Two days later, the underground floor of Saints Company was alive with activity.
Blueprint sheets covered half the central table. This was where things were built. Weapons of different shapes and sizes sat displayed behind reinforced glass or mounted along the walls, while engineers and staff moved through the space with tablets, tools and folders in hand.
Digital schematics glowed across three enormous screens, each showing a different section of Sigurd's internal structure.
Engineers moved between projected models, speaking in clipped technical language while Kashi stood at the head of the table, one hand resting against the polished surface.
Half the blueprint was complete.
Which, considering the scale of the project, was already ridiculous.
"Again," Kashi said.
The room quietened as one of the senior mechanical engineers tapped the screen.
"The issue is here."
A section of the model enlarged.
"If we maintain the current configuration, the deployment frame can withstand initial assembly. But once the upper system is mounted, the load distribution becomes uneven."
Kashi studied it. "For how long?"
The engineer hesitated. "Under continuous operation? Twenty-seven minutes before structural stress begins exceeding tolerance."
Kashi's expression remained flat. "So it fails."
"Well—"
"It fails."
The man corrected himself immediately. "Yes."
Kashi picked up the stylus beside her tablet and looked around the table. Six engineers suddenly developed an intense interest in their notes.
She tapped the screen twice.
"Shift the load. Stop trying to strengthen the weak point."
Kashi dragged one section of the model aside and began sketching over the projection. "The problem isn't that the frame is weak. The problem is that you're forcing it to carry weight it shouldn't."
Her stylus moved quickly.
"Redistribute through the secondary supports. Split the upper assembly load across four points instead of two."
The structural engineer leaned closer. "That would require altering the central spine."
"Then alter it."
"We've already finalised that section."
Kashi looked at him. He paused. Then slowly reached for his tablet.
"We'll alter it."
She continued drawing. "Move this twenty centimetres inward. Reinforce here, not here. Reduce the upper plate thickness by twelve per cent."
"That could affect durability."
Kashi stopped. "You disagree?"
"No, ma'am."
"Then stop looking like someone cancelled Christmas."
Several people around the table lowered their heads.
Kashi returned to the blueprint. "Materials?"
"Titanium composite for the primary frame," another engineer said. "We're still reviewing alternatives for the secondary supports."
"Too expensive."
A brief silence followed. Several of them exchanged glances.
The engineer looked almost confused.
Kashi raised her head. "What?"
"You're concerned about cost?" Mr Park asked. Her gaze lifted very slowly. Mr Park immediately regretted speaking.
"I am a businesswoman, Mr Park. Not a philanthropist."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Find something cheaper that does the same job."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And if anyone suggests inferior steel to me again, I will personally remove them from this project."
Three engineers simultaneously stopped writing.
"Moving on."
Secretary Zach stood two seats away, taking notes with the haunted efficiency of a man who had already accepted that this project would shorten his lifespan.
"The targeting architecture team is waiting for approval on Section Eleven," he said.
Kashi reached for another file. "Send it through."
Zach opened his mouth. Then stopped as a faint disturbance had started near the back of the room.
Whispers. At first, Kashi ignored them. The people around her did not.
One by one, heads began turning towards the glass doors.
Zach looked past her. His face changed. Kashi slowly lifted her head.
Chaos Riegrow walked in.
Xavier beside him.
Chaos wore a perfectly tailored black suit, his tie loose enough to suggest he had either come straight from another meeting or simply refused to behave like a civilised person for longer than necessary.
Xavier, meanwhile, looked immaculate. Professional and Composed.
Kashi had always liked that about him.
The room fell unnaturally quiet. Chaos looked around. Then his gaze found her. Something amused flickered across his face.
Kashi's expression did not change. Not one muscle.
"Mr Riegrow." Her tone was Formal and Corporate.
Several workers glanced between them.
"Miss Saints."
Kashi gestured towards the empty seats. "You're late."
Chaos checked the wall clock. "By three minutes."
"Late."
His mouth twitched. Beside him, Xavier lowered his head slightly.
Chaos approached the table. "Did you miss me?"
Kashi looked at him.
Chaos saw whatever answer lived in her face and immediately pulled out a chair. "Meeting," he said.
Xavier sat beside him.
Kashi turned back towards the screens. "Section Eleven."
The room breathed again.
One of the engineers stood and began presenting.
"The autonomous acquisition system has been modelled according to the parameters provided last week. However, we've encountered a conflict between simultaneous tracking and processing delay once target volume exceeds—"
"Thirty-two?" Kashi asked.
The engineer nodded. "Yes."
Chaos leaned back. "Thirty-two what?"
Kashi continued staring at the screen ignoring him.
Please stop speaking near my blueprint.
Chaos waited. She said nothing. He lifted both hands.
"Continue."
Xavier turned towards him. Very quietly, he said, "Remarkable."
Chaos glanced over. "What?"
"Your ability to recognise danger."
Chaos ignored him.
The engineer continued. "If we increase processing capacity, we create additional thermal load."
Kashi nodded. "Categorise by immediate threat probability. Priority processing. Everything below threshold remains tracked, but not fully processed."
Chaos watched her as she spoke. Not the screen. Her.
Kashi could feel it but she chose peace. For the next thirty minutes, she ignored him completely and focused on work.
Chaos appeared to consider several poor decisions. Then, as the meeting neared its end, self-preservation apparently became optional. "You look beautiful when you're threatening people."
Kashi turned her head. The look she gave him could have stripped paint. Chaos's mouth closed immediately.
Xavier watched him for a moment, gave one small, approving nod. "Excellent decision, Young Master."
Chaos looked offended. "I said one thing."
By the end of the meeting, Kashi had approved three system revisions, rejected two material proposals, ordered a complete redesign of one deployment component and added twelve new annotations to the partial blueprint.
She set down the stylus. "That's enough for today."
Chairs shifted almost immediately.
The workers and staff began gathering tablets and documents.
"Revisions by Friday. Updated simulations by Monday. If anything fails before then, I want to know before it becomes my problem."
"Yes, Miss Saints."
"Understood."
"Thank you, ma'am."
One by one, they filed out. Zach followed after gathering the remaining documents.
Soon, only Kashi, Chaos and Xavier remained.
Kashi began organising the blueprint sheets.
Xavier watched the two of them.
Ever since his Young Master had returned that night, Chaos had been on edge for reasons Xavier had not managed to uncover. Yet now— Here he was.
Acting like a schoolboy in front of his crush.
Xavier shook his head slowly.
Ah.
If only i could take a picture and send it to the Big Boss.
He turned towards Kashi. "I must say, Miss Saints, the progress is impressive."
Kashi's expression softened immediately. "Thank you, Xavier." She smiled at him.
Chaos's jaw tightened.
Xavier continued, apparently unaware that he had just committed a crime. "Half the blueprint in this timeframe is exceptional. The load redistribution solution was particularly elegant."
Kashi's smile deepened. "I'm glad someone in X Holdings understands engineering."
Chaos slowly turned towards Xavier.
Xavier looked back at him. Completely calm.
Kashi gathered the final folder. "Please send me your division's updated modelling reports directly. I'd like Zach to review them before the next session."
Outside the room—
"Achoo!" Zach sneezed. He rubbed his nose.
Why do i suddenly feel as though my workload had just increased?
Inside—
"Of course, Miss Saints." Xavier gave a polite bow.
"Thank you."
Chaos looked between them. "So he gets a smile?"
Kashi did not even glance his way. "Yes. Got a problem?"
Xavier straightened slightly. Chaos glared at him.
Traitorous bastard.
Kashi picked up her tablet and headed towards the door. "Next meeting is Friday at ten."
Chaos called after her. "Kashi?" The room became dangerously still as she stopped, turned just enough to look at him over her shoulder.
Chaos reconsidered his entire existence.
"…Friday at ten," he corrected.
Kashi gave one short nod. "Good boy." She looked at Xavier.
"Make sure your Young Master attends."
"He will not miss it, Miss Saints." Xavier kept his expression admirably composed.
Kashi walked out.
Chaos leaned back in his chair.
Two days. Apparently, she was still angry. His mouth slowly curved.
At least she was thinking about him.