[Leif's POV—Warehouse—Evening]
I stepped into the warm, cluttered glow of the warehouse. The faint scent of polished wood and enchanted metals wrapped around me like a cozy blanket.
"Thalion…" I called.
He looked up from the Trivium Core stone he was tinkering with, eyes lighting up. "Oh… Leif," he said with a sly smirk, hands resting on his hips. "So… you finally got time to grace me with your presence."
I gave a mock bow, letting my grin stretch wide. "Well… Captain Roland was far too determined to annex a village, so I had to… encourage him. You know, morale-boosting and all that."
Thalion chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, yes. He was too determined."
I laughed, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Anyway… I had to come see you because—honestly—thanks to your designs, our ornaments outshine every other empire's trinkets. You've basically set the standard for… well… everything shiny and fabulous."
