Decorating the Sky Island, a Challenge?!

I pitched in with the servants to tidy up the mansion interior. Whether it was thanks to my help or not, the work was finally starting to look like it might actually end.

I couldn't tell if the original lord had hauled all this in or if Lao had just gone overboard with the luxury — probably the latter — but every kind of junk you could imagine came spilling out. Technically, all of it was slated for the trash.

Knight statues, exotic plants imported from foreign lands, gold-threaded carpets, chandeliers, famous paintings, even a handful of household odds and ends.

Is this Weaverpool Manor or a goddamn flea market?

There were even taxidermied animals, and a knight statue stripped completely naked with both arms thrown up in a hail-the-sun pose.

What the hell? Is there actually a market for this stuff?

Then again, none of it would look out of place decorating somewhere.

My interest was piqued. I asked the servants who were wiping the sweat off their faces.

"Seems a shame to throw all this away. Mind if I take it?"

Honestly, I was a little worried I'd look like a beggar. But the servants just laughed, easy and open.

"Haha, gonna give it all away to people who need it again, huh!"

"You're just like a hero out of the stories."

"He's so short, but his heart's wider than the ocean."

"A man worth looking up to. I could write a biography about him!"

Uhhhm. Sure. Go ahead and misunderstand.

On the heels of the servants' reactions, Aki came padding over with a goofy grin.

"Yes, of course. Hehe♥ Take it all, Hero!"

"Thank you."

With Aki's permission, it was locked in. I funneled every last piece through the ring and sent it all to the Sky Island.

Hehe. I'll decorate ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you all nicely. Right where you belong.

"It's amazing no matter how many times I see it."

Fieri's eyes sparkled like stars. I held out my hand to her.

"Shall we go, my lady?"

Her face flushed instantly.

"W-what? You make it sound like I've become some noble young lady."

"Because you're someone of that much worth to me."

"Flattering me all the time won't get you anything, you know? Hmph. Let's go."

Kuudere Fieri, trying her hardest to keep the ice from cracking. Then Aki cut right in between us.

"Yaaay♥ I want to go too!"

"Lady Aki as well...?"

"Yes! I mean it! Hehe♥"

Well, no harm in it. I took the two of them to the Sky Island.

White light wrapped around us, and I opened my eyes at once.

"Hah ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— no way...!"

"Oh my gosh...♥"

Fieri and Aki looked around like they might actually stop breathing. I started tidying the stuff that had been dumped in a messy heap.

This knight statue isn't broken, is it? Oh, thank god. What about that stuffed bear? Holy — it's fine.

First I needed to decorate the mansion and the grounds around it. Hmm. A few floral arrangements and lanterns could probably go outside. If this place even had a sense of time.

I hauled things around and started dressing the place up. Dinora came out to help.

"Why'd you bring so much?"

"My lady, it's all for this place. New people have arrived over there! Ah — nothing happened while I was gone, right?"

Dinora's face darkened a little.

"Actually... the water burst in the basement."

"What?!"

Out of nowhere? What water?

I was so startled that Dinora let out a long, weary sigh of her own.

"I was shocked too when I got here. I came back after helping you, and wouldn't you know it — the basement kept filling with water and draining, over and over. Like the ocean tides."

I couldn't picture it at all. This was supposed to be grassland tiles. There was no way an ocean existed here. Sure, groundwater veins ran everywhere and basements could flood, but...

They implemented that level of realism here too? Ah. That was a bit much.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I looked back over my shoulder.

"Lady Aki, Fieri! Could you handle the tidying?"

"Yes!"

I left the organizing to the women and hurried down to the basement. This was going to be our home and sex resort, after all. I didn't want a single thing going wrong.

I pounded down the stairs.

The floor itself was somehow just dirt. No tiles like the first-floor lobby.

What? The basement isn't decorated at all? The first floor looked great.

That was a little disappointing. What was this even for?

I was looking around, trying to find the problem, when a notification popped up.

My jaw dropped the second I read it. Gone within twenty-four hours?

But I could renovate it into an underground hot spring?

So if I just pay the points, it decorates itself? Fuck, I can't resist. This is insane! I've got about 400,000 right now, so I've got room to spare. Okay. Thank you!

I accepted immediately. Arbitrary tiles spread across the basement floor. The "tiles" were just white pebbles, but even that alone brought the place to life.

Crrrk. Rumble. Whooosh!

It started transforming into something like a public bathhouse. I watched my world change as if I'd become a god.

Like a public bathhouse — but with one decisive difference. What occupied most of this place was a hot spring.

This is the kind of thing I'd only ever seen in Japanese dramas. Seeing it this big is fucking spectacular.

Honestly, just bring in a few monkeys and you'd have a Japanese onsen materializing on the spot.

I was still marveling at the automatic decorating when another notification popped up.

Ugh. I have to wait a whole twenty-four hours?

No — wait. It's not twenty-four years. I can wait that long.

I took a look around. The mansion's underground hot spring, transforming in real time. When I walked over to one corner, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.

Whooosh!

An outdoor scene appeared, wind blowing. A night sky with a brilliantly shining moon. Somehow it felt like I'd been cut off into a world of my own, and a gasp of wonder escaped me on its own.

"Insane. This is insane!"

I exclaimed out loud. This level of functionality? This would bitch-slap even the latest games across the face from dawn till dusk.

Plus "unlock required" — no conditions listed, which was a bit frustrating. But that meant you could create all kinds of environments, right?

Can't resist!

I gave the order immediately.

"Daytime, Beach!"

At my shout, the background changed instantly. The sun rose in the darkened sky, and a blue expanse looked down on me.

Crashhh! Caw, caw!

Waves even crashed, and I could hear seagulls crying.

Good. Next.

"Night, Snowy Mountains!"

Whooooosh!

A snow-blown mountain standing silent and towering became the backdrop. Beyond the night sky, there was even a dragon flying as part of the spectacle. Holy shit. That wasn't a real dragon, right?

"This is absolutely fucking amazing... Please finish soon. Please!"

I returned to the center of the underground hot spring. The background had changed exactly as I'd commanded.

Wow. This was mine?

This is honestly better than buying a house in the heart of Seoul. For real.

I went up to the first floor and announced it to the women.

"The basement is under construction right now. It's going to be a hot spring soon, so please decorate the first floor or somewhere else!"

Color bloomed on their faces at my instruction. Dinora licked her lips.

"Oh my, a hot spring? The East is famous for those!"

Aki stepped right up.

"Ohoho, that's right. I don't remember well, but. Hot springs mean the East!"

You don't even remember, so why are you saying it so confidently?

Fieri sighed.

"Shall we tidy up first? Ladies?!"

"Ladies?! My heart is still that of a young maiden, I'll have you know!"

"Ohoho, that's right!"

Fieri really is a kuudere, huh. Heung. Niiice.

I watched the women work.

First, Aki decorated the paths around the mansion and the garden. Watching her, she was genuinely skilled.

Oh, the path like that... and the garden looks great too? The whole atmosphere is coming alive. Hehe.

The place that had already been spacious but empty now had real atmosphere.

Dinora hung paintings on the first floor, arranged sculptures, and moved the knight statues to suitable spots. Fieri coordinated all of it and handled the cleanup.

Spending the time busily with the women, the organizing was roughly finished. Everyone wrapped up their work and smiled, satisfied. Aki said brightly, her face clear as a bell,

"Phew, that was hard!"

"Then, Fieri. Live comfortably here from now on. You can come out if you need to. If there's something you want to say, just say it like you're telling me."

At my guidance, Fieri bowed her head.

"Thank you so much... You're my benefactor. A prince from a fairy tale..."

A prince? I was a degenerate hero, I'll have you know. The degenerate hero who was going to fuck every last MILF in the world!

Dinora laughed, low and lewd. Then she hugged Fiora from behind and started fondling her breasts.

"Oh myyy, your skin's so nice because you're young? And your breasts are so firm. I'm jealous. So jealous. I wonder how it is down below? Ohoho!"

"Eek, what are you doing all of a sudden? Wait — hah♥ Iyahh♥"

Two women showing chemistry that promised a very exciting future.

I looked at Aki.

"Shall we head back?"

"Yes♥ We still have things to do in Weaverpool♥"

We got ready to go outside. While the light wrapped around us on the way out, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something was visible beyond the clouds drifting past.

Hm? What's that?

Just as something appeared between the clouds, we were already outside. But I could guess what it was.

I saw something like an island beyond the clouds. So the Sky Island isn't just the one I'm on?

That got my interest even more. There was another Sky Island? And from the brief look I'd gotten, the environment seemed different too.

At this rate, was something like a dungeon going to show up?

Hmm. Interesting.

I grinned, even more excited for what came next.

Meanwhile, the captain of the guard came running like his soul was about to leave his body.

"Hero! Hero!"

I answered, already packed to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere. Ah — well, I am about to leave, actually. What's the matter?"

"An inspector has arrived. He's looking for you, Hero!"

I sighed and answered.

"Ah, I was just about to rest. This pointy-eared bastard's showing off. Lead the way!"

Well. What was coming had come. Not that it was an excuse, but honestly I was a little tired.

Ah, I should've at least gotten a massage from Lady Dinora! Regret always comes too late, doesn't it.

I followed the captain. At the territory's training grounds, Calsas was waiting, drinking coffee. The posture, the expression — the whole package. Was he shooting a coffee commercial?

"Ah, you're here?"

"Wanna throw down now?"

"I'll postpone if you're tired."

"Nah, no need. I was about to leave here anyway, and if it's a fight I've gotta take, better finish it now."

"Heh, Lashu. I like how you never hesitate. And the feel when I hit you is nice and meaty, too."

"...What kind of stew-slurping nonsense is that."

Calsas stood up. He started a proper staring contest with me.

The challenge the bastard had thrown down — I'd gladly take it.