Weapon seller in the world of magic

Mark didn’t deny it. ”I want to build a kingdom in the Ice and Fire Plane, strong, unified, independent. And you... You are the most capable person I know to run it. If you aren’t deeply attached to every region and clan in this world, I thought maybe you could handle the administration there instead, while this world becomes one of your vassal states.”

The room fell silent.

Song Yue watched Shen Ling with concern. Lan Jingyi leaned forward. Even the two children sensed the seriousness and clung more tightly to Mark’s sides.

Shen Ling lowered her gaze for a moment, thinking. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm and measured. ”Three years,” she said. ”Give me three years, husband. I have goals here, unfinished reforms, promises I made, structures I must stabilize. I cannot abandon this throne yet. But if you give me that time... I will hand over the world to a government that can run without me. After that, I can leave with a clear conscience.”

Mark nodded without hesitation. To him, three years was nothing, especially now as an immortal. ”Three years is fine. It’s enough for me to establish the foundation of the dominion, the palace, the defenses, and the political structure. And by then, the situation with the Empire will be clearer too.”

He then leaned back slightly and asked, ”But... can we move in a couple of days? At least temporarily?”

Shen Ling blinked, processing the sudden shift. Then, after a moment, her lips curved into a small, knowing smile.

”A couple of days?” Shen Ling blinked at him, genuinely taken aback. ”That’s too soon, Husband.”

Mark nodded as if he had expected that response and softened his tone. ”I’m not telling you to permanently shift with me in two days. Instead of moving for good, let’s treat it like a trial. You come to the clan estate for one week. During that week, you’ll commute between here and there. Everyone will get a feel for the lifestyle in the Lan Clan. If it works, wonderful. If it doesn’t, we step back and rethink the solution together. No pressure.”

The room fell into thoughtful silence. They all exchanged glances, absorbing the suggestion. It was sudden, yes, but not unreasonable.

Song Yue was the first to speak. She lifted a shoulder in a relaxed shrug. ”I don’t mind. A house is a house. As long as we’re together, I’m fine anywhere.”

Lan Jingyi nodded after a moment, though her eyes still showed surprise. The others followed, giving reluctant but certain agreements.

Mark’s gaze softened as he turned to the two children perched beside him. ”So you two... are you ready to see snow and icy mountains?”

Lu Shan’s eyes widened, curiosity sparkling. ”Snow? I never saw snow. I saw ice, but not snow.”

Little Shen Yi tilted her head, sucked her finger, and pointed at Jingyi. ”Papa... snowiii? Grandma snowiii?”

Lan Jingyi laughed and snapped her fingers. Spiritual energy rippled, and a small white snowball formed in her palm. ”This is snow, Shan Shan.”

Lu Shan gasped dramatically, snatched the snowball with both hands and stared at it like it was a treasure. When he squeezed too hard and it crumbled apart onto the ground, he made a startled puffing noise. ”Ah! It fell!”

The adults burst into warm laughter. The atmosphere eased.

Mark stood. ”Alright, everyone. Pack seven days’ worth of clothes and everything you need. We leave in the morning.”

Everyone nodded and dispersed.

Later, in the eastern courtyard of the harem quarters, Mark walked with determined steps. The moment he entered, a pair of robotic servants and a maid approached. He gestured for one of them to go inside.

”Inform Sylvandria that Lu Zhen is here.”

The robot bowed and slipped through the sliding wooden door. A minute later, Sylvandria hurried out, her long white hair flowing behind her and her expression tense.

”Lu Zhen?” she breathed, almost too quickly. ”Why are you here at this hour?”

Mark crossed his arms and looked at her flatly. ”Syl, where are the twins?”

”They’re sleeping,” she answered almost immediately.

Mark frowned. ”Yesterday I came three times, and you said the same thing, that they were sleeping. Now it’s noon, and they’re still sleeping? Why won’t you let me see them? I’m leaving tomorrow with the family for a week. I just want to look at them once before I go.”

Sylvandria pressed her lips together, her expression stiff. ”I will send you a message when they wake. They’re elf babies, Lu Zhen. They sleep for twenty hours a day. I told you this already.”

”That’s fine.” He stepped forward. ”I won’t wake them. I’ll only look for a moment. One glance. That’s all.”

Her shoulders tightened. ”Please don’t be stubborn. I said I will...”

Before she finished, a wail echoed through the house, high-pitched, sharp, unmistakably the cry of a newborn.

Sylvandria froze.

Mark’s brows shot up.

The elven woman’s eyes widened in panic for a split second, then she stammered, ”I, I’ll go check on them. I’ll meet you later.”

Without another word, she rushed back inside, sliding the door shut behind her.

Mark watched the door close, something cold and suspicious curling through his chest.

Her strange behavior gnawed at him, yet the sound of the twins crying made the decision for him. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The bedroom carried the soft glow of elven lanterns, their pale blue light shimmering like moonwater across the walls. Sylvandria was crouched on the bed, both babies in her arms, her long silver hair draping like a curtain as she cooed hurriedly, trying to soothe them. The twins, tiny half-elven girls, were fussing, their little hands batting at each other in sleepy irritation.

Sylvandria looked up abruptly when Mark entered. Her eyes widened, guilt and panic flashing across the pale green surface of her irises. ”Lu Zhen... you...”

”They’re awake,” Mark cut in gently, walking closer. ”I thought I could finally meet them.”

She tightened her arms around the babies, almost instinctively, as if shielding them. Her reaction made no sense to him. He ignored the discomfort rising in his chest and approached anyway, his expression softening as he looked down at the infants. ”They look so cute,” he murmured. ”Faenya and Kaelen, right?”

Sylvandria forced a stiff smile, her arms still tense. Mark sat down beside her, carefully keeping his tone light as he extended his hands. After a few seconds of hesitation, Sylvandria exhaled shakily and finally handed one child, little Faenya, into his arms.

Mark held her with gentle certainty, adjusting the tiny body against his chest. Faenya blinked up at him with round emerald eyes, her expression shifting from tears to a curious little smile. She cooed softly, her small hand curling around the fabric of his sleeve.

Mark chuckled under his breath. ”Hello there, Faenya... this is your uncle Lu Zhen.”

The warmth of the moment soothed him, even though Sylvandria’s unease lingered at the edge of his awareness like a shadow. He stroked the baby’s soft cheek before glancing sideways at Sylvandria.

”You really don’t want to be with their father?” he asked quietly.

Sylvandria’s shoulders stiffened. She looked down and shook her head, almost imperceptibly, but the message was clear. Mark watched her for a long moment, the ache in her expression unmistakable.

He sighed softly. ”Syl... I know what you’re feeling. And I know why you’re avoiding me.” His voice lowered, becoming gentler, more sincere. ”You think you’ve betrayed me. You think you’ve broken some promise between us.”

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

Mark continued, ”But it’s alright. Truly. I don’t blame you for anything. We weren’t formally married. We weren’t even in love, at least, not the way real couples are.” His fingers stroked Faenya’s tiny hand as he spoke, grounding himself. ”Look at Yue’er and me... she was engaged to someone else once, too. Things changed. People’s hearts changed.”

He looked at Sylvandria fully now, trying to reach her through the wall of guilt she had built around herself.

”You and I... our engagement happened because of that illusory world. Circumstances pushed us together. You lost your position as the Priestess. You left your home world for my sake. You followed me here, thinking that was your path. And I...”

His words trailed for a moment as he searched for the right truth.

”I was grateful. I cared about you. I still care. But that doesn’t mean you owe me your life, your body, or your future. Whatever happened between you and the father of your children, it doesn’t erase your worth. It doesn’t make you unclean. And it doesn’t make me hate you.”

Sylvandria trembled. Her fingers clutched Kaelen a little tighter, tears quietly welling in her eyes. She kept her head lowered, but her knuckles were turning white.

Mark shifted Faenya in his arms and reached out with his free hand, gently touching Sylvandria’s shoulder.

”We’re family, Syl. Whatever you’ve been hiding from me... you don’t need to hide...”

Before he gets to finish the sentence, Ark’s calm voice suddenly echoed inside Mark’s mind.

*Ding! Master... this baby’s ether particles match yours. 39.2% genetic resemblance. Facial structure, bone density, ocular color distribution... all match your genetic code.

Mark froze.

Everything in him stopped, the warmth, the gentleness, even his heartbeat seemed to go silent for a second.

Sylvandria lifted her gaze slowly, sensing that something in his expression had shifted sharply. ”Lu Zhen...?”

Mark’s eyes did not leave the baby. His gentle smile had vanished, replaced by a chilling stillness.

”Syl,” he said quietly. ”If I ask you something... will you answer honestly?”

Her fingers tightened around Kaelen’s little body. ”Please don’t ask me about their father.”

Mark shook his head once, slowly.

”I’m not asking you their father’s name.”

He looked at her now, fully, directly, with a steady and piercing gaze she had never seen from him.

”I’m asking you this... what is the average gestation period for elves?”