To an unknowing observer, it might seem like a mere glowing mass, but he, the successor of the Golden Ratio and the dean of the Imperial Academy, knew it was an excellent Golden Ratio detector based on the ancient Golden Ratio.
‘Of course, I know it well because I made it!’
It had been a long time since the Emperor ordered him to find a new successor to the Golden Ratio. At first, he met with one promising individual at a time for verification.
Eventually, realizing the task was overwhelming, Lasis brainstormed.
From that point, he had spent several months putting aside other tasks to create this device by referring to ancient records.
A Golden Ratio detector that sensed strong Golden Ratio usage and notified him of the location.
Those he had located using the device were mostly newborns.
Therefore, once he determined a general location, he would go there to examine the newly born babies. If they were confirmed to possess strong Golden Ratio, they were brought into the Imperial Academy under favorable conditions.
‘But this time, it was quite strong.’
Even without it, Lasis could feel the Golden Ratio through his unique senses.
The Golden Ratio that was felt on the wind. It was so intense that it awakened him from his slumber.
‘If it felt that strong, it’s definitely nearby.’
Maybe it’s even in the capital. In that case, the crowd would make it even more annoying to find… But at least he wouldn’t have to go far.
Determined to find it quickly this time, Lasis hummed a tune. Then an employee spoke.
“It’s not within the Empire.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lasis gestured dismissively. If he felt it that strongly, it had to be a power manifested nearby.
“Verify it properly. At most, it’s a day’s distance.”
“The data is out. It’s outside the Empire. The direction is east… no… all directions?”
As the employee stuttered in disbelief, Lasis shook his head.
“What are you saying? All directions? How is that possible?”
“That’s what we’d like to know.”
“Anyway, it doesn’t make sense. Check it again.”
At Lasis’s command, the employees scrambled.
They too found the results unbelievable. There had never been such an outcome before.
The employees looked at each other. Without speaking, they knew what their colleagues wanted to say.
Has the detector finally malfunctioned?
Just like Lasis, indeed.
The detector reactivated, and another light rapidly blinked around it. The spectacle was fascinating whether one knew what it was or not.
A machine created by the primordial power.
Successors of the Golden Rule generally preferred to use their power in its original, manifested state, but not Lasis.
He enjoyed converting the power of his own Golden Rule into an energy source that anyone could use in machinery.
Thanks to that, even though his behavior was reckless enough to have cost him his life multiple times, the Emperor still kept him close.
“The results are the same. It’s in all directions.”
“… ”
The smile disappeared from Lasis’s face.
“Don’t inform anyone outside. Just you all should know for now.”
“And if it gets out?”
“Remember signing the waiver when you joined? Want your upper half and lower half to work in different rooms?”
“… Yes, I’ll keep quiet.”
Feeling the determination in Lasis that work would get done even if it killed them, the staff swallowed their tears.
Leaving them behind, Lasis drew a circle in the air. Bright light followed, and a different landscape appeared beyond the circle.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
