Whenever the scepter leaning by her high seat grew warm from the sunlight outside the window, Milady knew another summer had arrived.
She would always inevitably recall the day that changed the course of her entire life. It had been in the early summer of her seventeenth year, a time when the days were just beginning to grow hot.
It first appeared in the form of a "New Mechanical Techniques Showcase" on the streets of Haidu.
Haidu was like a giant, circular clock face under the blue sky, nestled securely in the middle of the sea. When summer arrived, a humid, lingering sea breeze washed through its squares and alleyways. The shadows of various flying contraptions glided slowly over the dense, complex clusters of buildings. A massive mechanism, dozens of meters tall, unfurled an advertising banner for a pipe merchant in the sky... Under the white-hot, blazing sun, everything in Haidu shimmered and shone.
Including Milady's sweat-drenched forehead.
"The 'Shadow Appearance Skill' is one of the newest Mechanical Techniques. It combines the strengths of both Haidu and Chang'an and utilizes newly discovered materials... Behold, the 'Shadow Appearance Mechanism'!"
On the stage, Uncle Chang'an, dressed in a long robe despite the sweltering heat, waved his hand, and his young assistant hurriedly brought out a box-like mechanism.
Although it had drawn Milady in from a distance, the "New Mechanical Techniques Showcase" was actually quite small. It was squeezed between an aerial travel agency and a snack shop, with only about ten square meters of space for spectators. She stood in the sweltering crowd, forgetting even to wipe the sweat from her brow, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the mechanism.
In her seventeen years of life, she had used mechanisms and taken them apart, yet she had never owned one of her own. She could afford the materials to assemble the basic, crude, common models, but she looked down on them. As for the ones that truly captivated her, her family couldn't afford them. Her mother had once poked her on the shoulder, laughingly chiding her for having such high standards and refusing to settle for less.
"It doesn't look like anything special," someone remarked.
It was true. The mechanism was perfectly square, only about the size of a teapot, and could probably serve as a component for a larger device. Its only unique feature was the series of small, raised metal squares on its underside.
Even though she knew she couldn't afford a finished mechanism, nor the tuition to learn how to build one, Milady still found herself silently trying to figure out its design.
"Its effects will be a real eye-opener," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "Let me demonstrate its function for all of you. Please, look at this table."
The table was completely covered by a velvet cloth, which draped all the way to the floor.
"We've placed an item under the table. As for what it is, I'll keep you in suspense for now, because you're all about to find out."
The young assistant held the mechanism in both hands, aiming it parallel to the tabletop.
Amid a low whirring from its core, the bottom of the gray box projected several beams of light. As the assistant swept the device in circles, the beams danced across the tabletop, but after a moment, nothing happened.
Just as the crowd was growing puzzled, the beams suddenly retracted. A moment later, a ball of light shot out from the top of the gray box, and a faint shadow materialized within it.
The interplay of light and dark within the shadow formed the image of an object, as if solidified from a Chang'an ink wash painting. It had a long, slender neck and a rounded body; upon closer inspection, one could even make out a label on it.
Amid a low murmur, someone with sharp eyes recognized it. "A wine bottle?"
"That's right," the middle-aged man said smugly. He lifted the tablecloth, revealing a wine bottle on the floor that was identical to the image. "What it displayed was this very bottle. The Shadow Appearance Mechanism can pass through barriers and reveal the objects behind them!"
At this, the crowd erupted with excitement. Some began discussing its potential uses, others wanted to see the demonstration again, and a few inquired about the price. Someone even shouted, "What are its limitations? If I use it on my dad's secret stash, can it see through?"
Amid roars of laughter, the middle-aged man opened several cardboard boxes, pulled out long scrolls inscribed with information, and hung them on a rope that had been prepared in advance. Despite being a man from Chang'an, he was clearly well-versed in Haidu's sales tactics, explaining the Shadow Appearance Mechanism's effective range, limitations, and other details with perfect clarity.
"Can we go up and try it? What if it doesn't work?" a young man asked, his tone challenging.
The middle-aged man thought for a moment. "Certainly. As long as you follow the instructions and operate it correctly, I guarantee the mechanism will successfully display an image. If it doesn't... I'll give this one to you for free."
He certainly knew how to pique the audience's interest. Soon, several people had gone on stage to try it, using a wide variety of barriers and objects. One person placed a ring under a brick; another stuffed a copper coin into a tobacco tin; and yet another held up a wooden plank, asking the demonstrator to see the shape of the tattoo on his chest. Milady watched as the young assistant turned the mechanism on its side, aiming the beam horizontally at the plank—it worked perfectly.