The six members of the Tower of Babel looked at each other, while Ansel shrugged at them, laughing lightly, “Let’s get to work then, I’ll guide you along the way.”

The alchemical workshop quickly got into gear, with the flowing ether being manipulated by the alchemists. In fact, the alchemists assigned to assist Ansel and Ravenna were all quite capable. In terms of combat power, probably Ravenna could beat no one, yet she held the dominant position in the entire research.

“To engrave so many etheric circuits on such a small piece of magi-metal? This is impossible! It’s too tricky, and it will cause the magi-metal to collapse!”

“What we want is its collapse,” “Its purpose is to collapse.”

Two almost identical sentences rang out at the same time. Ravenna turned to look at Ansel, only to find that Ansel wasn’t looking at her, but was instead focused on teaching a Babel member something she considered extremely simple.

“The difficulty of this etheric flow is too high… Damn! Another piece of magi-metal is wasted.”

“What is this design for? Why give it a high degree of assimilation?”

“Because this way, it can let the heterogeneous ether—” “Try to enter the etheric circuit, whether successful or not, it can have an impact.”

Ravenna took over… or rather, interrupted Ansel’s words. She finished the sentence herself, and then looked at Ansel again.

But he still wasn’t looking at her.

“…”

Ravenna fell quiet, focusing her attention on the task at hand.

It was deliberate.

Ravenna reassured herself.

He intentionally had Hendrik add these mediocrities, just to put me in this predicament.

He knew full well that only I could comprehend his vision with the utmost speed and precision. Others could barely touch the base of his thought process, yet he still brought in so many people under the guise of accelerating the pace and enhancing efficiency. In reality, he was deliberately sidelining me, attempting to provoke me into submission.

Once the crux of the problem was clear, Ravenna would not fall into the trap, for she had the ability to control her emotions completely, and would not be swayed by anger.

Thus, she continued to immerse herself in realizing Ansel’s vision, listening to Ansel’s description of this new weapon…

“Autonomous function… You mean to install the independent circuit of the floating cannon as well? That’s even more impossible! The etheric circuits are already filled to the brim!”

“Wait, this is too easily detectable, so much ether concentrated in such a small piece of magi-metal…”

“If we aim for victory with small volume and large quantity, it’s too easily destroyed! This is a battlefield, we can’t use such a method!”

Ravenna couldn’t take in Ansel’s innovative ideas for this new weapon — all she heard were endless problems.

Whenever Ansel had barely spoken a few words, someone would fail to understand a part of the concept, and Ansel would have to patiently explain. Yet Ravenna could think of the answer in an instant, and when she started, she did it even better.

But because Ansel was constantly wasting time on those people, she couldn’t delve further.

“Uh, sir, do you think it’s safer to use the old etheric circuits, or—”

“Enough!”

After an unknown number of questions were raised again, Ravenna’s icy voice echoed in the alchemy workshop. She turned her head to stare at the members of Babel, her face expressionless, and said word by word:

“All of you, leave. Now.”

Her words stunned the members of Babel who were gradually taking in Ansel’s explanation. Before they could speak, Ravenna’s frosty voice came again:

“We are racing against time to develop a weapon to counter the Etheric Academy, not here to lecture you. You are just holding us back. Now, leave this alchemy workshop. If you have any objections, take them to Hendrik.”

The assistants arranged by Hendrik all left.

Their resentful gazes at Ravenna were clearly visible in Ansel’s eyes.

The young Hydral looked at the silent woman standing next to the workbench, deactivated his illusion, and said with interest, “You seemed quite angry just now, Venna.”

“…Are you done with your boring game?”

Ravenna said without lifting her head, “If you’re done, tell me what to do next. We’ve wasted enough time.”

Yes, of course, it was to avoid wasting time.

“Wasting time? Then why didn’t you let me teach them properly?” Ansel raised an eyebrow slightly, “I think it’s obviously more efficient this way, or… are you a bit eager to prove yourself to me?”

“Efficiency? You call that efficiency?”

According to Ravenna’s simple calculations, compared to waiting for Ansel to sort out the whole context for those mediocrities and explain all the problems clearly before starting, it would be much faster for her to follow Ansel’s thoughts step by step and turn that creation into reality.

“As for your joke just now, I didn’t find it funny.”

“No one fell for your ridiculous and boring trap.” Ravenna said expressionlessly as she changed the shape of the magi-metal on the workbench, “Because I’ve seen through your intentions. I’m not doing this to prove anything to you, it’s just a compromise I had to make to ensure the progress of the research.”

Her emotions didn’t fluctuate at all, and her tone didn’t show any haste or reluctance. Clearly, that’s what she really thought.

“…You’re really no fun, Venna.”

Ansel said something he hadn’t said to Ravenna in a long time, “You haven’t changed at all in these years—”

“Listen well, Hydral.”

Ravenna abruptly ceased her task at hand.

She pivoted, striding towards Ansel, her countenance devoid of emotion as she declared, “I am oblivious to your schemes, indifferent to your machinations against me, and unconcerned about your sinister and sordid thoughts.”

“At present, the Tower of Babel is confronted with its greatest peril. My sole objective is to rescue it from the clutches of those two madmen. Hence, my focus is solely on whether you can assist me in defeating the Etheric Academy. Everything else is of no consequence to me.”

“Therefore—”

Ravenna, slightly shorter than Ansel due to her modified puppet body, reached out to grasp Ansel’s collar. Her violet eyes, hidden behind her grey glasses, sparkled with a cold, harsh light that starkly contrasted her ambiguous actions.

The extreme rationalist articulated each word distinctly”

“I will not permit you to squander this invaluable time by seeking any more incompetents. I do not need any so-called assistants who can’t even keep up with your thoughts.”

“In this world, the only person who can perfectly manifest your thoughts and ideas is me.”

She clutched Ansel’s collar, step by step, forcing the young and handsome noble against the wall, almost pressing herself against him:

“Therefore, from now on, I will be the only one you gaze upon, your thoughts will flow only for me… If you can do this, any subsequent manipulation will be at your discretion.”

The woman released Ansel’s collar, scoffing coldly, “Perhaps this is your objective, or perhaps you returned to the capital just to humiliate and toy with me.”

“But I don’t care, I am only concerned about whether you can accomplish this… Even though you conceived the idea of the mechanical armor, with the empress’s support, the Etheric Academy could create something that even you can’t imagine.”

“Well…”

Ansel, gazing into her magnificent violet eyes, straightened his collar and replied with a smile, “Venna, have I ever disappointed you in such matters?” ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

“…”

After a moment of silence, Ravenna turned to walk towards the workbench, her tone indifferent as she stated, “Only in terms of creation —”

“You are indeed perfect, never disappointing me, Ansel.”

*