Chapter 566: An Invitation
So it’s been confirmed that there will be two banquets in a row for me.
After leaving the Underground Temple, I’m currently exploring the Aboveground Temple and listening to Haulon’s decoration requests.
The Aboveground Temple was also buried in sand, dating back to the Era of Fire. It’s a stone structure, sturdy and majestic, yet beautifully symmetrical. The floor shows fresh chisel marks, likely the grooves made by Es.
Despite being on a slight elevation, there are signs of efforts to minimize water damage. Karn is fine, but Haulon’s clothes drag along the ground, soaking up water and causing quite a mess. I can’t even imagine what would happen if Haulon dressed like Karn.
“Here, we’ll need flowers and a Water Basin… No, considering that Es-sama will be here, I suppose this area will need to be filled with water? A basin to prevent the flowers from being washed away. The arrangement should be such that it looks good whether he comes or not—please prepare about forty bunches of eye-catching flowers.”
As she speaks about how to decorate, she relays what’s necessary to me, and I’m marking the items on the blueprint.
“Ah… from here to there, we’ll need two decorative stands for bonfires for each pillar. I’d like to request firewood as well, since we’ll be using it for the outdoor banquet, so make sure to get plenty. The desert bushes won’t be enough. The palm trees aren’t mature yet either…”
Bushes refer to low shrubs or grasses with many thin branches sprouting from the base. The heat and lack of water prevent trees from growing large. The fibers from the bark and shells of palm trees burn well, but since the nation is still in its infancy—Es has only been meandering for a short time—they haven’t grown much.
Here, we’ve planted a variety of palms: coconut palms, date palms, sugar palms, and more. I hear that from the sugar palms, we can harvest Glamera, a coconut sugar made by boiling down the sap. They also make it from the flowers of the coconut palms.
We can extract oil, brew alcohol, and use the fibers—truly versatile! That’s what Haulon says.
“I’ll leave the finer details to you, but please emphasize the image of King Tildonai.”
Karn’s image…
A heartthrob?
“Hey, don’t make such a grim face.”
Did it show on my face?
“I’ll make sure to tell them not to make it too cute. By the way, is it okay if I bring Soleil along? I’d rather not be responsible for coordinating this.”
“Too casual, way too casual…!” Haulon buries his head in his hands.
But isn’t it better to communicate directly rather than risk misunderstandings in a game of telephone?
“Also, how about we invite Captain Cat… I mean, Captain Goat to explore the ruins from the Stone Age?”
“Captain Cat… The Stone Age ruins… Just a casual visit…”
Haulon looks at me with a face that’s on the verge of tears.
“Where do I even start with this!? Is Retze coming along!?”
Great Sage, how much do you rely on Retze? Is it more than me? Am I imagining things?
“I’ll leave the invitation to Retze to you. The ruins aren’t just for renovation; they’ll be modified and altered, so if you want to see them, now’s the time.”
“Even if you rephrase it, it’s still a renovation!”
It saves the hassle of transporting materials, and there’s no reason not to utilize what’s already been built. After all, I’m the one who revived it.
In this world, it’s rare to find cities built on top of ruins or to see previous towns expanded upon. That’s only the case if they’re from the same era. It feels like they’ve completely relocated. I’ve only seen a handful of ruins.
“Ugh. The restoration of King Tildonai’s kingdom is going too smoothly, which should be a joyous thing, yet something feels off…”
“Isn’t it great if things are going well?”
Haulon remains emotionally unstable as we head to Kanum together.
“I’ll go call Retze and Note. Can you take care of Dinoss?”
“I wonder if he’s back yet?”
Dinoss had taken the children to the labyrinth of the Fortress City, but it seems he’s returned. His style of educating the kids is a bit Spartan, but they seem to be growing stronger, and the family bonds remain intact. It’s not just about being strong; they’re learning how to deal with various situations.
For now, I exit through the back door and knock on the neighboring door. The stone building makes it hard to discern sounds of life. Oh, better prepare the basket.
“Hey! Good evening!”
“Welcome back!”
“I’m home!”
Fortunately, or perhaps Haulon knew he was back, Dinoss is here.
“Good evening, Jean!”
“Good evening!”
“Good evening!”
Tina slips past Dinoss and hugs him, followed closely by the twins who come rushing in for a hug.
No worries, I anticipated this, so I won’t fall over.
“Welcome!”
Shiva peeks her head out from deeper inside.
“Welcome back, good evening. Can I borrow Dinoss? Haulon is here. Also, here, eat this.”
I hand the basket to Tina.
Inside the covered basket are bread, pound cake with raisins, a chunk of ham, and wine. It’s a safe, always-ready set of refreshments that can be shared without worry.