After a light conversation with them, I decide it's best that I go and take a nap, after all - the badlands are mine. I activated Engineer's Wet dream and allowed myself to drift off. But how will I make an accurate schematic if I don't know the mountain... Actually - I do.
I just needed to make a mock of the landscape, and build on it.
And so that's what I did, I had to go from somewhere so I rushed down the memory lane for one particular memory, the fortress in Balchik, back in Bulgaria... The first time I went there I was very impressed, it was lovely, it was like a heaven, and I want to have it. A heaven from back home, a heaven here on earth. How sad it was such a short visit, the way back to Burgas was tough...
Wait, I'm getting distracted... I need to just make a copy...
I felt like a dream, because It was - ever-shifting. This is Memory lane, the space in my mind which I created to gather old memories, or at least what's left of them. Or to be exact - what my brain can translate from this old information.
It didn't take long for me to get fed up by how the design continued changing, so I decided to make a design of my own, one based on the palace and it's nature. In the end I had done the nature right, after setting up a strong foundation of stone bricks and a hill outside that served as a little forest that would lead to the castle's gate.
Inside there would be walkways with pavers like the ones back home(Bulgaria). Rough stone bricks, not the perfect shape but good enough. The gardens. There will be quite a few types of trees, like spruce, oak and similar, with well shaped bushes and such along a river that would be passing through. Oh, so much potential. A flower garden too, might as well buy a lot from Argos.
It would be a nice little park... I might as well add some waterwheels to fulfill the kinetic needs, like opening the gates automatically. The water looped and was recycled, in term - infinite water. I use an automatic Create Water spell at the starting point, from where it splits in two rivers, one bigger, and the other little, but still they would going at a waterfall which would hit a water wheel.
It was a perfect blend between human and nature. And amidst all that, the castle. Which isn't anything too big. It would have two floors, a functional bath, a bedroom, a kitchen, and all the essentials. There would also be a balcony which would overlook towards the sunset.
With all the fruits and veggies I would gather while staying here, I would have too many stuff to plant and automate.
And so finally, I solidified the schematic as information, which costed me a lot of mana/cabbages.
Finally, I woke up. Looking outside I realized that I have been building for quite a while.
---
Nothing of importance happened yesterday so now I had work to do.
Breakfast was brief, fruits, like apple... This reminded me, I didn't take the seeds from Megumin... Eh, whatever, might as well make sure I assure that she hasn't forgotten by eating plants to my heart's content.
After I was done I head out to search for the mage, because I had a plan - to be teleported to the desert to place the schematic and set off my extensions to do the job.
"Hey, uh..." I look at her with narrowed eyes.
"My name is Rain." She said calmly.
"Rain, could you help me with something?("Yes, what is it?" she replied.) Could you teleport me to the desert?"
"Well... I don't have a set location there... But I can bring you closer to it If that is acceptable." She said with that same tone.
I nodded once. "That wouldn't be a problem for me."
And so with that she led me away somewhere outside. "So, after this do you mind picking me up at sunset. Cuz by then I for sure would have already done what I set out to do?"
"Alright."
---
She teleported me; now I just need to figure out where I am... Oh, I'm in Axel, lovely.
Acat!
I didn't get to dematerialize her, so now I simply waited, walking towards the desert.
On my way, Acat drove from behind me and stopped next to me. "I too am happy to see you." I pat the car-tank's front and got in, before taking control and driving off.
And so things went as expected - drive, place schematic, get the little workers going, drive back.
In fact - I even had free time, which I used to drink tea with Vanir and Wiz. The conversation was mid at best, nothing new. At least Vanir wasn't singing praises like Wiz did, though I could tell she did that for the sake of holding a conversation.
At the end of the day, as the sun was setting, I walked back to where she teleported me to.
Rain stood there, looking majestic.
"Good evening!" I said walking towards her.
She turned her focus to me before asking. "Did you manage to do everything that you set out to do?" Her tone was as level-headed as it could be.
"Yep, I'm ready to be teleported back."
She nodded once, before casting the spell, teleporting both of us back to the castle.
There Iris greet me. "Hey! Heard you went out, how did it to?"
"Pretty good, placed the schematic, and so now my extensions would finish the job."
"Your... Extensions?" She looked at me curiously, Rain going next to her and looking at me.
"These..." I clapped my hands together, and from that clap, came a little floating ball. "...are my extensions. A piece of me, so to say."
After this we walked in the castle, nothing important was happening.
At the end she dragged me for a game of chess, because Kazuma was failing to beat her. I got obliterated. So now we were taking turns with Kazuma. He did it to prove he is better, me I was simply trying to win or come out as an equal. He failed and failed, I was starting to get better, thinking longer and taking better turns. But still, she managed to defeat me.
"Third time's the charm." I say, taking a seat, I gave her the white pieces, because i deemed it's better for me to be the reactive.
We were approaching the end game, and I saw what she was aiming, to force a move from me. "Nice try, but I have thought of that. It's kind of like in real life. You wouldn't want someone to force you into doing something, would you?" I moved a piece.
In the end I had sacrifice a rook and a knight, but I managed to corner her, inevitably checkmating her. "Alright, I'm done for today. Great job!" I congratulated her standing up and shaking her hand. Kazuma looked shocked, he also wanted to win.
"Thank you, you also did great!" She said with a warm smile.
In that moment Kazuma pushed me out of the way, "my turn!" he said.
I watched him fail till the night has fully settled - he finally managed to defeat her. "I WIN BABY!!!"
"You are extremely childish, elder brother." Iris said, turning her head sideway.
I looked at her weirdly, when the fuck did she began calling him elder brother?
"Trash talking after your big loss? Well... I guess you still earned that bamboo copter." Kazuma said smugly, becoming more warm as he reached in his back pocket, pulling out the toy.
I sat quietly, thinking as the two simply conversed.
Iris spun the copter with delight.
"We should head out and play with that the next time around."
Iris stopped, looking a bit sad.
"You really need to get out more. Take it from me. You never know when you might run into a friendly neighborhood demon, or maybe a lich that can survive entirely off of bread crusts." Kazuma said.
"P-please don't make fun of me because I am a little sheltered. There's no way devils or liches like that would ever exist... Besides, if I were to leave this castle grounds, it would require an escort of royal guards with me at all times." She said, turning to the copter and spinning it, letting it fly.
This gave me an idea - I smiled widely and looked up. A drone, a big one at that, which would be able to see everything in the sky, and also pick me up if I grab the handle underneath it.
And so, that is what I dedicated my next few days to, making a drone that is big, with a piece of my soul, with an eye so it can see, and finally to figure the code... Well that was easy. I called Iris to show her it.
"So, you said about the need of guards? Wanna go without them? Well you won't be there physically, but something else will." I went to her and gave her a remote. "You can try it. Those two buttons are for up and down." I said, pointing at those same buttons. "And those other buttons are for moving around. Those are for rotation and lastly, this button allows the drone to overwrite the information your brain shows you into what the drone sees. So it's best you sit down... And also prepare, because you might feel sick and ready to vomit." Before she could grab the remote, I pulled it away. "Are you willing to risk it?"
"Yes!" She said.
I shrugged and gave her the remote, sitting her down at one of the benches. "Now, just click the plus button to turn it on."
She did just that, the drone immediately began flying, before stabilizing and flying in one place.
"This is... Magnificent."
"Thanks, but I didn't do this for praises. Now enjoy!" I say with a wide smile.
She pressed the vision button, being immediately amazed, before taking off. Though it didn't take long before she felt dizzy, having to get out of this third person view... "It's amazing and all." She said, almost sickly.
She placed the remote to her side and bent down, as if she was going to throw up. Luckily, she didn't, because Claire was going to kill me for 'poisoning the Princess'.
I took the remote and whistled, it immediately came to me. I disintegrated the drone and the remote into information and sat beside Iris. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine... I just need some rest." She said, straightening and looking at me. "Thank you."
"It's nothing... And sorry."
"It's alright... It's the most exciting thing I have done in my entire life..."
---
And so the days passed peacefully. During that time my friendship with Kazuma mended. And also my relationship with Eris deepened. It's sometime me calling for her, others - it's her coming on her own. In the end she became less hesitant when it came to me.
A week has now passed, I decided to send my drone on a scout mission, to go and look at his brothers in job.
I stood up, the maid walking in and bowed her head. "I have come to change the sheets."
"Morning to you too." I got out of bed, dressing in an instance before walking out... On the way I spot... Wait! The girls came: Darkness, Megumin and Aqua. "Hey guys!" I yelled, grabbing their attention.
"Good morning, Svetislav." Darkness said, still in her noble dress.
"What's up, yall showing up?"
"We have come to take Kazuma back home... Megumin is so worried she can't even sleep." Darkness explained.
"HEY!-" Megumin quickly replied.
"Aw, after whatever happened back at the crimson village." I teased.
Megumin blushed furiously. "N-no, nothing happened!"
I just chuckled, walking past them. "Let's see what's he up to."
Behind the door I could hear him. "-it's not going to be quite so easy for you this time. Now if you wanna make some quick work from this wittle task, then you have to say: 'Master I be-'"
"Morning!" I yelled, cutting Kazuma off as he was finishing some weird speech. I opened the door, he was frozen. "Bro, you woke up and decided to talk in ':3'. Wittle task?"
His bathrobe fell down... In the worst possible time. "Your ass ain't beating the allegations." I laughed.
The girls just looked weirdly at him...
He stayed silent, and after dressing up, be cause it's more proper, he was on his knees looking down. Darkness questioned him, unamused and disappointed.
"HANG ON! Why are you guys even here?!" Kazuma yelled, looking back up at us.
"To drag you back home with us obviously. Megumin has been so worried that she can barely sleep."
"That was only a coincidence, there is no need to cause any weird misunderstandings!" Megumin tried to explain herself.
"I promoted to Iris's playmate - finally I have stability and safety, so you can all buzz off!"
"Actual bun."
"Shut up!" Kazuma shot back.
"Listen, this is totally unfair, we brought the Devil King's generals together, didn't we? So if i don't get to live in a fancy castle, then that is just not right!" Aqua joined in.
Iris moved, pocking a head. "Excuse me." She moved out from behind the corned fully. "I'm really sorry... I couldn't help but overhear what you said..."
Darkness moved to her. "Though he may be rather pitiful." She kneeled down before her. "In Axel, he has became a fairly well regarded adventurer. There are also those who consider themselves his friends and worry about him, which includes the three of us."
After a long pause of thinking Iris lifted her head, and forced a smile. "I was wondering, Lalatina. If it would be okay, could I hold a special going away banquet for him tonight?"
There was no objections.
I guess I'm going with them, because Iris gave me the green light.
---
At the end of the night, the banquet was in full swing, nobles, food, lights and a big ballroom.
I was one of last people to come in, and the first thing I saw was - everyone looking like shit, their clothes are so tasteless. Ugly, like very ugly.
Darkness was immediately flocked by quite a few men. Complimenting her and trying to win something from her.
"Treating relationships so lightly." - I murmured, unable to resist the urge. Alderp... Yes, he's here, even Kazuma was confused. I just watched, from one of the tables while Aqua and Megumin shoved food down their mouths. Sadly they were too quiet and the room too loud, mostly because Aqua is chewing loudly in my ear!!!
But then - Kazuma began to yell. "Hey! What about the steamy affair we are having?" He said, it was definitely an act, but damn, was it amusing. "Great, Lalatine, you are just gonna ditch me?"
Darkness looked around, blushing.
"Were out intimate moments some kind of joke? You called me 'Master' just the other d-"
Darkness lunged, grabbed him by the wrist and they were kind of in a clash. She twisted his wrist.
"Uh, that's gotta be painful." I murmured to myself.
Kazuma went to the balcony, and I turned around, maybe it's time to indulge a bit. I grabbed one sushi... roll? There is sushi here?
It had soy sauce and wasabi on... Guess I wasn't creative enough with all the cultures I was picking. Eh, another time. The cake looked good, but I have tasted real fruit for so long that the thought of sugar makes me want to gag...
In the end I couldn't bear it and head out for the balcony, but then, Kazuma rushes in, yelling.
"DARKNESS! DARKNESSSSS!!!"
Iris was rushing behind him, breathing heavily as she stopped.
"Oh, good timing Claire."
Claire who was talking with Darkness turned to him. "Wha-what are you talking about?"
"Apparently, a thief has been hassling the nobles around the capital, right?" Kazuma asked, excited.
"Tha-that's true." Claire confirmed.
"The ones with unsavoury reputations are under fire." Darkness added.
"That's about to change, cuz I'm napping this noble thief." Kazuma said.
"Huh?" Both Claire and Darkness look at him weirdly.
"And I don't care if his intentions are good, cuz a thief is a thief in my book." Kazuma added.
"Since when have you had a strong sense of justice." Darkness asked him.
Kazuma was very convicting in his statement. "These people need saving, so I'm staying here."
"Hey! You are really unbelievable." Claire said, clearly annoyed.
All the nobles seemed to cheer him. I laughed, it seems I'm the only one with clear consciousness.
"Very well then... To catch this noble thief - Sir Kazuma, will first locate the likely targets, then be stationed at their residences. I must ask each one of you for your full cooperation." Clair announced her tone neutral.
---
And so we were stationed at Alderp's mansion... Because of course it's his.