novelODS Chapter 32 In-depth conversation with the Queen
Chapter 32 In-depth conversation with the Queen
In the days that followed, Chen Mo's daily routine became more regular than a clock.
I wake up before dawn every day, walk to the workshop in the dark, and begin enchanting my first sword in the morning light.
He would eat something simple for lunch—usually bread and dried meat, and sometimes Benjamin would bring him a bowl of hot soup from the Blinking Rat.
He continued working in the afternoon until the setting sun bathed the entire studio in golden-red light. Only then did he put down the soul stone in his hand, rub his sore eyes, and stretch his stiff neck.
Later, Chen Mo felt that going back and forth between home and the studio was too much trouble, so he almost slept in the studio.
The enchanting table was covered with grayish-white powder left behind after the soulstone shattered, and next to the iron rack where the longsword was placed, there were several stacks of scrap paper he had used—covered with drafts of various enchanting patterns and notes on his experience.
His enchanting success rate was much higher than he had expected.
He succeeds at least eight or nine out of ten times. The rest are not failures, but the patterns are a little blurry and the energy efficiency is slightly lower. They do not meet his own standards and are classified as "defective products".
In fact, those "defective products" could fetch a good price if sold on the market.
With three hundred ordinary soul stones and two hundred swords, Blue Palace had clearly taken into account a 30% loss rate.
However, given Chen Mo's current success rate, he actually only needs 250 soul stones to complete the order.
He glanced at the neatly stacked wooden boxes on the iron rack, silently did some mental calculations, and then comfortably categorized them as "material loss".
There's nothing to be embarrassed about.
He knew that this was actually part of the order.
Both sides understood each other without saying a word.
The empire provided him with ample materials, which was telling him:
This is part of the reward.
The only thing that puzzled Chen Mo was that the Queen would come occasionally.
……
That evening, the sun was setting perfectly.
Chen Mo had just finished enchanting a longsword. He took the sword off the enchanting table and examined the patterns on the blade in the setting sun by the window.
The orange-red light pierced through the glass and fell on the silver-white blade, illuminating the fine, vein-like enchanted patterns with exceptional clarity.
Physical energy absorption.
He has done this enchantment hundreds of times; he can almost draw the pattern with his eyes closed.
He carefully inspected each sword he finished.
It's not that I'm worried, it's just a simple sense of ritual.
The light of the setting sun reflected off the blade and fell on his face, the warm, golden-red light softening his angular features.
His eyes were slightly narrowed, his gaze slowly moving along the patterns on the blade, from the guard to the tip, and back again.
"You succeeded again."
A voice came from behind, gentle and with a hint of a smile, "Your skills are becoming more and more exquisite, Advisor."
Chen Mo's fingers tightened slightly on the hilt of the sword.
He turned around.
Alisifer stood in the doorway.
She wore a light gray dress, no crown, and her golden hair was loosely draped over her shoulders, making her look completely different from the meticulously dressed queen she had seen in the Blue Palace.
She leaned against the door frame, her hands clasped in front of her, a slight smile playing on her lips. The light of the setting sun shone through the window, falling on her face and gilding her features with a golden-red hue.
Chen Mo quickly placed the sword on the table, stood up, and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty."
"It's alright."
Elisif waved his hand and walked in, his gaze sweeping around the workshop—swords neatly stacked on the iron rack, soulstone dust remaining on the enchanting table, and a tall stack of scrap paper and drafts in the corner.
The corners of her mouth turned up a little higher.
"I was just a little tired of staying in the Blue Palace, so I came out for a walk. I saw that the advisor was focused on enchanting, so I didn't disturb him."
Chen Mo glanced out the window.
The setting sun had already dyed half the sky golden red, and the sea surface of the harbor was covered with a layer of broken gold.
At this time, the Blue House had probably just finished its day's political affairs.
"Please sit, Your Majesty." He said, tidying up the table and pushing aside the pile of scraps of paper and drafts to make room for something clean. "I'll go get some drinks."
Alisifer sat down in the leather chair, placed his hands on his knees, and looked at the young man in front of him with great interest.
He had black hair, a angular face, and was shorter than most Nords but taller than Brightons.
He was unlike any other man she had ever met—neither the rugged, muscular strength of a Nord warrior, nor the shrewd, cunning smile of an Imperial official.
He stood there, exuding an indescribable aura.
Chen Mo rummaged through the cabinet and found a bottle of honey fruit wine and two glasses.
This was actually the "work drink" that Lan Gong provided for him—it was probably what Foco Huohu thought, that Chen Mo should have something good to soothe his throat after work.
He hadn't drunk much, but it came in handy today.
"How about honey fruit wine?" Chen Mo asked, his tone slightly tentative—wouldn't it be too shabby for the Queen to drink this?
Alisifer smiled, his lips curving into a beautiful arc in the sunset.
"it is good."
Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.
He poured the wine, handed it to Alisher, and kept one for himself.
The Queen took the cup and took a small sip.
Chen Mo sat down opposite her and took a sip as well.
The wine is sweet, with the richness of honey and the refreshing tartness of fruit, and it doesn't have a strong aftertaste.
The setting sun outside the window sank a little deeper, the light changing from golden-red to orange-red, casting long shadows in the studio.
Elisif's gaze fell on the book on the table beside him.
The book was found by Chen Mo at the market; he bought it for a few copper coins from a secondhand bookstore. It tells the history of the Battle of Hongshan.
She reached out and picked up the book, flipping through it. The pages were a little yellowed and the edges were curled, but it was still relatively well-preserved.
The Battle of Hongshan
The Queen read out the book title, looked up at Chen Mo, and said, "I didn't realize that Your Excellency was interested in ancient history."
Chen Mo smiled.
"I just flip through it occasionally during my free time to relieve boredom."
Alisifer did not respond.
She looked down as she turned the pages, her fingers lightly tracing the paper.
Chen Mo looked at her profile—the light of the setting sun fell on her eyelashes, casting a small fan-shaped shadow.
She had a high nose bridge, slightly pursed lips, and a soft yet firm jawline.
He had been wondering why she had come here today.
The Enchanting Consultant at Blue Palace, a temporary position, a person who is dispensable.
It's not to the point where the Queen needs to personally inspect the progress of the work.
But she still came.
Sitting in my messy studio, flipping through an old book I found at a street stall, and drinking cheap fruit wine.
像一个
Just like an ordinary person.
"Rockham, Heart of God, the beginning of all strife," Elisif said casually as he turned the pages.
"Yes," Chen Mo replied casually, holding his cup.
"The Deep Elves and the Dwarves, the two protagonists gathered on the stage of Morrowind. We Nords originally had the advantage in the war, but we still couldn't withstand the combined forces of both sides." Chen Mo took a sip of wine, feeling that the wine from the Buddha's Cup seemed to be a little more fragrant than the Blinking Rat.
"However, the dwarf leader Dumark was misled by his chief engineer. He was completely unaware of the early stages of the god-making project, and in the later stages, he was forced to be swept up by the general trend of his race, ultimately turning against the deep elves." Chen Mo sighed, his tone carrying a faint sense of emotion.
However, when Chen Mo finished speaking, he noticed that Alisifer's gaze had changed.