By Zephyria Behind the standing people, unmanaged land stretched out widely. Seeing several sunken pits here and there were wet, it seemed like the rocks that had been embedded had only recently been removed. Indeed, Benjamin’s hands, standing aside in one corner, were dirty with dust.
However, my gaze first fell upon his neat attire rather than his hands.
“What is that you’re wearing?”
“Because I came as an Imperial attendant. Is it strange?”
“It’s not strange, but…”
“Benjamin has a thin waist, so things like this suit him well.”
“Is it Marianne’s taste?”
“Not entirely.”
Not entirely.
Seeing Marianne laugh, I was speechless with amusement.
After all, we weren’t crossing a desert, so what was the problem if the attire was a little uncomfortable? Still, I was relieved that he hadn’t forgotten to bring at least one sword. Jenny, who had quickly followed us, was even more amusingly dressed in a jacket with sharp shoulders, like those worn by knights, and riding pants.
“Jenny, why are you dressed like that… Are you planning to ride a horse instead of the carriage?”
“No, I’ll be riding the carriage for now. But what if something dangerous suddenly happens?”
“What danger?”
“Still.”
In any case, everyone who needed to be there had gathered. While no one among them didn’t know me and Ruben, to ensure everyone was acquainted, all personnel were instructed by Ruben to introduce themselves in turn.
“Hello, I am Jenny Tenessus, Administrative Assistant. I am in charge of managing and operating information within and outside the Imperial Palace. I look forward to working with you.”
“Everyone already knows me, right? I’m Marianne Philodendore. A Mage, 7th Circle, your adorable all-around problem solver! My major is in overlapping magic circles, and I’m here to help with the installation of the portal magic circle.”
“I am here as an attendant. Benjamin Claudian.”
“Ah, I’m Boulder! Mage Boulder, meaning ’round stone.’ It’s not a name imbued with a firm resolve to withstand the storms of this harsh world without breaking, but rather they just named me this because it was better than a square stone…”
As we stood in a circle and introduced ourselves, the children who were closer to me and had spent more time with me introduced themselves first. When Benjamin said his name, the rest of the group looked at him intently for a moment, but no one said anything, just nodding their heads.
Each time a person spoke their name, the rest of the group welcomed them with pleased smiles and applause.
“I am Delphoi Haber, belonging to the Imperial Knights. I volunteered out of admiration for Their Majesties, so please treat me comfortably. You can call me Knight Haber. Especially ladies, I hope you will be more friendly.”
“I look forward to working with you! I am Vincent Lancaster, belonging to the Imperial Knights. You can just call me by my name comfortably. Vincent-gun, Knight Vincent, Mr. Vincent, anything is fine! I have quite a few siblings, so I’m not used to being called by my surname.”
“I am Viscount Burnold, belonging to the Imperial Palace Management Division. For now, I am in charge of financial management and other miscellaneous tasks for this journey. I look forward to working with you.”
The reason for specifically selecting one female knight and one male knight was now apparent. Delphoi Haber was brought to stay by Marianne and Jenny’s side to protect them. Seeing Marianne already clinging to him, calling him “older brother,” I figured I didn’t need to worry.
Vincent, though he was boisterous, was not lacking in skill and, more importantly, was very good at striking up conversations with strangers. If there was a need to send a vanguard, I wouldn’t have to worry about sending him alone to various places.
And Siegfried Burnold was a man I had glimpsed a few times in the Crystal Palace offices. He looked to be in his early thirties, always with a smiling face, drooping eyes, and dull, messy gray hair. He was gentle and friendly, so his impression wasn’t bad.
Among them, only one person had not introduced themselves.
Spiritus had visited the Imperial Palace several times before. She had sat in the VIP section with other gods during my and Ruben’s wedding ceremony. Her shimmering blonde hair, golden eyes, and a gaze higher than others announced her identity to the world. Not a single person in this gathering did not know her identity.
Spiritus, who was perched on the roof of the carriage looking down at us, muttered in a petulant voice.
“Peter. A mercenary.”
Choosing the spot to plant the Sacred Tree took longer than initially thought.
Marianne and Boulder worked together, spreading out a large bundle of papers on the ground and weighing them down with pebbles to prevent them from blowing away. At a glance, it looked like they had transferred and brought a bird’s-eye view of a village and magic circles.
“Since we don’t know what or how we’ll be moving things, wouldn’t it be better for the portal entrance to be facing away from the castle walls?”
“Since paths will be opened in both directions from the portal’s center, that would be the case. More importantly, it hasn’t been decided whether to install the portal indoors or outdoors.”
“Is indoor installation possible?”
“Since the portal is also a magic circle, it will need constant monitoring to prevent future attacks. It’s difficult to keep an eye on it 24 hours a day. So, I was thinking, what if we built a wall, either by fencing it off or constructing a building?”
“Ah, that won’t work… It’s difficult to build a wall that won’t be affected by such strong Mana. It would be better to leave at least the ceiling and all four sides open. I think we could erect pillars, though.”
“Like the bell tower of a temple?”
“Yes, just to set up a boundary for barrier recognition.”
“Since the portal cannot operate without a Mage, we’ll need accommodation for an appropriate number of personnel to reside there. First, what will be the size of the magic circle…”
“I calculated it, and Mikael, no, His Majesty the King Consort, informed me that A-1 is the only portal magic circle model that is currently feasible. It’s a model that can transport up to 80kg with 200mq of Mana.”
“80kg? It’s narrower than I thought.”
Marianne and Boulder laid out various plans while looking at the open space. Not only the two Mages but also Jenny and Viscount Burnold chimed in. Even after the overall structure was finalized, the sight of them talking loudly and explaining things in various ways was entirely due to a certain uncooperative god.
Spiritus, while watching the noisy children, remained fixed on the carriage roof, looking into the distance as if it had nothing to do with her. When I called her, she didn’t answer, and even when the other children pleaded, she just sneered and waved her hand. The sight of just one arm and one leg dangling below the roof looked so relaxed.
Why on earth is she sulking up there alone?
The Spiritus I met before was more amiable and liked to meddle in things. Was it because I hadn’t properly greeted her after the wedding? But she knew very well that the reason Ruben’s aides had held onto Spiritus was because of the portal installation, so I couldn’t fathom why she would follow us all the way here to object.
Ruben, who had been standing quietly at the bottom of the carriage, looking at the chattering children, asked the same question for the third time.
“Spiritus-nim, do you have no valuable opinion?”
“I told you, Peter the mercenary.”
“Peter, do you have no other opinions?”
“Yes. Mercenary Peter has no idea.”
“…”
Ruben looked at me with a troubled gaze. I was somewhat skilled at appeasing a sulking child, but how should I appease a sulking god? After pondering for a moment, I grabbed the edge of the carriage roof with one hand and leaped onto it.
Spiritus was still lying around carelessly, not looking this way even once.
“Spiritus-nim.”
“…”
“Peter.”
“…”
“Noona.”
“…”
“…Noona?”
Cough.* Ruben’s cough could be heard from below the carriage.
Fortunately, it was effective. Spiritus, who had been silent, let out a huff and turned to the side, showing me her face. Still glaring at me with a sullen expression, she let out a deep sigh.
“Do you know what you did wrong?”
“…Yes?”
I wished I could hear such words from Ruben.
Stunned, I couldn’t reply for a moment, and then she abruptly sat up. As Spiritus perched on the edge of the carriage roof, the chattering children also quickly fell silent.
“In the first place, I never gave humans permission to install a portal. You’re going to use me after getting permission from my first sister? Does that even make sense? It’s not even just to prevent Mana surges, but you want me to create the entire framework?”
“…I apologize for not formally requesting it. I thought we had become close, Noona, so I acted casually.”
“And, also.”
What else?
Just then, Ruben quickly grabbed the edge of the carriage and suddenly climbed onto the roof. As I awkwardly moved aside to make room for Ruben to sit, I was utterly bewildered. Ruben asked demurely in a tone full of certainty.
“Did Noona perhaps bring our Yongyong with her?”
“…Yongyong?”
“Yes. Well, Mika and I decided on that as the baby’s prenatal name.”
“…”
“Since it’s a child we obtained with great difficulty, we decided to raise it when the situation stabilized. But I realized I forgot to mention it to you, Noona, who has been the most helpful. I apologize.”
This was the first I had heard of it.
However, seeing the sullen expression on Spiritus’s face gradually fade, it seemed Ruben had hit the mark again. Spiritus let out a sigh and offered a bundle she had carefully wrapped in her arms.
“You said you’d visit right after the wedding, but these brats were too busy having sex to even touch the portal I opened and fixed, and now they want to break through a new one.”
“…That’s…”
“Nice to meet you, Yongyong. Daddy missed you too.”
I couldn’t lift my head, feeling too embarrassed. However, Ruben shamelessly called out the newly coined prenatal name and received the bundle from Spiritus’s hands as if it were something precious.
At that moment, a tiny orb pulsed with a very faint Mana wave. It was the light of a minuscule life, invisible to anyone but a god. Seeing that, Spiritus finally let out a wry smile.
“Alright, stop this ridiculous act. …You said you’d install the first portal here, right?”
“Yes. What size would be needed for stable, semi-permanent operation?”
“Let’s see… A width and length of 5 meters would allow four or five people to pass through, and cargo too. Move aside.”
Now, things were finally starting to get somewhere. I felt relieved.