Chapter 181 – Welcome Party and Renovation

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back, Theo.”

“Welcome home.”

By the time I finished various reports and returned home, the sun had already begun to set. Dinner preparations were underway in the kitchen, filling the air with an appetite-whetting aroma.

“Welcome home, Master.”

Cecilia turned toward me and bowed. Being called “Master” felt somewhat awkward…

Since this was practically her first time going out to Termwills, it seemed everyone had gone shopping together while I was out, partly to show her around.

Today’s shopping had the dual purpose of being a welcome for Mihaela and Cecilia, so they’d bought rather luxurious ingredients. I was looking forward to it quite a bit.

“Yeah. I’m home. How was Termwills?”

When I asked, Cecilia thought seriously for a moment before answering with a serious expression.

“There were many different kinds of people. I occasionally saw Elves, so I was a bit nervous… But yes, no one said anything to me.”

“Well… the disagreements in the forests probably don’t matter much in human settlements. Especially in Termwills.”

“Is that how it is? I suppose I wasn’t particularly concerned about it either.”

“When you’re accustomed to human settlements, that is. Not everyone is the same, so it’s probably best to maintain some caution around unfamiliar people.”

Of course, this wasn’t limited to any particular race.

“I see… I’ll be careful.”

Though they’re Elves and Dark Elves, it seems there is indeed some conflict between them.

According to BFO Quests, their ancestors had a falling out due to differences in ideology, leading their tribes to war. Apparently it never reached a conclusion, and they’ve been on bad terms ever since.

Both live deep in the forests and dislike those who damage the woods—meaning they tend to dislike outsiders invading their territory… Compared to Elves, Dark Elfs are more likely to be feared by other races. That’s because their response to those who enter their territory differs somewhat from that of Elves.

Elves are relatively moderate, using Spirit Manipulation and Magic to disorient intruders and guide them out of the forest.

In contrast, Dark Elves are insular and combative. They tend not to hesitate to use force against those who enter their territory.

Yes. These are just tendencies. Thinking that all Elves and Dark Elves are like this everywhere would be prejudice—the information from BFO suggests there are considerable differences depending on the village chief’s policies and such.

In any case, seeing Dark Elves in human settlements is rarer than seeing Elves. And the longer members of either race live in human settlements, the more they distance themselves from their territories and tribes in terms of position, so they don’t adhere much to historical backgrounds or tribal customs.

Although… if someone were to recklessly destroy the forest, they would probably anger them.

Well then. The meal seemed to be ready.

It was typical Termwills cuisine, or rather… various dishes using ingredients excavated from the Labyrinth were arranged on the dining table.

“Now then, I’d like to begin the welcome party for Mihaela-san and Cecilia. Once again, thank you for accepting my offer.”

I greeted them and bowed my head, and the two nodded. Mihaela did so solemnly, while Cecilia looked slightly embarrassed.

I raised a glass filled with carbonated drink, led the toast, and then we all began dinner. Having carbonated drinks instead of alcohol in our glasses wasn’t particularly impressive, but well, it was my way of welcoming them.

“Lady Grace has always been good at cooking. I regretted that I couldn’t teach you much beyond etiquette.”

Mihaela shared her thoughts after tasting the soup. It seemed she’d heard about various recent developments while I was at the Royal Castle.

“Truly… It’s delicious.”

“Thank you, Mihaela-sama, Cecilia-sama.”

Grace responded to their words with a gentle smile.

Cecilia was earnestly savoring each spoonful of Grace’s soup with a serious expression.

The general image of Dark Elves is that they’re combative and exclusive… but Cecilia gives the impression of being earnest and hardworking. This might be due to Mihaela’s influence.

“This is… also a mysterious drink.”

“Theodore-sama made it.”

Cecilia’s eyes widened at the carbonated drink.

“…Is that so? The Master is quite talented.”

“Young master Theodore has truly grown into a fine man. Cecilia, serve him well.”

“Yes, Mihaela-sama.”

I’d also prepared shaved ice for after the meal. That was quite popular with the two of them as well.

“Hello there.”

“Good afternoon, Rosetta-san.”

The next day arrived.

Since we had all the materials ready, I decided to start the renovation. Rosetta had said she wanted to observe the Magic Construction, so I’d invited her as promised.

“We don’t get many chances to see something like this. Last time I saw it, I only caught it partway through.”

Alfred laughed. Since Rosetta was coming to observe, I’d invited Alfred too. Because Rosetta knows Alfred’s true identity from their time at the school together, it’s easier to invite him casually.

Well. Alfred also said he definitely wanted to see the Magic Construction… so somehow I ended up doing the renovation with everyone in tow.

“Shall we begin right away?”

First—should I expand from the underground section? I moved to the basement and created passages from the walls there. As usual, I created Clay Golems to remove the earth, create space, solidify the walls, and make pillars for reinforcement. I worked while checking the strength with Seraphina.

We planned to create a large hall, small rooms, and such underground. I kept creating rapidly while checking with a levitated model.

“So efficient. The building goes up at such an unbelievable speed that it’s quite satisfying to watch.”

“It’s interesting how the Golems get up, run, and line up.”

The two guests nodded with admiration. Mihaela and Cecilia seemed quite surprised, their eyes wide.

Having done Magic Construction several times now, I’ve gotten used to it, and the underground portion was quickly finished. Now we move to the above-ground portion—but if I do it completely visible from the road, the internal structure would be exposed to public view. With the theater, I allowed it to some extent since it could serve as publicity, but building my home under public scrutiny is a bit much.

So, first I created earthen walls to cover the property, then built the structure according to the model.

I formed the first floor with a courtyard, large bath, and toilets, a large dining hall. Then the second floor, third floor, attic rooms, and roof all at once. I also created individual bedrooms for staying over. For some reason, I’m drawn to having lofts in the bedrooms, so I added them.

I preserved the original house’s form, created connecting corridors and doors to the adjacent building—and incorporated everyone’s requests.

“Alright. I think that’s about it…”

When I took a breather, everyone broke into applause. This felt different from the theater construction. It was a bit embarrassing, though.

“Good work, Theo-kun.”

“I’m glad I asked to see this. It was interesting.”

“Mmm… Thank you.”

I gave a wry smile and moved outside this time. I reformed the surrounding earthen walls, adjusting their height to make them into proper fences.

“Whoa! A mansion has appeared!”

“Eh? Magic Construction…?”

Apparently, quite a few people had stopped on the other side of the earthen walls, looking on with interest about what was happening. When the earthen walls disappeared, a large mansion was there, so they seemed quite surprised. Well, at least they didn’t see the interior during construction, so that’s fine.

Now then. There are still some interior and decorative parts I haven’t touched yet, but the main structure is complete. Next I need to furnish it with furniture and fixtures, but since the section where villagers will stay also serves as ambassadorial work, King Melvin will apparently arrange for that.

I need to make the darts and billiards table for the recreation room myself. I’ve already ordered the dart arrows from the town blacksmith. I’ve also arranged for woolen cloth, so it’s just waiting for that to arrive.

For now, should I work on the interior decorations and such with everyone?