The rest of the night passed like a blur. I ended up with a lot of new numbers in my mobile, though I admit I was a little disappointed I never got the Prime Minster’s direumber, although I did score the number for his Undersecretary if I o tact him urgently. Damn, it would have made persuading my father easy, if I could have shown him that. Still, sidering my phone only had family and my friends from uni in it a couple of months ago, now it’s bursting with tacts.

  I had Fujiwara-san’s personal secretary as well, and Tsumura-san’s actual number, and having a direct lio the Minister for Defence definitely made me feel a big-shot. Though to be ho I felt it was more because I would be hanging around his beloved granddaughter, rather than the s of the try. He definitely seemed the doting, overprotective sort.

  Before leaving Shaeu went baore food at the party, and I was again amazed where she put it all, seeing as she had a small frame. I made a joke that I should start calling her Goku from now on, and the puzzled tilt of her head as she was fused was shogly cute. I then remembered she was more into magical girl and fantasy ahan stuff like Dragon Ball, so she hadn’t seen it. Anyway, we made a bit more small talk with the lingering guests, and sine of them had seen us leave the private room where Fujiwara-san was residing, this time they were not so dismissive of us, and we made a few tacts that might be useful for various matters iure.

  On our return to Shirohebizumi shrine we went to bed, not for any fun, but merely to rest, as it had been quite the exhausting day, mentally anyway. Tomorroould o be up reasonably early, as Kana- was having guests, and our home had beeed as the venue. Before I had left to pick up my suit and run various errands that m, Kana- had e up to me, red-faced and nervous, to ask about her own gathering. I had smiled and told her it was fine, and that her parents had already asked me. She mao flush moing almost purple, and her pouting was quite charming. Still, I told her I’d left her plenty of money, so she could go wild, and my reward was a bright smile, her annoyance fotten.

  Thinking of the events of the day, Shaeu already asleep beside me, only wearing her underwear, I slipped into slumber myself, the arm set for six in the m, as we could mah just a few hours’ sleep, and I wao che on my Territory before the upis of the day and the importaing with the priest of Hisuikomushi shrine…

  ***

  “Well, this is quite the ge.” I said, surprised, as I looked around the Boundary version of my home. The dipidated building had been pletely refurbished, the floors now wooden boards, polished until they literally gleamed, and the decrepit walls and gap-filled roof had been patched with wood and vines, making it look a lot like some of the rustic cottages I had seen in some of my mom’s old photographs from her youth ba Britain.

  “Indeed is it.” Shaeu agreed beside me. “Of course, this is more suitable for us, is it not-not? Having the shrine be shabby is an affront to… oh, it is you two.” Shaeu finished, her to exactly delighted to see her two weaselkin maids, who on sensing her arrival had rushed over to provide assistance.

  “I see you have returned, mistress. Though your form-form would sadden your father.” One maid said. Risha maybe? Or is it Velna, I still ’t really tell them apart…

  “Indeed, your beautiful amber fur-fur is something to treasure.” The other said, bowing to Shaeu. As they settled in behind her, ready to follow and attend to her needs, I couldn’t help but notice the maids were giving me dirty looks. Shaeu noticed too, and a sudden whip-crack of wind made a thunderous noise, causing the maids to flinch back, unnerved.

  “If you feel you must-must follow me, I shall not-not stop you.” she growled, displeased. “However we shall not-not repeat the mistakes of the past. My pride was too high, airely unearned. Now-now I shall only take pride in achievements I have earned, so be aware of this.” At her harsh words the maids looked a bit fused, but they agreed heless.

  “And stly, and much-much more importantly…” Her amber eyes bzed and another whip-crack of wind broke the silence. “I shall tolerate none-none who disrespect my husband. So show him the respect he has earned. Besides…” She took my hand, smiling proudly. “… you do him a great-great disservice, looking down on him. Why, only st night, did we not-not meet the leader of a very powerful try, who did hang on your every word, eager for your sel?”

  Well, I don’t think he was ‘hanging on my every word’ but I suppose you definitely say he was seeking my advice. Although in exge… Damn, I was going to have to speak to Haru-san while I was here, a task I wasn’t looking forward to.

  “I see-see.” one maid said, and the other oo, deep in thought. “I would expeo-no less from the princess. Even if she must sort with a mortal, he would be a noble one, yes-yes?”

  As the maids took Shaeu’s words literally and ran with them, she gave my hand a squeeze and a wry grin. Since I could tell she was looking for praise I leaned over and gave her a kiss, before we left the main room aered the corridor, only to find the little Zashiki-Warashi Azuki wearing an apron and gloves over her cy velvet dress, her hair tucked behind her head with a handkerchief, wiping furiously at the newly-id wooden fl with a polishing cloth. On seeing us she looked up, her ruby eyes moist.

  “Oh, you’ve e back. Please, help me! She’s a tyrant, she…”

  “Azuki, yooou better not be sg! I feel the master and mistress have returned.” Hyath shouted from the doorway as she raced inside, her long hair swaying behihough now it was ly bundled up into a ponytail, her bck, green and purple hair looking rather fetg now it was , groomed and tied with cloth ribbons. Her rags were gooo, and she now wore a simir maid outfit to Risha and Velna, the older, Victorian-era style.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]On seeing her Azuki darted behind my legs, trying to hide, but vines sprang from under Hyath’s long skirt and snaked out, grabbing her, dragging the protesting doll out of her cover. Uh, when she uses her vines like that, her skirt really rides up. Luckily I ’t see above her thighs, but even so…

  Looking away my eyes met Shaeu, who grinned, knowing what I was thinking. “Having seen maid outfits in Japan, these dowdy Seelie outfits seem rather g, do they not-not?” she asked me, and for a while I pted the pretty Hyath w in a maid café. On hearing Shaeu, Hyath bounced excitedly, heedless of the g Azuki as she was swung around in the hallway by the vines, occasionally bumping into the walls.

  “The mortal wooorld! I am sooo jealous of you, mistress! You get to see such wonders, I have nooo doubts!” Hyath was envious, spinning around madly.

  “Yes, it is indeed rather wonderful. Still…” Shaeu was still wary of her, because she was Unseelie, or if not officially part of the Dark Court, she was definitely fallen as a Seelie. Regardless, Shaeu would never miss a ce t. “… perhaps one day, if you work-work hard and prove your loyalty, Akio will bestow you a ce to walk the mortal world as well-well.”

  “Really? I want that, I want it!” Hyath started singing. “You have a home there toooo, do you not? I simply must tend to it as well, I cry thinking ooof that hooouse all dirty and ed. It pains my heart.”

  “Well, actually we do keep it reasonably tidy…” I interjected cautiously. Hyath didn’t seem dangerous, but her behaviour was certaiid excitable.

  “I knooow, I know!” Hyath froze, her expression twisting into one of triumph. Swinging her vines she thumped down the sobbing Azuki in front of us. Velna and Risha were standing behind us, very fused by this straurn of events, and I could sympathise. Me too. Me too.

  “This hooouse-Brownie…” Hyath began, only for the weeping Azuki to insist angrily that she wasn’t a ‘stupid Brownie’, but a noble ‘Zashiki-Warashi’ which Hyath promptly ignored. “… she is very sly, very clever, ooobviously wishes to wooork. She has a body in the mortal world. You should put her to use.”

  “Of course.” Shaeu excimed. “The doll. I simply knew-knew we had to have it.” She looked over at me, grinning. “It was quite-quite the costly gift, but for me, you would spare no expense, would you Akio?”

  “Of course not.” We kissed again, Hyath hiding her eyes with her hands but peering through the open fingers, blushing, just like the cssic trope, while the maids looked unfortable.

  “I… I move it for a while. Or call upon fortune for the home.” Azuki sniffled. “But the spiritual energy I mao store within will be used up quickly. The mortal world has little power…”

  “Even sooo, I am jealous.” Hyath sighed.

  So, does that mean that if we had a way of supplyiher aher to Azuki, she could fun for longer, or maybe all the time? One building came to mind, and I’d anyway as soon as the Anchrade finished, sidering I now had ownership of Shirohebizumi shrine.

  “Well, we o put a pin in that for now. We have a lot of other matters to attend to. So if you’ll excuse us?”

  Hyath protested that she o apany us, and she fell in behind us, with the weaselkin maids, who shied away from her, though at least she did leave Azuki behind, who shot us grateful looks as we took Hyath away.

  Stepping outside, the ges were big here too. The once-burned out area where we had staged our Trials of Three was now resple with grasses, wildflowers and small trees, and several rge wooden huts had bee up. I saw a few ratkin going into one of them, and I paused, puzzled, not havihem before. As they caught sight of me, one knocked on the door of the rgest hut, which had a tall ey, from which dark blue smoke was belg incessantly. The door opened, and Ixitt popped his head out, expressihtening when he saw me.

  “Keh-keh-keh. If it is not Akio and the princess. Wele back, I trust all is well?”

  “Yes, everything is going smoothly.” I greeted, and Shaeu him regally. “So… there seems to be a few more ratkin around?”

  “Keh-keh, of course. How could I, keh, fet? Thanquiss, e out and greet... keh-keh... Akio and the princess.” At his words a female ratkin wearing a leather bodysuit and protective apron came out. On seeing us she bowed. “Princess. It is an honour. I hope my husband has not caused trouble?”

  “Keh-keh, have more faith, my dear.” Ixitt broke in. “This is my fourth wife, Thanquiss. She has e via the Ring, keh-keh, Gate and brought some of my children who had little better to do. Keh-keh.”

  Fourth wife, huh? He wasn’t kidding when he said he had a lot. “So, ah, how many wives do you have?” I had to ask, and he giggled, which was interrupted by more coughing. It turned out he had eight! When I expressed shock at that, he merely quipped back that I’d likely surpass him in no time at all. When I tried to deny it, he merely ughed and offered me the pick of his daughters for my bride!

  ging the subject as Shaeu was finding this hirious, I asked about the Ring Gates, and apparently Shaeraggo had set one up within his own nds, so one could go to the hidden mansion and theheir Gate to reach here easily enough. Apparently though the price that the Fae nature and pnt spirits demanded for the mushrooms that prised them was by no means cheap. Yeah, Shaeraggo does love his sister, even if he sometimes has a shitty way of showing it.

  With the mystery of the additional ratkin solved, I turo my other business. “Oh, Ixitt, I mao get the ce to study some firearms ih the other day. I was going to see Master Bjarki about them. Are you ied?”

  “Keh-keh, mortal guns? Me... keh... ied…? Keh-keh…” His coughied as he got terribly excited, spitting blood disgustingly. Perhaps I use him as a target for Ether Healing? No, no time for that right now. I have too much to do. In any case, he was very ied, of course, and followed us along with his wife to the sed outbuilding… which was even more shogly renovated than the first!

  The walls had been patched, yes, wooden pnks c the gaps, but several brick eys had beeed, as well as some metal structures that were giving off heat and smoke. Ste sheds had been put up, and Kobolds and weaselkin were running around, dropping off heavy loads of metals and ores. Looking up from the metal fe, Master Bjarki saw us ing and thumped his chest iing.

  “Ah, it be t’princess and her sort. Well, what d’ye think of my fe? A beauty, ain’t she? Nay bad for a quick job.” He spped it barehanded, not even g the brickwork was scalding hot. “T’Kobolds dig up good ore, and I be getting m’pick of them.” He went on to expin that in addition to the ore Shaeraggo had sent as part of the Price of Trial, the Kobolds were gifting him metals from their mine, so he had adequate stocks to start work.

  “That’s great.” I agreed, and that reminded me to make sure the Kobolds still had everything they hey had sat out the war, being pathetically weak in bat, and had just been mining, using the degraded Kobolds from the Spawning Spire.

  “In any case. I’m here to discuss a project.” As Ixitt and Bjarki closed in eagerly, I expined a bit about firearms and how they worked. Both were fasated, but it was when I produced a set of pieces for the simplest ones, a pistol and a shotgun, f them using my Ether Crafting and some nearby metal ingots, they were astonished. I assembled the pieces, having to make small adjustments to my work as I went along, and soon we had several funal guns, although sihey were made from iron and steel in their ey, they were rather too heavy.

  “Of course, they won’t work without bullets.” I grinned as they fussed over the pieces, taking them apart and marvelling at the firing meisms. “Here.” I crafted a few bullet shells too, and Ixitt went wild, as explosive powders and alchemy was his area of expertise.

  “Merely replig them is not-not enough.” Shaeu piped up, having grasped my i. “We must improve them, using mortal knowledge and our elemental and spiritual powers. Bullets of wind-wind, fme, and worse.” Her grin was vicious. “Imagi, Akio. Foehn, carried within these shells. Let our foes fear us then!”

  “Yeah, I knew you’d uand.” I ruffled her hair, and she purred in happiness. Behind us Hyath looked as if she couldn’t follow along, but was making noises of wonder anyway, just to please us, no doubt.

  “Well, I’ll leave you two to experiment on ways to get the basic designs up and running, then we look at more plicated ones. I have other matters to attend to now.” They barely even responded, engrossed in their work, and I headed for the tre of my Territory, entering the spatial duhat had grown around my Anchor in the apartment I used to call home.

  The Anchor was growing, pierg the shadows above, and at the base small lumps were starting to bulge. The silvery metal was shining with a full rainbow of colours, and it was still quite pretty. Around my Silo there was more ether gathered, and at a quick estimation there must have been roughly fifty or sixty thousaher outside. We make roughly six thousaher per day oh currently, though it fluctuates based oime dition and the tides.

  In addition, we were still plundering areas around us and grabbing what ores we could, though most of our troops were still on the defensive. As I calcuted, Shaeu watched me silently, a happy grin on her face.

  Cheg the Anchor, it now had just a little ht Astral days remaining to pletion, so around three and a half days oh. We’ll finally be done Wednesday evening. That’s great.

  Adding aroueen thousand more ether from the Territory, plus whatever we could sge up, as well as the one hundred and fifty thousand in the silo, plus the box of Etherite ores worth over a huhousand too… I mustn’t fet what ores the Kobolds dug up, as well as what we found during our expansion. I doubt it is huge numbers, but even so, ten thousaher maybe, perhaps a little more?

  As I ran the numbers, seeing my Territory expand in my head, Shaeu reached her arms out and hugged me from behind. “I love seeing you like this-this. All eager and dreaming of the future. Eri does too. Aiko as well-well.” Her amber eyes gleamed uhe strange lights of the expanding Anchor. “We have defeated many trials. Now-now is the time to reap our rewards.”

  What could I say to that? With a grin, I decided to fill Shaeu in on my expansion pns, both of us getting more and more excited as we debated the possibilities…