“Gaius…” A woman looked at a small boy, a complex emotion on her face. If Gaius had to describe it, the expression on her face was one that combined yearning, sorrow and desire rolled together — the perfect face to show when one’s lover was leaving for a distant battlefield, never to return. The fact that the two of them were standing underneath what looked like Orb’s version of a sakura tree probably wasn’t going to help either.

“Please wipe that emotion off your face, Paragon Ying Xin.” Gaius mentally compared his height to hers, and shuddered at the potential rumours that could come out from this seemingly-clandestine meeting. “People are going to get the wrong impression.”

“I cannot help it. Your presence has been a great help in the past month.” Her eyes swept across the miles-long fortress. She was referring to the sheer destructive power his attacks had — in a battlefield of Knights alone, Gaius was usually responsible for one quarter of all the enemy casualties dealt. His Display artefact had been stuck at nine hundred and ninety-nine for a long time, but out of consideration for the others, Gaius had simply brought another Crystal of True Restoration and a few antiques, like a small brown book on sigils.

Explosions shuddered every so often as Gaius-wannabes fired at practice targets from three to four kilometres away. The ranks of the defenders that had flocked to the shores of Feng-Lang had swelled in the past two weeks, and some of them had the know-how to emulate Gaius. The only problem was that their sigil drawing speed was far slower, when compared to Gaius, but that was a problem that could be overcome with time.

Even without the speed at which Gaius unleashed wide-area attacks, this new squad of dedicated, floating artillery was a grave threat to the Lifespring’s forces, who had very few ways to counter it. The commander of the forces assaulting Feng-Lang’s shores had resorted to teleporting elites from the Lords’ battlefield occurring from high above, but after encountering a couple of devastating ambushes, these teleportations stopped occurring.

More importantly, these countermeasures drew from the Lifespring’s Lords, who were trying to control the Lords’ battlefield some ten kilometres above ground. These places carried a strategic value: if one side managed to occupy it, they could rain down long-range attacks onto the lower battlefields at a non-oblique angle.

“You’re overestimating my worth,” Gaius replied quietly. “And besides, even if I was truly that useful, some credit should go to the Knights who fell at Eo-Seu, who brought time for me to inflict damage and then to flee.”

“I managed to get the treasury to distribute substantial monetary benefits to their families, at least.” Paragon Ying Xin nodded. “It was fortunate that our records survived, but the fact that these people left behind spouses and children are…anyway, let’s put that aside for now. More importantly, your Display’s long maxed out. Are you not going to redeem anything with so much points? It’ll be good PR for us if you did.”

“You’re encouraging me to take as much as I possibly can?” Gaius had an odd look on his face. “Shouldn’t you lot be begging me to stop exchanging for resources or something?”

“Normally, yes.” The Paragon smiled. “But who doesn’t know about the existence of the Nine-nine-nine Knight?”

“The what?”

“Nine-nine-nine Knight,” Paragon Ying Xin replied obligingly. “The person who killed over a thousand equals on the battlefield alone. It sounds great, but the fact that you still have so many points is creating bad rumours about us.”

“Like the possibility of me being prevented from redeeming my points?” Gaius asked.

“Exactly.” She rubbed Gaius’ head — an action that she’d grown fond of in the last month for some reason — and said, “That’s why we want you to use your points, and we’ll make a grand show out of it too. We can encourage the others, especially the more talented ones, by proving that we’re willing to fork out as much resources as it takes to fulfil our promise.”

“If you put it that way, I can’t exactly refuse, can I?” Gaius leaned against the tree trunk. “But how am I to carry these things back? We’re talking about a point redeeming system where a single Crystal is but a hundred points. If I were to exchange my points for resources…”

“We already prepared a solution for you. Two Engines, ones that are on the level of national treasures, will be placed in the Pagoda for your redemption.” Paragon Ying Xin nodded to herself. “They have very powerful abilities, so each of them is four hundred and ninety-nine points each.”

“For me, eh? I could use them,” Gaius said. His face was still as he continued to say, “I have people at home that could do with one. No one makes Engines nowadays…”

“With the Dynamo? Yeah. The only real reason to get one would be to increase your range of attacks. And an Engine’s ability is far stronger than a normal Art anyway, it's on the level of a Paragon.” She glanced at Gaius’ hands, which were devoid of any sigil. “Do you really not need any Art? My family has a few rare ones.”

“No, I think not,” Gaius replied. “Might have a few adverse effects on me — I don’t want to risk it.”

Ying Xin blinked, clearly confused. “Alright, then. Let’s head over to the Pagoda of Equivalent Exchange, while I get some people to spread the news.”

She tapped on the Display in her hand, but the artefact she was holding on to was clearly more sophisticated than Gaius’ own. It was probably an upgraded version or something, and Gaius had the feeling if development on this artefact carried on for another decade or so, it would be the smartphone of Orb. Electricity not needed, rechargeable anytime, anywhere…it would be the next big thing of this world.

“That artefact…the Display,” said Gaius, “are the researchers behind it in need of funding?”

“Funding?” Paragon Ying Xin looked up and laughed. “Every department needs funding. Especially the ones in R&D. Why? Are you interested?”

“Mm. I’m interested in investing in the group behind these Displays,” Gaius replied solemnly. There was probably something incongruent about a child talking about investing into project, but if there was, the Paragon didn’t let it show on her face.

“I see. Let me get the relevant people to head to the Pagoda. Think of it as a free service from me to you,” the Paragon replied.

“Thank you.”

“Think little of it. After all, one of our responsibilities is to seek out investors for our on-going projects. We usually liaise with big corporations, like Mi-Zu’s zaibatsus or Feng-Lang’s State Organised Enterprises, the SOEs.” She motioned at the pagoda, which was now in view after a few minutes of walking. “Of course, individual investors like you are welcome too.”

“I see.”

The Paragon smiled, and returned to fiddling with the Display.