Happiness came too suddenly, leaving Strid with a surreal feeling. After preparing for over a dozen days, he found himself sitting in the carpentry workshop, waiting for the first merchant to arrive and purchase tables and chairs.

The place was filled with the lingering scent of freshly applied paint, and for the first time, Strid found the fragrance quite delightful.

"We're heading to Dunning, and we heard there are affordable furniture for sale here," a voice sounded behind Strid as he got up to inspect the beautifully crafted furniture for the third time.

For Strid, who was eager to turn wood into gold, this voice was like a godsend.

He turned around, wearing a seemingly leaping smile, rubbing his hands together as he asked,

"Yes, we have a new type of chair here! Exquisite design, affordable prices! Would you like to take a look?"

Taking a look was a must. The merchant nodded, and his gaze fixated on the chairs behind Strid, unable to shift away.

In this world, mass-producing chairs wasn't common. Finding identical chairs was even rarer, as many nobles preferred using essentially identical chairs to display their wealth.

But the problem was, there were just too many identical chairs here—so many that it left people feeling overwhelmed.

"100 identical chairs? By the gods, am I seeing this correctly?" The merchant took a couple of steps forward, reaching out to touch the chairs, but he stopped himself midway with caution.

"These chairs must be expensive, right?" he turned to Strid, his voice trembling slightly.

"Not at all, approximately 25 silver coins each," Strid replied, feeling his heart race as he named the price.

He knew the production cost of these chairs, factoring in the wages of the apprentice workers. It came to about 45 copper coins per chair. Selling them for 25 silver coins felt almost like cheating.

Of course, he also knew that these prices wouldn't last. Once the market was flooded with chairs, the prices would drop rapidly. Perhaps in a few days, he'd be lucky to get 10 silver coins for such a chair.

"That's excellent! I'll take 40 of these chairs..." The merchant enthusiastically reached into his purse, which was now significantly heavier with 10 gold coins. Strid watched as the coins were placed into the money chest carried by his guards, and his smile widened.

Strid, who managed the city's income, had seen larger sums of money, like the 300 gold coins taken away on a carriage when paying the taxes to the Empire of Yalanter. However, even he had never experienced making 10 gold coins in such a short time. Soon, the city would be filled with these chairs – in the castle, the blacksmith's shop, the barracks – everywhere. When that time came, people might even stand on these chairs to saw wood or forge iron.

In the morning, about ten merchants came to the carpentry workshop's warehouse and purchased these unique chairs from Strid.

A total of 70 gold coins in revenue made Strid seriously contemplate how he should spend his newfound wealth.

"Excuse me... may I ask if these chairs were made using a particular 'method'?" A young man, without lifting his head from inspecting the chairs' legs, inquired.

Strid looked toward the young man, curious about his interest. The young man was dressed in noble attire with a sword at his waist. His golden curls made him appear rather delicate, almost like a young girl.

"Yes, sir. Are you interested in buying these chairs? They are reasonably priced at 25 silver coins each," Strid responded, not particularly keen on discussing the craftsmanship at this moment, as he knew how these things were produced.

A few days later, when chair prices plummeted due to oversupply, the carpentry workshops in Ceris City would begin selling these woodworking machines. By then, people would naturally understand the greatness of Ceris City.

"I know, I've heard about it. 25 silver coins..." The young man, named Desael, inspected the chairs further. "I'm Desael! Dragonite Desael..."

His smile faded as Strid remained silent for a few seconds before acknowledging, "You are from the Dragonite family..."

"Yes," Desael nodded. "Surprising, isn't it? To find something so interesting in Ceris City! Can you show me around?"

"Of course..." Strid looked to one of his guards and instructed, "Go fetch Lord of the City."

"Please, this way," Strid stepped aside, gesturing to lead the way respectfully.

Without much ceremony, Desael followed Strid and headed toward a small door on the other side of the warehouse.

Meanwhile, Chris, who had been tirelessly sketching part designs, was once again interrupted by Dean, who had come to deliver a message.

"Sir, I hope this interruption is warranted," Dean began, "The Dragonite family wishes to meet with you."

"Dragonite family? What do they do?" Chris, unaware of this sudden family's emergence, inquired, appearing somewhat skeptical. "Is there anything remarkable about them?"

"Sir, the Dragonite family is one of the largest merchant families in the mortal realm," Dean explained with respect. "They are involved in various businesses, and they are known for their immense wealth and long history."

"Oh, that's intriguing," Chris acknowledged. "Let's go meet this esteemed guest from the Dragonite family."

When Chris arrived at the carpentry workshop, Strid had already been showing Desael around the fascinating machinery.

Desael, like a child in a wonderland, carefully observed the apprentices operating the machines, even trying it himself, albeit clumsily, resulting in a ruined piece of wood.

Strid wasn't worried about Desael attempting to copy the machine's design. Firstly, just observing the external structure wouldn't reveal the complexity of the internal components.

Secondly, the Dragonite family had a long history of integrity. Their motto was "The Dragonite family does business, not robbery." From their inception, they had strictly adhered to this rule and never unlawfully seized anything from others. Such a heritage was highly valued and protected.

"This is an incredible invention; it's truly marvelous," Desael exclaimed, looking up from the machinery with a face filled with amazement.

Then, he saw a group of tall, well-proportioned, handsome men with black hair entering, led by a middle-aged man with long hair.

"You must be Lord Chris, the ruler of this city. It's a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself – I am Desael of the Dragonite family, the third son," Desael greeted politely without a hint of condescension.

Chris reciprocated the greeting, saying, "Ceris City welcomes your visit, Mr. Desael."

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion. In truth, I was merely passing through Ceris City today but stumbled upon something fascinating here, so I decided to visit," Desael explained. He gestured towards the machines, praising them, "It's truly remarkable. I've discovered something extraordinary here."

"I understand," Chris replied. "You're correct in thinking that this technology can be universally applied. It can replace many machines, such as the outdated looms."