A few moments ago,
Inside Crawford Mansion, a figure moved through the hallway leading towards the underground basement of weaponry.
tap tap
"La La La, Mr. Toy, Mr. Toy," Mia moved down the long hallway, bouncing more than walking. Each time her feet hit the floor, she was quickly up again, almost as if she was playing a game with the ground. Her hair swung around her face, and her eyes shone with excitement.
It was as if she was in her own little world, full of fun, as she hopped and skipped her way through the hallway.
"You are as energetic as always, Mia," one of the two guards standing outside the metal gates leading to the elevator remarked, looking at their usual visitor.
Mia glanced around with a playful glimmer in her eyes, whispering, "Shhh, it's a secret. Come, I will only tell you."
She then discreetly signaled the two guards to come closer, making sure no one else was watching.
As they approached, she motioned for them to form a small circle, much like a team huddled in secrecy.
"You see, the young master patted me." Leaning in, Mia whispered her secret with a grin, and the guards exchanged bewildered yet amused glances before bursting into laughter. "Hahaha, yes, yes, it's indeed a secret."
"Mia, you bitch, I know you would come here again!"
'!?'
Startled by the voice, Mia turned toward the woman who had just called out to her—the same one who always kept nagging and had even gone so far as to complain about her to the young master.
"Aunty, why do you hate me so much?" Looking at Adrian's sister, Mia felt confused, inquiring about the reasons for her disdain.
"W-what, Aunty!" Lily's face turned red with anger upon hearing those words from Mia's mouth.
"Pffft," the situation was further inflamed as the guards also broke into laughter, adding fuel to the fire.
"Open the door; I need to meet Tictric," Mia turned toward the laughing guards, ignoring the woman who was bound to nag her as usual.
"Stop there. You are not allowed to enter; this is Crawford Mansion!" Lily swiftly moved and clenched Mia's wrist to stop her from entering the elevator, thus preventing her from going underground to meet someone.
"....." Mia, feeling the grip that was not tight enough to detain her, used the same codeword that her father had suggested she use in such situations. "Leave me, or I will tell father to cut the remaining energy you get."
'!?'
"Young Master!" Mia's eyes widened upon seeing the young man arrive with a blank gaze and, upon finding her in this embarrassing situation, swiftly glared at Tictric, whose twitching face was fixed on the young man.
"Now tell me, didn't I assign you a task? What are you doing goofing around here?" Ryuk looked blankly at Mia, understanding her presence inside Crawford territory as a usual occurrence after noticing not much surprise in the expressions of any Crawfords.
"N-no! I was here to get help from Tictric," Mia swiftly shook her hand, rejecting the false accusations pointed towards her.
"What?" Ryuk, somewhat grasping the situation, turned his eyes downward, looking at the small figure who had seemed like a child at first, but now, he understood this individual belonged to a different race.
"Young Master, meet our Chief Engineer, Tictric Savas. He belongs to the Savant race, who specialize in battleship engineering," Adrian came forward, introducing the tiny creature to his young master while casting glances at Tictric, who seemed annoyed by Ryuk's previous words.
"I see. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tictric." Not judging by bodily appearance, Ryuk offered his hand.
"Tch, another amateur, a barbaric one," Tictric looked at Ryuk with a frown for being mistaken for a child a moment ago.
Seeing the misunderstanding caused by his words when he referred to Mia as a child, Ryuk thought to explain the situation but halted, observing the sharp gazes from other Savants present in the room.
What Ryuk saw in them wasn't fear or disgust; it was pride.
For a race capable of creating battleships, pride was clearly something that should be felt, but when that pride begins to form a vision that sees others as inferior, then it loses all its value.
With a composed demeanor and cold gaze, Ryuk looked down at the individual and mockingly stated, "But aren't you a mere child?"
'!?'
"Young Master?!" Adrian was startled, seeing the remaining Savants getting insulted like this, which could lead to a blow to their years of relationship.
Naturally, for possessing 35 battleships, the Crawfords had built a good relationship with the Savants, unlike other branch families who couldn't tolerate these remarks about their intellect from these tiny creatures.
Every Devereaux member was blessed with unlimited growth from their bloodline, more like a roofless secured room, but they needed to work hard to collect the gold coins in it to cross even the skies.
However, they couldn't specialize in all fields without dedicating time to learning, which made them seek help from the Savants, who took pride in their expertise.
Ryuk, after hearing Adrian, glanced his way and then, with a firm and loud voice, made himself clear.
"Adrian, if I'm talking, don't butt in."