Master. But borrowing money from a bad woman like her—Shiayar feared he might be devoured completely without realizing it. Come to think of it, there really was no shortage of rich women around him... Su Lun, Silvia, and Isadella... His own teacher, the 1st Page Eternity of the Black Tower, must have accumulated a terrifying fortune over countless years. Unfortunately, Shiayar was a man who preferred to eat tough over living off a woman.

With a silent sigh, Shiayar stood up and made his way toward Workshop No. 7. "Ennie, you can wait here for me. I'm going to the workshop," he said as he walked, his heart filled with anticipation and his steps a bit lighter.

That was the grand plan he had been envisioning countless times since the beginning of his transmigration. In Dyres's Dreamscape Genesis, the fragments of the dream that Shiayar had revealed were not entirely complete, yet they weren't all false imaginations either. Previously, Shiayar's rank and funding had been insufficient, constraining some plans and ideas to mere fancy. Now, however, Shiayar had reached the 5-Ring stage, earning the title of Grand Beastmaster. His funding was also in place, enough to support the entire plan.

So—

The once visionary dream concerning magictech machinery, at this very moment, was finally about to become, in part, a reality.