Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Zephyr Mercer stared at the greatsword in his hand, scratching his head with a conflicted expression.

’It hadn’t seemed so strange on paper, but seeing the real thing...’ He had to admit, the sword’s design was truly bizarre.

The hilt was flat and slightly long, looking like two parts joined together, but it felt comfortable to grip. The pommel wasn’t round like on a normal sword; instead, a small square block extended from each of its sides.

The strangest part was the guard.

In the center was a rectangle about ten centimeters long, resembling a thin box. A narrow slit ran down the middle of the box, and a round button was set just above it. He had a feeling this must be the activation button for a mechanism. From either side of the box, another angular, hollow section extended outward.

He fiddled with it for a long time but couldn’t figure it out, so he turned his attention to the blade. By comparison, this part seemed the most normal. However, its edges weren’t smooth; they showed faint serrations.

By Zephyr Mercer’s standards, the sword could hardly be called beautiful. But for some reason, the moment he gripped it and looked down the blade, he was struck by an overwhelming sense of sharpness!

He studied it for a long time, not daring to tamper with it. Finally, he had to look up and ask, "Where’s the mechanism? How does it turn into a boomerang?"

Paige Summers motioned for him to hand her the sword.

Zephyr Mercer moved slowly, clearly reluctant to let it go.

The corner of Paige Summers’s lip twitched, but she didn’t make fun of him.

When she’d brought out this transforming weapon yesterday, everyone from Marcus Monroe to Claire Chapman had tried it and couldn’t put it down. If Zephyr Mercer hadn’t provided the materials, Claire Chapman would have probably had the gall to ask to keep it. Marcus Monroe went even further, directly asking her for a list of the materials needed...

’Of course she was proud!’

This was, to date, the most time-consuming and intricate weapon she had ever crafted in this world.

Taking the greatsword, she pressed the round button in the center of the guard. As she continued her work, the entire sword underwent a stunning transformation.

The blade slid downward, passing through the thin metal case at the center of the guard until it was pointed at both ends. The left side of the hilt folded inward, while the right side was pushed upward. The protruding sections of the guard elongated, forming a distinct cross shape, but that wasn’t the end of it. At the four points of the cross were small, square components. Paige Summers squeezed them, and as they compressed, short blades several inches long sprang out from within.

The entire process took her less than a minute, but what she now held was a deadly, cross-bladed boomerang!

Zephyr Mercer’s eyes were wide as saucers and his cheeks were flushed red. A scorching light seemed to blaze from his gaze!

Paige Summers then deliberately slowed her movements, transforming the boomerang back into the greatsword. When she handed it back to Zephyr Mercer, he practically snatched it from her.

Holding the sword, he examined it over and over again before he finally gave in to temptation and tried it himself.

His movements were clumsy at first, but after just two tries, his speed was already on par with Paige’s!

Seeing how much fun he was having, Paige Summers reminded him, "Remember to maintain it properly. I’ve already written down the instructions, so you can go home and study them at your leisure."

Zephyr Mercer finally stopped, realizing he had lost his composure. There was no taking it back, so he could only clear his throat and say a dry, "Thank you."

Paige Summers waved a hand dismissively. "Don’t mention it. Once you pay the remaining balance, you can take it with you."

Zephyr Mercer immediately took out a bag of Crystal Cores to settle the balance. He didn’t get up right away, however. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "My father wants to see you."

Paige Summers’s first instinct was to refuse.

’I have absolutely nothing to do with the Mercer Family! Surely the Mercer Family Head wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to force me to honor the marriage contract? But that doesn’t make any sense. If the Mercer Family was upset about me rejecting the engagement, they should be talking to the Lowell Family, not coming directly to me!’

But on second thought, she asked, "What is it about?"

He must have seen her skepticism, because Zephyr Mercer snorted. "You can rest easy. My father isn’t going to talk to you about the marriage contract." ’He certainly wasn’t going to admit he’d already told his parents to stay out of it! As for why his father wanted to see her, he wasn’t entirely sure himself, but he had a vague feeling it had something to do with the Mercer Family’s secret manuals.’

Paige Summers considered it for a moment, then nodded. If it wasn’t about the marriage contract, then she had nothing to worry about.

"Alright. When?"

"Right now."

"Okay. Give me a minute."

「A few minutes later, Paige Summers was in Zephyr Mercer’s car, heading for the First District.」

’She silently mulled over the Mercer Family Head’s motives, too preoccupied to bother making conversation with Zephyr Mercer. Even though the guy acted like a prickly, angsty teenager, he was actually older than her. How he was raised was his family’s problem; she was in no mood to deal with the consequences.’

Being ignored thoroughly irked Zephyr Mercer.

But then he’d glance at the long wooden box in the rearview mirror, think of the transforming weapon inside, and feel utterly captivated all over again.

’And Paige Summers was the one who’d made it...’

He felt deeply conflicted.

The car drove on in this strange atmosphere until it arrived at the Mercer estate.

As usual, Zephyr Mercer parked the car right at the entrance to their family’s residential compound.

Paige Summers got out of the car and surveyed her surroundings.

Seeing the expanse of buildings all built in a similar style, she knew without a doubt that this was all Mercer Family territory. ’There are no outsiders here. It’s so quiet, almost serene.’

’Compared to the outside, it’s like a completely different world.’

A sense of admiration welled up inside Paige Summers.

’Maintaining a family’s prosperity isn’t something one or two people can achieve. It requires the unified effort of the entire clan.’

’In these chaotic times, with society in turmoil, the fact that the Mercer Family could command such a domain meant they possessed true power, and not just brute force.’

’In her past life, if the Summers Family had possessed such unity, they might not have fallen into irreversible decline. That was a regret her grandfather could never overcome.’

Paige Summers never hesitated to show her respect for the strong.

It was with this mindset that she followed Zephyr Mercer into the residence of Zachary Mercer, the Head of the Mercer Family.

Zachary Mercer was waiting for them in his study.

In front of him lay the ancient book, open to the page with the drawing of the transforming weapon.

After a knock on the door, he saw the person who followed his son inside. It was an exceptionally young-looking woman. Though he knew she was twenty years old, at first glance he had the distinct impression she wasn’t yet an adult.

However, that was merely her appearance.

Her expression was remarkably composed. Even upon meeting him, she showed not a hint of panic, greeting him with a politeness that was neither fawning nor arrogant.

Zachary Mercer nodded and gestured for her to sit.

He met her gaze. Although he could see a mix of complex emotions within them—curiosity, confusion, and more—he could also tell there was an honesty in her eyes.

Satisfied, Zachary Mercer let out a small sigh of relief.

As a Noble House, the Mercer Family placed great importance on its lineage. The thought that this young woman might be a long-lost descendant and heir had been a constant source of concern for him.

She clearly had immense potential in Artifact Making. Bringing her back into the Mercer Family would not only be a great boon to her personally, but it would also serve to revitalize the family’s tradition of Artifact Making.

However, if her character was flawed, it would be a major problem.

The Mercer Family’s standing in Central City had been bought with the blood and cunning of its members, and even now, some of them held important positions within The Government and the military.

If she intended to exploit that position, it would inevitably cause trouble. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

He absolutely did not want to see that happen!

He had, of course, investigated Paige Summers, but his findings were limited to surface-level information, which wasn’t enough to put him at ease. Therefore, after some deliberation, he had asked his son to bring her here to meet in person.

Seeing his father staring at Paige Summers without a word, Zephyr Mercer grew uneasy. He awkwardly presented the wooden box, interrupting Zachary Mercer’s scrutiny. "Father, this is the weapon Paige made."

Zachary Mercer glanced at his son, a hint of amusement in his eyes, then turned and carefully opened the wooden box.

He stared at it for a long moment before reaching in to lift out the greatsword.

To Paige Summers, he merely looked satisfied. But only he himself knew just how thrilled he was!

’Though there were some differences from the one in the ancient book, the overall design was remarkably similar.’

’This was a Mercer weapon that his father, and even his grandfather, had never had the good fortune to see!’

’And now, he was finally seeing it with his own eyes!’

After examining it for a long time, he followed his son’s instructions and transformed the weapon into its boomerang form.

Even with all his worldly experience, he couldn’t help but marvel. ’This design is truly a work of genius!’

After admiring it, he slowly placed the sword back in the box and said to Zephyr Mercer, "You can leave us. I need to speak with Paige Summers alone."

Zephyr Mercer froze.

He was clearly reluctant to leave, but seeing the firmness in his father’s tone, he could only shuffle his way out the door.

Zachary Mercer nodded at Paige Summers. "Finn has been doted on since he was a child. He can be tactless at times. I hope you’ll be patient with him."

His tone was amiable, so Paige Summers didn’t feel it was her place to argue. She simply smiled and said nothing.

’Whether or not I’m patient with him depends on the situation. If he tries to use the marriage contract to meddle in my private life again, I’ll be in no mood to back down.’

Just then, Zachary Mercer brought up something completely unrelated.

"Can you tell me who your master is?"

"Master?" Paige Summers asked reflexively, unsure why he was asking such a question.

"Yes. The master who taught you Artifact Making. What is his name?"

Paige Summers’s smile vanished. ’My master was my grandfather, of course, but I can’t possibly say that. More importantly, why is he asking me this?’

"Could you first tell me why you’re asking?"

Hearing this, Zachary Mercer guessed there was a story there. After a moment’s thought, he simply pushed the ancient book across the table toward her, leaving it open to the same page.

When Paige Summers saw the diagram that was a perfect match for her own design, her mind went blank for a second, but she quickly recovered.

"This book is..."

"It is an ancient book passed down from the Mercer Family ancestors."

Paige Summers nodded, then asked seriously, "So, if I were to say that neither my master nor I have any connection to the Mercer Family, would you then suspect me of stealing your ancestors’ design?"

Zachary Mercer was stunned.

’He honestly hadn’t considered that.’

’From the very beginning, he had subconsciously assumed the design originated with the Mercer Family.’

’If she and her master had no connection to the Mercer Family, then they must have inadvertently obtained the lost portion of the Mercer Family’s ancient texts to be able to create such a weapon.’

’But this young woman was clearly implying that she had developed it herself...’

’Was... that even possible?’