Outside the hall, a breeze had risen without anyone noticing.
Cherry blossoms swayed gently on the branches, filling the air with a soft rustling sound.
Warm sunlight poured into the hall. Raiden Makoto leaned against Lu Heng's shoulder, her slender fingers flipping through the pages of a book. Ei munched on her favorite sweets, occasionally sneaking a glance at the two of them.
Lu Heng held a teacup, the amber-colored liquid inside rippling faintly. He sipped slowly, his body and mind fully at ease in this rare moment of peace.
People always pursue happiness—but what exactly is happiness? Everyone's answer would surely be different. Lu Heng glanced at Makoto beside him. To him, this moment was happiness itself.
His thoughts drifted further, toward the other wives waiting back home.
Ah—
That would be even more happiness!
Time passed in a blur.
After dinner, Yae Miko turned to Ei and smiled.
"Ei, want to take a walk with me?"
"Hm?"
Ei looked up from her novel, puzzled. You don't usually ask me… shouldn't you be asking Lu Heng?
She turned her head—only to see Lu Heng happily chatting with Makoto. Ei suddenly understood, and her heart soured a little. Still, she didn't want to interfere with her sister's time, so she rose reluctantly and dragged her feet after Miko.
They're being so sweet together, and I'm just sitting there like a third wheel… she grumbled inwardly.
The puppet Shogun said nothing, but Ei could clearly feel her silent agreement—it was almost spooky how in sync they were.
Once outside, Ei pouted.
"So I'm not allowed to go back home tonight, am I?"
"You're clever as always~" Yae Miko chuckled.
"This is my home, you know!" Ei puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"Relax, it's only for a couple of days," Miko said soothingly. "In a few days, your sister will move back with Lu Heng into his realm."
Ei opened her mouth, hesitated, and fell silent.
Noticing her hesitation, Miko smiled knowingly.
"She's not moving there forever. She still has work here, doesn't she? What are you worrying about?"
"…That's true." Ei reluctantly accepted the logic, but then sighed again.
"So annoying. Why do all of you like him so much?"
"You don't feel it?" Miko raised her brows. "Don't tell me—you're indifferent?"
Ei blinked, then shook her head.
"I don't know. Romance in light novels feels exciting, but… me? I don't think I feel anything like that."
"Maybe you just haven't realized it yet."
"Who knows." Ei shook her head again, then muttered through clenched teeth, "Anyway, I don't like it! Anyone who steals my sister's attention is a villain! If only I could draw my sword against Lu Heng…"
The next morning, Lu Heng and Raiden Makoto rose early.
"I need to focus on work today," Makoto said gently. "You don't need to stay with me all the time, otherwise the others at home will start blaming me. Tonight, go home on your own."
"They wouldn't blame you," Lu Heng said with a smile, but he didn't refuse. "I'll be heading to Sumeru later. I need to choose a site for the new store."
"Alright~"
After breakfast, Lu Heng stopped briefly at the Inazuma branch. He had prepared a room for Hana Sato there, though outside of work hours she was always glued to Yae Miko. Whenever Lu Heng saw her blushing and flustered, he couldn't help but wonder what on earth Miko was teaching her.
"Had breakfast?" he asked casually.
"Thank you for asking, Master. I already have." She gave a polite bow.
"Master now, is it? You used to call me teacher. Stop picking up Miko's weird habits," Lu Heng sighed, rubbing his forehead. "People might get the wrong idea about me."
Though, honestly… not that it was impossible.
"Understood, teacher," Hana said softly. "Is there anything you need me to do?"
"No. Just take care of yourself. I'm heading to Sumeru."
With that, Lu Heng stepped through space and appeared before the gates of the Sanctuary of Surasthana. It was only half past seven in the morning.
There, he spotted a small figure walking toward him.
"Nahida?"
The little Archon was dressed like a grade-schooler, wearing shiny black shoes and holding a carton of milk in one hand and bread in the other. She munched as she walked.
Seeing Lu Heng, she froze for a moment, then bowed sweetly.
"Good morning, big brother~"
"Off to school?" Lu Heng asked with a smile.
"Mm-hm!" Nahida nodded earnestly.
A five-hundred-year-old loli, finally suffering the woes of school life.
Lu Heng chuckled. "Isn't school tough?"
"Uh… not really." Nahida shook her head, though her expression betrayed her. She wanted to say more, but swallowed her words.
The God of Wisdom had forbidden her from linking to the World Tree, meaning she truly had to study like an ordinary student. Her workload, however, was crushing. What others learned in six months, she had to master in a single day. Not only memorize, but recite flawlessly and apply with ease.
Fortunately, Nahida was resilient. The pressure was heavy, but she wasn't close to breaking.
"That's good," Lu Heng said warmly. "Keep it up. The future of Sumeru rests on the shoulders of young gods and mortals like you."
Her little face tightened, growing gloomier. She pressed her lips together, lowered her head, and murmured weakly, "Okay…"
"Go on then." Lu Heng waved, watching as she trudged toward the Akademiya, a cloud of melancholy hanging over her.
Only after her small figure vanished from sight did Lu Heng stroll into the Sanctuary like an old man taking a morning walk.
Inside, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was already buried in work.
"Up and working so early?" Lu Heng asked in surprise.
She looked up and smiled. "The issues plaguing Sumeru must be resolved quickly. Five hundred years have left a mountain of problems behind."
Lu Heng sat down beside her. "You work so hard."
She shook her head, smiling gently. "It's nothing." Pulling out a map of Sumeru City from her drawer, she laid it before him.
"Which location do you prefer? As ruler of Sumeru and your wife, it's yours to decide. Choose the site, and I'll have the Akademiya purchase it."
Lu Heng studied the map carefully, then pointed.
"This one."
She glanced where he indicated—it was a jewelry shop. The location and size were excellent.
"I still have work to do," she said, kissing him lightly. "Would you take this to the acting Grand Sage for me?"
"Only one kiss?" Lu Heng grinned.
She laughed helplessly, kissing him again. "Now go. If you stay here, I'll lose focus."
"Then don't miss me too much." He rose and left with a smile.
Once he was gone, Rukkhadevata returned to her desk. Even as the embodiment of wisdom, she found it hard to concentrate with him around.
Lu Heng arrived at the Grand Sage's office.
"Since when have you been working?" he asked.
Alhaitham put down his pen and sighed. "Six-thirty." His tone carried the weight of exhaustion.
"I finished at eleven last night. Luckily, there's a rest room nearby—saves me the trip back and forth."
Lu Heng winced. "That bad?"
"Worse," Alhaitham admitted. "We're overhauling the Akademiya's systems, reviewing old projects, preparing materials for those teaching in the desert, approving countless new submissions… regional governance plans, rainforest conservation, desertification control—you name it. Endless."
Lu Heng couldn't help but sympathize.
"Just have to endure," Alhaitham said, shaking his head. "I agreed to this, after all."
Yet he didn't seem to regret it. Signing a document quickly, he asked, "Which location did you pick?"
"Here."
Alhaitham studied it and nodded. "That matches my expectations. Let's go inspect the site."
"Won't that delay your work?"
"This is far more important for the nation. Your store will benefit Sumeru enormously."
Lu Heng nodded. "Then let's go."
The two, along with a secretary, arrived at the jewelry shop.
Inside, Khalid was lounging with a phone in hand, watching short videos. Compared to the Akademiya's Void Terminals, this thing was far more entertaining. After all—could a Void Terminal show pretty legs? Of course not.
"The only problem is Sangemah Bay's prices… too steep," he muttered.
"Mr. Khalid," Alhaitham greeted.
Khalid looked up, startled. "The acting Grand Sage? And you must be… the legendary Mr. Lu?"
"If you mean the owner of the card shop, that's me." Lu Heng nodded.
"My goodness!" Khalid slapped his thigh, eyes bright. "An honor beyond words!"
Alhaitham cut in. "Mr. Khalid, Mr. Lu is here to purchase your shop. The Sanctuary will buy it at thirty percent above market price, in cash. It will be converted into a card shop branch."
"I agree!" Khalid said without hesitation. He knew full well the influence of card shops. For his location to be chosen was proof of his foresight—and the price was more than generous.
He was a collector at heart, not a businessman. And in the future, who would collect jewels when cards existed? Selling now meant a fortune to spend on draws.
"One question, Mr. Lu," Khalid asked eagerly. "When will we in Sumeru get to draw cards?"
Lu Heng thought for a moment. "It'll take some time. But as a temporary solution, once the store is ready, I'll install a portal to the other branches. Entry will be limited by lottery, to keep it fair."
That way, even ordinary folk could sell their chance to the wealthy if they wished. Everyone would benefit.
Khalid's eyes lit up. "Wonderful!"
By noon, the shop was cleared out. Lu Heng waved his hand, and in moments the store was transformed. A portal shimmered into place.
"Khalid, you can pick which branch to visit first," Lu Heng offered.
"Any suggestions?"
"Go to Inazuma. You'll be able to draw immediately, with experts on hand to evaluate your pulls."
"Then Inazuma it is!" Khalid said, grabbing his son. "Farewell, Mr. Lu!"
Lu Heng watched them vanish through the portal, then summoned the core of his civilization. Ten robotic assistants marched in, carrying equipment and stock.
"The Sumeru branch is finally here," Lu Heng mused. "When will I draw a card for the store itself, I wonder?"
Settling into a chair pushed forward by one of the robots, he started a hundred-thousand-pull session.
Scarlet light flared.
A crimson-bordered card appeared in his hand, depicting a stadium like a bird's nest—an arena.
"What's this…?"
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T/N:
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