Chapter 486: Repairs
Sipping tea while watching Soleil sleep beneath the rose trellis outside the Tower. Of course, Soleil isn’t actually sleeping under the trellis.
A spout, like a flying beam, connects the overflowing water from the Tower to mine. Water droplets fall like mist, creating a pleasantly cool atmosphere beneath the shadows cast by the roses.
As I gaze at Soleil, who is basking in the sunlight, I take a sip of the tea Auro brewed for me. Is it herbal tea? I’m not usually fond of it, but this one has a delightful aroma and taste.
A small Spirit is drawn to the fragrance. It’s not a stench; it’s a scent. It’s different from Dean’s Spirit, indeed.
—This is how humans arbitrarily decide what is good or bad.
“This is a fragrant tea blended by Pamela. It’s said to help dissipate excess heat accumulated in the body. It cools down faster than regular tea, so please drink it quickly.”
Given that the Spirits are gathering, it must be true.
Attracted by the aroma, two or three round, translucent Spirits hover near the surface of the tea, slowly flying as if to touch it, absorbing something that deepens their color.
From what Auro said, it’s probably heat. Are there Spirits that turn heat into food?
After two or three have absorbed, any other similar Spirits that come near quickly drift away from the tea. It seems they prefer a certain level of warmth. They appear when the scent and heat align.
“It smells nice.”
It feels like Soleil needs it more than I do. It will surely help cool down the heat in his body.
Soleil, with his face buried in the cushion prepared by Faramia, is partially hidden from the sun by a parasol, yet he lies sprawled out in the middle of the sunlight.
Is he okay with heatstroke?
“Shouldn’t we bring him inside? It’s concerning.”
“There’s an aspect of ritual to help him sort out his feelings. Soleil doesn’t like being touched by others in that state,” Faramia replies flatly, her expression unchanged.
“A ritual…”
Can I doodle a Magic Circle around Soleil?
“This might take a while.”
Kiel’s expression is as serious as ever.
Aren’t we getting a bit too accustomed to this? Changeling, you’re overlooking too many things!
“So? What about the Dragon?”
Kiel asks, his face still grumpy. He’s serious when it comes to defense matters.
“I’ll push it onto Naruadeid since it flew over there.”
It seems like he thoroughly checked all the windows.
“Naruadeid must be in quite a commotion. A Dragon has never landed in a place where humans live.”
Auro comments.
Should we have let it land in Naruadeid? No, there’s nowhere for it to land there!
“By the way, what about the damage to our place?”
“A part of the castle wall was destroyed, and several defensive structures in the cobblestone square were damaged,” Kiel says, furrowing his brow.
I think it would be better to reset and rebuild the defenses.
“Starting with illusions and directing attention, we must ensure that anyone hiding in the shade steps onto a Magic Circle. Charles’s garden was well-maintained, so the damage has significantly disrupted the balance.”
Now that I think about it, it wasn’t just about appearances; they had considered that too.
“Let’s sell some Dragon Material to Soleil and use the money for repairs.”
“—Don’t worry, I have more than enough Kin.”
Is there really that much?
“My lord, your subordinates will handle the areas that require the most funds, such as the garden and the Magic Circle.”
He replies with a smile.
“It’ll take more time and effort to bring in regular stone materials for repairs. The stonemason has already started using the building materials intended for sculptures for repairs, but it’s still insufficient.”
As I watch Faramia gently fan Soleil, sending him a breeze, I continue.
“During the repairs, we’ll increase the number of defenders, so please rest assured. There’s no damage to the waterway, and daily life will not be disrupted.”
Auro says while refilling my cup with tea.
“There’s no disruption, but it’s still concerning that a Dragon could invade so easily. We had measures in place for humans and Spirits, but…”
Kiel ponders deeply.
What kind of enemy are they anticipating? It feels like the island’s defenses are skyrocketing. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start building underground shelters.
In the end, since Soleil doesn’t wake up for a while, he was carried in on something resembling a board.