[A day later]{Still Svetislav's POV}
Everyone was chilling, for some reason Megumin didn't come home with us and so it was just the four of us. Aqua, sat on the couch for most of the time we were here.
In the meantime i went on another kill quest to get my mind off things, and to also improve on the blade, because my method was inefficient. I switched the brake handle for a trigger, allowing me to use only one finger to unleash a powerful strike. This way i wouldn't need to rev the thing, just press with one finger. My blade was perfected and i was able to use it more quickly, no longer need to wait.
I returned home that day after an easy quest, with more money then i need. And i actually spot Vanir, who laughed as he crossed the boundaries of my home. His body crumbled very slightly and the magic barrier broke.
"Yo, Vanir!"
"Ah, Svetislav, How have you been?"
"I have been well. You alright? You seem to be returning to the earth."
"Hahaha, It's nothing, this weak barrier is unable to hold me away."
I dapped him up, and his hand crumbled.
I tried to hold my laughter as his hand just fell and turned to dirt.
"Yeah, uh... So, what brings you here?"
"I have come to check up on Kazuma, with whom i have made a deal - he would make stuff from your old world, after which we will sell it. Simple as that." Vanir explained.
"Why not me?"
"That, my dear friend, is because you are not desperate."
As we talked we entered the mansion, after which we made out way to the living room.
"Sup guys, we got a guest." Svetislav walked in first.
"Sup indeed." Vanir made his presence known, as he fixed his hand. This way every other part, except his hand was crumbled revealing that it's earth. "I have come to negotiate."
Aqua stood up slowly, looking back towards Vanir with a death glare. "Excuse me... How did you get past my holy barrier..."
"Ohhhh, that was yours? Sorry, i sort of walked right through it." Vanir began walking towards her slowly. "It was so weak, i thought some amateur priest conjured whilst practicing. It was charming like a light mist. Now i feel awful - it completely shattered as a passed through, duo to my immense strength, no doubt." Vanir stopped in the middle.
Aqua walked in hurry to stand her ground. Now they were face to face.
"Oh, you poor thing. It seems your body was damaged in the process mister immensely strong demon. Why, just look at you - a duke of hell, now you are crumbling like a cookie. To think my tiny little barrier could do that, do you?"
Vanir laughed. "This body is made of earth, actually. I can replace it at any time. I thought i did test it's durability when i saw that flimsy thing around your house." Aqua looked at him, clearly offended and ready to murder him. Vanir continued. "As for the barrier - it's quality was fair, for a novice priest, anyway. Correction - it was fair for a novice HUMAN priest." He then laughed again.
I stood there and tried not to laugh. "This is divine comedy." I said to myself.
Aqua turned to the side, crossed her arms and asked. "Hey Kazuma. Did you build that kotatsu and... whatever else to go into business with this thing? You'd sign a contract with a parasite that sucks the negative emotions of humans? That's so funny, i'd laugh if wasn't so sad."
"We demons are particular about contracts, so you can that i will fulfill my end of it. I'm nothing like those charlatans who say 'Believe in me and be saved' getting followers with false promises. Only to rob them of all their hard earned money. Let's see, what's their catchphrase again? Ah, yes, 'god is always watching over you.' Honestly... No wait, hold that thought, i do believe i saw an actual god watching over things just the other day. He was gazing at his flock as they bathed and... other things and was arrested for peeping. This god is quite the rascal, no?"
Aqua legit had enough, there was moment of silence before she jumped back yelling "Sacred Exorcism," while shooting a laser from her forehead. Vanir stood there and made a barrier, protecting himself, before grabbing his mask and tossing it away. Aqua quickly moved to grab it.
After a bit more of this, she finally let go.
Kazuma and Vanir sat across from each other as Kazuma presented the 'inventions'.
"Very nice... Now, if i recall, we agreed to split the profits fifty-fifty. Or if you want - you could sell me the intellectual rights for... Oh, three hundred million eris. Or a profit sharing arrangement at one million eris per month."
Kazuma was thinking intensely of what he must choose, while Aqua was already planning how she would spend it... Mostly alcohol... Of course...
After this whole ordeal they didn't act the same, but i didn't care, i decided to make myself something else, because nothing productive was happening. A revolver, gunpowder though... That would be difficult, i might know what i need, but i don't know how to acquire it.
So i decided to make a mechanism which launches iron pebbles at inside speed through a magi-mechanism. Because it's either that or a pistol with a crank for the spring.
It was like a nerf pistol, but more lethal.
The bullets were made of two parts - pebble, which is the ammunition; and the holder, which has a spring mechanism that allows for a ball to be inserted, and then released when it's in the revolver.
Those two, they started acting like some overly prideful, forcefully polite type of personality.
Megumin also came home and was confused as to how they ended up this state, of wanting to pay their way to victory. Darkness was already excited because of the changes in Kazuma.
"Has everyone lost their minds?!" Megumin yelled.
"Nope." I said quietly with a tired gaze as i checked the gun. My presence was unrecognized, since Megumin didn't register what i just said.
"Don't let me with the wonder perv. Check it out - I'm still getting over dying from a broken neck. I'm not doing anything stressful till i've recover." Kazuma stood up from the crouch, walking in just a bathrobe.
"How about this? Why not go in some place that you can heal?"
"No thanks - I can heal just fine by taking it easy right here."
Megumin pushed the subject. "And you will take it easy. In the city of water and hot springs - Arcanletia."
"It's fine, really. Don't worry abou- Did you say hot springs?" Kazuma cut himself off as he realized what Megumin said.
"O, Hold on. Did you say Arcanletia? The city of water and hot springs." Aqua joined in on the conversation.
"Why is she repeating that?" My eyes narrow as i look up from my work and at them.
I couldn't bear to stay there for much longer so i announced. "I will go out for some fresh air." Before walking out of the mansion and taking a seat on the front porch. I drew my revolved, and inserted life into every pebble, now it is my satellite with the code to return to me, after it has hit something and a few seconds have passed. This way, it's technically self reloading. I shot the first marble, the weapon made a strong sound of metal hitting metal, before launching the metal ball into the ground, loosening the soil. After a few seconds it turned into information into my astral storage and then back in it's holder.
"If we are traveling long distance then this means that it's finally time... Tomorrow i will build the car, and the day after, i will go to Arcanletia."
---
And so that day came. I woke up late. Correction - Aqua woke me up. I told her off and that i'm not coming, but that i would send them off.
And so that's what happened in the morning we went to town, where a bunch of carriages, wagons, whatever you want to call them, were lined up. Welp, that's enough sending them. I'm not dealing with, because the first thing that happened is that Aqua and Kazuma fought in rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to sit in the wagon. Wiz was also there.
No reason to stay. "I got a job to do. See you guys tomorrow."
They didn't took me seriously, big mistake. I returned to the mansion and created a few artificial lives... They looked just like a snow sprite - just more bright and without eyes.
I then decided to take a bit of a break, taking a nap and using my skill to fix the tank-car schematic, making it more efficient. In the end it had quite a few improvements. The control was now a joystick, really, and also a gearbox for speed. When i press the gas, the kinetic energy, which is transported via shafts, is connected to the system, making it move. When i want to turn right, only the right track is in reverse; when left - you get the idea. The speed is separate for both tracks, but it is following a similar concept, allowing for parallel workings or separate, which is so the tank can turn left or right while on the move. The tank is also capable of spinning on it's axis.
I woke up with the new schematic ready, and went out sitting down on the front porch and forcing the schematic into my perspective, allowing me to work in the physical while also seeing the information. I pointed at it and ordered to the extensions of myself to fill the information. They are directly connected to me, so this is like having many mini yous working for you. They quickly drew spare resources from my astral storage.
Starting from the base, then the tracks, then the functional part and finally the body.
Amidst all of this a voice rang out. "M-Megumin, i'm here, it's time we settle things once and for all."
I looked away from my separate self and approached her. "Kid, she's not here. Gifts..." I looked at the baskets of fruit that she have brought with her. "If you want i can give her those when i meet her. I will be heading where they have headed tomorrow."
Her shoulders eased. "Really? Th-thank you! That means a lot." She handed me the baskets with both hands, bowing slightly before scurrying off the way she came from.
I watched her go, then looked down at the fruit.
"Megumin's got good friends," I muttered, before dissolving the gifts into shimmering data, storing them away inside my astral archive.
With that done, I returned to the porch. My extensions worked silently, shaping reality exactly as I'd envisioned. Perfect. Efficient. Absolute.
And yet...
"From my mind to reality..." I whispered, voice almost broken. "Why do i feel so empty?"
I stared at the sprites, my own extensions, laboring without question. Flawless, obedient, tireless.. Everything I created... obeyed.
But the one thing I wanted the most had turned and run.
My chest tightened, a hollow ache burning deeper the longer I stared. I clenched my fists hard enough for nails to cut skin, anything to focus the pain outward. No tears. Never tears.
"Has my happiness run dry... Have my efforts been in vain..." The thought repeated in my head, echoing like a curse. My eyes burned, threatening to spill everything I'd hidden, everything I'd fought to keep locked away.
"Father... help me... What am i suppose to do?"
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then a gentle gust of wind brushed against me, carrying with it something I couldn't name. Not warmth. Not strength. But peace... That all i needed.
I closed my eyes. Just once.
And let a single tear fall on both sides.
When I opened them again, I lifted my gaze to the sky - to the sun still shining, unbothered by my doubts.
Slowly, steadily, my breathing calmed. My thoughts settled.
Even if I couldn't see the path ahead, I would keep walking.
--- [Somewhere]
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
---
The rest of the day passed with ease. My little helpers had finished the A.C.A.T(A Car and A Tank).
By sundown it stood tall, a bit taller than me, it was a beast of metal riding on heavy iron tracks, steam hissing from the cranks, before i turned it off. It was quite sturdy, but i enchanted it with both Unbreakable and Everlasting.
I got in, the cushion of the seats was quite comfy. I rested, finally on something soft and turned it back on, before moving the joystick, directly to spin right, I pressed the clutch and switched to first gear. Pressing the gas pedal it spun slowly towards the right... I grinned, satisfied by my work.
I then played around with it till i got a bit of a muscle memory, from which point i rode into town, people stared in awe as this beast of a machine moved in. A few adventurers who were just about to enter the guild, turned back to see this rhythmic thing approaching. They flinched.
"Woad, calm down. It's me."
The guild burst into chaos, some terrified, some awestruck. But by the time he parked and stood among them, the fear had melted into thunderous cheers.
Tonight, he paid for everyone's drinks. And they raised their mugs in his honor, calling him every name they could thing of: "The Iron Baron!" "Descendant of a lost civilization!" "The mad genius of Belzerg!"
After this wonderful night, he returned to the mansion to rest. He slept well tonight.
The next morning, steam hissed, gears turned, Acat rolled out from the gates of the mansion which I closed, before going further. The suspension was balanced just right - every bump softened, every shift absorbed. I leaned back with a smile, letting the landscape race past. Greenery soon faded as I made my way into the desert.
I drove on the path for quite some time, looking to the side, and seeing the occasional mountain like landscape... This gave me inspiration, but maybe not now... I will make an oasis later... What lord would want a desert? ME!
After quite a long while i spot a bunch of carriages lined up and going slowly, i over took them, spotting someone at the back of one of them - Aqua. She seemed utterly bored.
I slowed down to keep pace with them. "Hey guys! Look at me!" I announced myself loud and clear.
Everyone turned in unison, their jaws practically hitting the ground.
"Svetislav?!" Kazuma almost fell over.
"The Destroyer's cousin has come to finish the job!" One of the adventurers in the other carriages panicked.
Wiz's face lit up when she spotted me. "Oh, Svetislav! Good morning!"
"Morning Wiz." I answered quietly before looking at everyone else. "How's the ride?"
Aqua immediately yelled. "My ass hurts, Svetislav. Save me. Can I ride with you?"
"The most I'm offering is a pillow for your butt. Anything more than that - nuh-uh."
"Darn it." Aqua quickly gave up.
Darkness, meanwhile, had stars in her eyes. "It's just like the Destroyer... High-tech machinery, metal construction, perfect motion-"
"Aw, come on. It's a simple mechanism." I waved her off, feigning humility. "Anyways, should i wait for you guys, or?"
Aqua said half-begrudgingly. "If you are not going to be useful, you might as well go reserve us rooms in a inn or something."
"Haha, alright then! I'll chill with y'all then." I said, dismissing Aqua.