Towards evening, Ethan sat in the driver’s seat of his vintage sedan, parked by the corner of the road.

The engine was off, and Hayley was in the passenger seat beside him, scrolling through her Arcphone with a relaxed posture.

The back door opened, and Bettie stepped out, adjusting the strap of her bag. She leaned down slightly and waved at them through the open window.

"Thanks for today," she said with a warm smile.

Ethan gave her a small nod. "No problem. Get home safe."

Hayley glanced up from her phone and waved back. "See you, Bettie."

Bettie returned the wave, then turned and walked off down the street, gradually disappearing into the evening crowd.

Even among S-tier casters, not many could multicast the way she did. Casting more than one spell at once required more than just raw talent.

It was even a different type of skilled visualization, that not many could do. The ability to hold multiple spell patterns in your mind simultaneously without letting them overlap or interfere with each other.

Bettie had made it look effortless.

Ethan started the car, and they pulled out onto the road. For the first few minutes, neither of them spoke.

Then Hayley broke the silence. "She’s cool, I like her."

Ethan glanced at her briefly, smiled and returned his eyes to the road. "I wish you could say the same for Isabella."

Hayley chuckled and Ethan let out a short laugh while adding, "you should really get to know the Princess. She’s the loveliest person ever"

Hayley rolled her eyes but said nothing more.

Ethan glanced at his arcphone, paying attention at the time displayed..

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

Hayley turned toward him. "What?"

"I can’t go to the palace today," Ethan said, heaving a sigh after.

Hayley raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to the palace for?"

"Oh.. yeah " Ethan muttered. Hayley wasn’t exactly aware of the whole alliance situation. However, over their long drive together, he explained the situation to her.

After a while of Ethan navigating through the evening’s traffic, he noticed Hayley hadn’t said anything in several minutes.

He glanced at her. "You’ve been quiet this whole way. What’s going on?"

Hayley didn’t answer immediately. She kept her eyes fixed on the window, tracing her finger absentmindedly on her thigh.

Finally, she spoke in a soft voice. "It’s just... hearing about the whole marriage thing. It kind of hit me."

Ethan frowned slightly. "Hit you how?"

Hayley turned to look at him, and there was something vulnerable in her expression. "With where your life is right now, I might not be your first. And I always thought I would be."

Ethan didn’t respond right away.

Hayley continued, "I know you’re going to say no to the King, but I can’t shake this feeling... I don’t want to lose my place in your life."

Ethan exhaled slowly, then reached over and placed his hand gently on top of hers. "You’re not going to lose your place, Hayley."

She looked up at him, her blue eyes searching his face.

"Now cheer up" Ethan said in a firm but kind tone.

Hayley stared at him for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. She said nothing else after, but the uneasiness had eased abit.

—-

The next day...

Ethan was back at the workshop reviewing a set of schematics with Lucy, who was explaining some adjustments they had made.

At some point when they were exchanging any further conversations, Lucy propped up her Arcphone on a nearby toolbox, watching the screen display a livestream event.

The banner at the top read: CRYPCO MECHA – FIRST LOOK LIVE.

"They still haven’t started yet?" Ethan asked, glancing at the screen.

Lucy shook her head, her eyes flicking between the phone and some random blueprints. "Not yet. Should be any minute now."

Ethan nodded, returning his focus to the schematics.

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps approached from behind. Ethan turned and saw Bettie walking into the workshop.

"Hey," Ethan said, straightening up. "How’d the interview go?"

Bettie’s smile widened. "I got the job."

Ethan grinned. "That’s great. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Bettie said, in a genuinely pleased tone.

Ethan’s expression shifted slightly, becoming more curious. "And... the other thing?"

Bettie reached into her bag and pulled out one of the envelopes he had given her the day before. She held it out toward him.

Ethan took it, glancing down at the label. It read: Bettie Out.

He looked back up at her, with a smile on his face. "So you’re in."

Bettie nodded. "I’m in." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"What changed your mind?" Ethan asked, now looking curious.

"Facing those monsters made me face the fears I used to have" she began slowly. "And i dealt with them, so maybe I’ll give this some try"

"Good," Ethan said with a nod, then his tone became more serious. "But just so we’re clear, being part of a guild means dealing with breaches, and sometimes outside violence. You understand what that means, right?"

Bettie met his gaze steadily. "Yeah. I know. I understand the risks."

Ethan studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Welcome to Clustervayne."

Bettie smiled, then added, "Oh, and one more thing, I swapped the wages. I only took what I was due."

Ethan smiled back at her and gave her an acknowledging nod.

Before either of them could say anything else, the livestream on Lucy’s phone suddenly erupted with sound. The small crowd on the screen was applauding as the camera panned across a stage.

Lucy who had been focused on it, called out. "It’s starting!"

Ethan and Bettie both turned toward the screen as well, watching as the Crypco logo faded from view and the camera focused on a massive curtain at the center of the stage.

A deep, theatrical voice boomed through the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, We present to you... the Crypco Mecha."

The curtain dropped.

And standing there, illuminated by spotlights, was a towering mechanical figure.

It was massive, easily over fifteen feet tall. Its frame was predominantly white with sleek, armor plating. The hands were large and multi-jointed and mechanical components were visible at every articulation point, with bright blue accents running along the shoulders, forearms, and legs.

The chest housed a massive glowing orange core. The head was compact and helmet-like, with a dark visor glowing faintly red. Two long antenna extended upward from the back.

Lucy’s mouth hung open and in her eyes was the greatest shock of her life.

Ethan stared at the screen, with just as much shock. "No way..."

What they were both looking at, wasn’t just any mecha.

It was the completed version of the very type they were working on.

—-

A/N :

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