Throwing on his coat, Lanchi picked up the codex he had borrowed from the border library and left his room.
As the morning light gradually brightened, the outside world became clearer.
After his usual breakfast, a brief chat with Hans the butler, and a farewell to Francine the maid, Lanchi walked straight out of the estate, heading toward a familiar street corner.
It wasn’t long before he saw Talia, standing against the wall.
"Good morning, Tata."
Lanchi greeted Talia, who had been waiting for him since early morning.
Previously, when Lanchi had asked for her name, Talia hadn’t given him her real one.
Instead, she had called herself "Tata."
Even though Lanchi already knew her true name, he had to pretend he didn’t.
After all—If he accidentally called her "Talia," it would cause serious trouble.
A mere commoner like him had no reason to know the true identity of this demon princess.
So naturally, he played along, addressing her as "Tata."
"Mm."
Talia nodded but didn’t respond further.
As Lanchi began his day’s journey, she followed behind him—keeping a steady distance.
About half an hour later, Lanchi and Talia arrived at the Card Crafters' Association—the Hutton Kingdom South Wantina Border Branch.
Before Lanchi even touched the heavy doors, a mysterious energy rippled across their surface.
Before his eyes—
The ancient sigils on the black iron gates flickered to life with a ghostly blue glow, as if the door itself had come alive, pulsating with magical energy.
With a soft rumbling, the gap between the doors slowly widened.
And beyond it—
Lay an entirely different world from the outside.
Inside, the association’s hall was elegant and orderly.
Aside from neatly arranged counters, there were no unnecessary decorations—
Everything was structured and efficient.
Despite being early morning, the association was already bustling with activity.
Workers hurried back and forth, while guests lined up at the counters, deep in discussion about magic cards and the Shadow Realm.
Lanchi had just stepped inside when he suddenly paused.
"Tata, I don’t know how long I’ll be here today. Why don’t you just come in with me?"
He turned back to Talia and asked.
Ever since their deal, Lanchi had made it a habit to inform Talia of his daily plans—
What time he left home, what time he planned to return.
As his bodyguard, Talia was extremely professional.
Whenever Lanchi visited the border library or the Card Crafters' Association, Talia always waited outside—
Until he came back out.
Since these important locations were already well-guarded, Lanchi had told her that she didn’t need to accompany him inside.
For example—
Once he returned home, she no longer needed to guard him inside the estate.
Besides—
Lanchi was fully aware that Talia lacked the proper identity to enter such places.
Right now, she was merely an illegal immigrant in Hutton Kingdom.
If she entered without authorization and was investigated, it could lead to serious trouble.
"No."
Talia’s voice remained emotionless, as distant as ever.
Lanchi sighed, placing his hands on his hips.
"I’ll be coming here every day from now on."
"If you wait outside like this all the time… won’t it just make you more noticeable?"
"…"
Talia fell silent, as if considering his words.
"Wouldn’t it be easier if you could freely enter and exit the association?"
Lanchi pressed on.
"Listen, I’ll be renting a workshop inside. Aside from me, no one else will be in the room."
"You can just stay inside to pass the time. If anyone asks, I’ll say you’re my bodyguard."
As he spoke, Lanchi pulled out his crystal savings card—
A high-tier one.
The border association wouldn’t dare offend a VIP like him.
"Fine."
After a brief hesitation, Talia nodded slightly and followed him inside.
Truthfully—
She had always wanted to see the human Card Crafters' Association up close.
But her lack of legal identity had prevented her.
Yet somehow—
This human… always managed to accidentally make things work out in her favor.
As soon as they entered, an attendant approached Lanchi, ready to assist.
While Lanchi wasn’t a registered card crafter, the staff knew he had come as a merchant.
After all—
The Lanchi family was part of the Wilford Trading Company, one of the most renowned businesses in the South Wantina border region.
"I’d like to rent a premium private workshop.
Also, I need some materials."
Lanchi spoke clearly and handed over a list.
The attendant bowed politely, then gestured for them to follow.
Under his guidance, they walked through half of the first floor before reaching a floating staircase, which took them to the third floor.
The corridors here had a century-old feel.
Yet, instead of over-renovating, the association had chosen to preserve its artistic charm.
At the end of the hallway, a room with a purple plaque came into view.
The attendant opened the door and stepped aside, motioning for them to enter.
"Mr. Lanchi Wilford, the rental fee is one pound per hour.
You can settle the bill upon departure. Your materials will be delivered shortly."
After operating a small magical device, the attendant returned Lanchi’s identity-marked crystal card.
"Got it. Thank you."
Lanchi chatted briefly at the doorway while Talia silently examined the room.
The workshop was spacious, equipped with a complete set of card crafting tools—
All of excellent quality.
For a border city, this was impressive.
Talia couldn’t even remember the last time she had seen such familiar tools.
But—
She had no intention of touching them.
The magic cards she created—inscribed with demonic script—
Couldn’t be openly traded in human nations.
If the Kingdom Alliance Council ever tracked her down—
It would only lead to disaster.
Before long—
The staff delivered all the materials Lanchi had ordered.
Among them were:
Blank magic cards
Energy crystals
Engraving magic stones
Magic core liquid
Various scrolls
The main materials for crafting the three major types of magic cards varied.
Now—
Lanchi was ready to begin.
Equipment Cards must have a physical prototype, along with enchantment, sealing, and other enhancement materials.
Summoning Cards require monster cores, soul crystals, or similar materials.
Spell Cards, on the other hand, use magic scrolls as their primary material, which are then processed and modified.
For practice purposes, Spell Cards were undoubtedly the best choice.
Much of the materials and craftsmanship needed for Spell Cards were already integrated into the magic scrolls.
Rather than creating something from scratch, making a Spell Card was more like "reprocessing" an existing magic formula!
Inside the Workshop
"You can stay here or leave whenever you like. If you need to come back, just find that attendant from earlier—he'll let you in."
Lanchi grabbed a chair and placed it near the workbench, gesturing to Talia.
A silent invitation.
Talia nodded.
She wasn’t fond of standing around all day anyway.
So, she walked to the chair and sat down gracefully—
Her posture immaculate, her hands gently folded over her lap.
Like a queen upon her throne.
Her gaze remained calm and indifferent, seemingly uninterested in her surroundings.
But after sitting for a while—
She realized.
She didn’t really have anything else to do except watch this kid craft magic cards.