This Is What Flexing Feels Like
The location was the southern part of Nohwado, right where Imok Port used to stand, offering a clear view of Bogildo. The main reason was to keep watch over the Sea Orcs on Bogildo. It was also the perfect central point between the three islands. Since I planned to claim all three as my territory, a central base was absolutely necessary. The old port area had decent water depth too, which made it comfortable for Asne to live in.
Hmm… Is this what flexing feels like…
I designated the spot for the item I had purchased. In an instant, the container house appeared as if by magic.
“Whoa~! It’s so huge~!!!”
“It’s always fascinating to see you summon objects without any magic power.”
It was a full thirty-pyeong container house. The price tag came to fifty thousand gold—roughly five hundred million won. It had one large bedroom with an attached bathroom, two smaller bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and additional bathroom facilities. It felt like a standard apartment unit, yet every detail carried something special.
“Let’s head inside.”
I opened the door and stepped in. Right at the entrance was a full-length mirror shaped like a shoe cabinet.
“Wah! T-this! Is this… me?”
“Oh my… Is this a mirror? It’s incredibly clean. Even an emperor would struggle to own something like this… As expected, my lord, you are truly impressive.”
Miya and Asne were marveling at what was essentially an ordinary mirror. Miya’s eyes went wide as she twisted and turned, inspecting herself with pure fascination. Asne smiled softly and stepped closer, checking her own appearance.
“Mirrors like this are common where I come from. If you like it, should I get one for you?”
“Umm… I don’t need one!”
“To think such a treasure isn’t necessary… My lord, I would be grateful if you could provide one for me.”
“Buying it now would be a hassle, so I’ll pick one up for you when I go out later.”
“Thank you.”
Miya kicked off her shoes at the entrance and stepped inside. Asne didn’t need to remove anything since she was barefoot. Thanks to some kind of magic, neither seawater nor dirt ever clung to her, so she was always perfectly clean. If anything did get on her, she could simply wash it off.
The first area we entered was the living room. With no furniture yet, it felt rather empty.
“Hey, Gigachad. Turn on the living room lights.”
> Yes, beep. Lights on.
It was still afternoon, so the interior wasn’t particularly dark, but I wanted to test one of the listed features. A deep, masculine voice responded to my command, and the living room lights flickered on.
“Eeeek!?”
“Goodness…”
Miya’s ears and tail shot straight up as she hopped backward in surprise. Asne simply stared at the illuminated lights with sparkling eyes.
“M-Minsoo…! D-does this mansion have a wizard sealed inside…?”
“I didn’t sense any magical flow. This must be that ‘science’ you mentioned, my lord?”
“That’s right. It’s the pinnacle of science—an artificial intelligence AI that responds to voice commands. Miya, you don’t have to be scared. Try calling it like I did earlier.”
“H-hey… Gigachad…?”
> Yes, beep. Why did you call?
“Hoeeek…! Um, so… Gigachad isn’t a wizard?”
> Yes, beep. I am not a wizard. However, magical things can happen depending on one’s own mindset, can they not? That is what I believe, beep.
“Ooh…”
“What a wonderful way to put it.”
Coming from a deep, powerful male voice, those words sounded surprisingly pleasant. I didn’t know who the voice actor was, but they had clearly put a lot of effort into this.
That was when I noticed the time displayed on the house management AI panel on the wall.
4:44 PM.
I used to hate seeing that time. But after hearing something once, it stopped bothering me.
“Hey, Gigachad. I just saw the time. You know how in Korea the number four sounds like ‘death’? Seeing it three times in a row feels ominous. Gigachad, I’m in a bad mood now.”
> Hey, beep. Just shift your perspective a little. Among words that contain the sound ‘sa,’ there are many happy ones, aren’t there? For example—love. Love! Love three times. What a wonderful time that is? So the next time you see this time, think of love instead of death! Love, love, love. Luv luv luv. All right? Beep?
“Heeeh…!”
“How romantic.”
“Gigachad, I agree completely.”
> All right, beep. Call me anytime you need me.
Gigachad had spoken the same sort of line I had heard once before. That’s right—if something bothered you, you simply had to change how you thought about it. If it was negative, flip it to positive. That alone could change your life a little.
“Alright, shall we check out the rest of the house?”
“Yeah!”
“Yes, my lord.”
The kitchen connected to the living room featured sleek counters and cabinets. There were two induction cooktops and two gas ranges. Since I preferred gas, this was perfect. A large oven sat beneath them—excellent for cooking. At the end of the living room stood a massive 700-liter refrigerator. All these features were probably why the total came to five hundred million won. The setup already felt worth every penny.
“The water comes out nice and cold too.”
When I turned the faucet, water gushed out vigorously. This was also a magic tool powered by mana stones. Switching it to hot instantly delivered water at the preset temperature—an insane level of technology.
“I can feel the flow of magic power from that one.”
“Yeah. Most of the kitchen appliances are magic tools.”
The induction cooktop and refrigerator weren’t turned on yet, so she couldn’t sense their flow. I switched them on to test. Asne watched with great interest. Everything operated perfectly.
“Now I can actually cook properly.”
“Minsoo’s cooking? I love it so much!”
“It would be an honor if my lord cooked for us.”
Come to think of it, I had only ever made Miya some grilled Sea Grok with a bit of seasoning. For Asne, I had simply bought finished dishes. Lei had only eaten pre-sliced sashimi. I had never properly cooked for them. I’d have to fix that soon. For now, we moved on to the bedrooms.
First was the largest room. It was quite spacious for one person and even had its own bathroom.
“Hmm… It’s nice not having to go outside anymore.”
“Uwoong…? Minsoo, what’s ‘going outside’…?”
“It may be a natural occurrence, but it must have been difficult for you.”
I had struggled quite a bit these past three days. Even knowing there was no danger, handling bodily functions outdoors felt strange. Of course, my territory residents didn’t mind it at all. Every time Miya cheerfully announced “Bathroom!” and disappeared, I had to work hard to act indifferent. At least Asne didn’t need to eat and could perfectly digest anything she did consume, so that was a relief. Lei had stayed on Heugildo today, so she would handle it herself.
Hmm…? Why do I suddenly feel like I need to rush to Heugildo right now and build her a bathroom…!?
“Seeing the bathroom made me think of Lei. She lived as a queen—having no bathroom would probably make her sad. Let’s buy a small house for that side too.”
After looking around, Asne and I headed to Heugildo using her power.
“My lord? Have you finished your work?”
“I’ll be living here eventually, but it seems like this place needs a house too.”
On Heugildo, I purchased a smaller standard container house. At nine pyeong, it had one room and a combined bathroom. The exterior was cute and ornate, clearly designed with female customers in mind. The plain version cost three thousand gold, but this one was five thousand. Still, since it was for our former queen Lei, something pretty was better. It didn’t have an AI, but it came with all the essentials like temperature-control magic tools.
“Wow~ What a pretty house!”
“It might feel small for Lei who used to be a queen, but she can stay here for now. Once we get some builders, we can construct whatever kind of house she wants. Is that okay?”
“I love this house too! I’ll go get my Toroto cushion from the tent!”
Lei seemed to like the house. She brought her Toroto cushion from the tent and placed it in the corner of the room. When I asked if she wanted a bed, she requested more Toroto cushions instead. So I bought her a full set—small ones, medium, and an extra-large—and filled the entire room with them. The space quickly transformed into a soft, fluffy Toroto paradise.
Next came the long-awaited bathroom tutorial. Since she wasn’t familiar with modern amenities, I explained how to use it.
“The room uses the same temperature-control magic tool as the one in the tent. As for the bathroom… after you finish your business, press this button and the magic tool will handle the rest.”
“Hoee~ That’s really convenient!”
The toilet itself was a magic tool. Flushing caused it to neatly break everything down below. Otherwise, we’d have to dig pits and build septic tanks, which was why mages had poured their hearts into creating these.
“This is the sink. Turn it this way for cold water, the other way for warm.”
“Hooo… So simple, yet so convenient.”
“The shower next to it works the same. Use the sink for washing your hands and face, and the shower for your whole body. And…”
I bought shower supplies from the market. I wasn’t familiar with women’s products, but they came in sets, so I purchased them immediately. Since many were unfamiliar to me too, I looked them up on my phone and explained their uses. Miya and Asne joined in, so all three of us listened together.
“Ugh… It’s super complicated…”
“They’re really serious about maintenance here…”
“There are even more products than what I used during my time as queen…”
The explanation alone took over an hour.
“Um… My lord…?”
“What?”
“I think I understand enough now. If I have questions later, I’ll ask again. It seems better if you return to what you were doing.”
“Yeah, okay. If it’s too much at once, just remember: face with facial cleanser, body with body wash, hair with shampoo. Start with that and build up slowly.”
“Okaaay…!”
Lei was acting shy as she tried to shoo me out. The trait activation the status window mentioned had a one-hour limit. Now that I understood what it meant, I only explained the products I used myself before leaving.
By then it was past six, and the sunset was beginning to paint the sky again.
“The sunset is beautiful no matter how many times I see it.”
Especially one reflecting off the horizon, which was hard to see in the city. Seeing it underwater with Asne’s power was even more special.
We returned to the house on Nohwado.
“The layout is slightly different, but it’s the same as what I explained at Lei’s house, so you know how to use everything, right?”
“Yep!”
“Yes, my lord.”
I only explained the house, so why did I feel so drained? I wanted to rest.
“Then Miya, where would you like yours?”
“Uwoong?”
“I’m buying you the same type of house as Lei’s. I’ll place it wherever you want.”
“Heek? Weren’t we all living together here with Minsoo?”
“We’re different genders. It could get uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine with it though?”
“I’m not.”
Honestly, living together would be nice for me too. But my sanity probably wouldn’t survive it, so this was necessary. After persuading Miya, we decided on the spot right next door.
“Ah! Minsoo, I don’t want a flashy exterior like Lady Lei’s.”
“Really? Then we won’t do that.”
The interior was almost identical aside from the price difference, so I bought the three-thousand-gold version.
“If the exterior is less flashy, that means more room for Torotos, right!?”
“That’s right.”
“Then yes yes!!! Can you fill my room with the super~ super~ big Torotos I saw in Lady Lei’s room earlier?”
“That’s easy.”
“Heeeek! Kyaaang~!”
I granted Miya’s small request. The room was packed with giant Toroto cushions. Miya let out a happy scream and dove straight into them.
“If anything happens while you’re resting, just call me.”
“Yesss~!!!”
I left the overjoyed Miya and stepped outside.
“What about you, Asne? Would you prefer underwater after all?”
“Hmm… I think I’ll do it this way… and live here.”
After a moment of thought, Asne gestured with her hand. The ground beside my house rose up, forming a perfect square. A few more gestures transformed it into an elegant, classical exterior.
“If I arrange the fabric and Toroto cushions you gave me inside… and fill it with water…! What do you think of my house, my lord?”
“It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Hehe… Thank you.”
The windows and door were wide open, yet the water inside remained perfectly contained. Asne’s magic truly defied the laws of physics in the most mysterious ways.
“Do you need anything else?”
“I would appreciate having more fabric if possible.”
“There are many different types. Want to take a look?”
“Oh my… I would love that.”
I wasn’t an expert, but after searching I found natural fibers, synthetic fibers, and many more. I bought them one by one for Asne to examine. Natural included cotton and linen, while synthetic had nylon, polyester, and others. The one she liked most was microfiber. When I bought her a microfiber blanket, she hugged it with an absolutely blissful expression.
“The rest can be used as decorations. My lord, thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing. I’m glad you’re satisfied. Now let’s get some rest.”
“Yes. Please rest well.”
“Call me if anything comes up.”
“I will~”
With that, everyone’s first homes were complete. I could rest a little, have dinner, and then move on to the next tasks.
I entered my own house, purchased a bed and bedding, washed up quickly, and lay down.
“Aaaah… This is happiness…”
After several days of tent living, the soft bed made exhaustion crash over me like a wave. I set a two-hour alarm on my phone, knowing I wouldn’t be able to fight it, and let myself drift off.