That afternoon, I found myself walking through the woods stretching behind the mansion.
I followed a small path where the branches had been trimmed and the undergrowth cleared just enough to allow people to pass. Although it was technically within the mansion’s grounds, the area seemed to be maintained with a conscious effort to keep it as close to its natural state as possible.
Every so often, I felt the presence of living creatures nearby.
A wolf-type monster watched us from a distance before slipping away as if nothing had happened.
"Was that one of the Madam’s tamed monsters?" I asked Lulunese, who was leading the way.
"Most likely," she replied. "Most of the wolf-type monsters here—especially those that observe visitors—are the Madam’s tamed monsters on patrol. However, many of the servants also have tamed monsters, so it might have been someone else’s monster that happened to be passing by. Regardless, today’s schedule has been communicated to the management staff, so you are in no danger of being attacked."
That was a relief. Still, it made me wonder if the Jamil household had an unusually high number of tamers among its staff.
"The Jamil family is a lineage of tamers, after all, and the environment here is perfectly suited for monsters to live comfortably. Since the family allows the staff to use these facilities, it creates an ideal environment for anyone interested to learn the craft. Many of the long-serving staff members have their own tamed monsters. For instance... look over there."
We reached the end of the path, where the forest opened into a beautiful, rectangular clearing. The ground was covered in lush green grass and hardy wildflowers, and a massive lake stretched out to our left.
The meadow was roughly the size of an elementary school gymnasium. It was more than enough space to run around and play. Lulunese pointed toward the center of the lake. There, I saw a mossy, cone-shaped island with a slightly irregular form.
"That looks like an island, but it’s actually a monster called a Floatland Tortoise," she explained.
"Ah, so it was the monster..."
According to Lulunese, Floatland Tortoises possessed internal air bladders that allowed them to live by floating near the water's surface. They had sharp teeth and powerful jaws for crushing the bones of aquatic insects and small fish, but their temperaments were generally quite gentle. If they grew large enough, people could even ride on their backs.
"The contractor is actually the head chef, Batz. When I was a child, he would occasionally let me ride on its back."
"You can ride it? I’ve actually been interested in monsters that can assist with transportation. What’s it like?"
"The Floatland Tortoise mostly just floats, so while you can sit on it, it isn't really suited for travel. If the balance shifts, it can flip right over. Though, looking back, I remember that being part of the fun as a child."
So it really was like a giant balloon. I shook off the distraction; it was time to get to work.
"Already? My fiancé hasn't arrived yet," Lulunese noted.
"I just want to get things ready. It’ll be easier for the volunteers to get started that way, and the initial setup is very simple."
Before I could construct the wedding venue, I had to prepare the site. To be specific:
"Dimension Home."
As usual, I relied on my slimes. I simply had my Weed Slimes devour all the obstructive grass.
After that, through "Sla-marine" tactics rather than human wave tactics, the unwanted greenery was cleared from the construction site in the blink of an eye.
As preparations progressed and the first few volunteers began to gather, I heard a familiar voice.
"Ryoma-kun!"
"Ah, hello! Wait... what happened?"
I turned to see Camille, but behind him were Zeff and Jill. For some reason, they were supporting a slumped-over Hughes by his shoulders. I was glad to see four familiar faces from the guard, but Hughes looked terrible.
"Why is he in that state? He’s pale. Is he okay?"
Hughes was breathing heavily. He clutched his mouth and gave a weak, pathetic shake of his head.
"Does it feel like you’ll throw up if you try to talk?"
He nodded frantically. Apparently, I’d hit the nail on the head.
"Hey, don't do it here, please," Zeff muttered.
"Jill, let's just go roll him over in the shade of that tree," Jill suggested. They immediately put the plan into action, literally rolling Hughes into the shade. Lulunese rushed over to him, so I figured he was in good hands.
"So, Camille, what happened? Was he studying too hard for that promotion?"
"No, it had nothing to do with that," Camille sighed.
"He didn't mean any harm, exactly," Zeff added, "but he said something incredibly insensitive to a woman and got himself punched."
"It’s a common enough occurrence for him," Jill remarked bluntly.
"I see... but is he usually this incapacitated? He’s a guard, isn't he? He should be tough."
Even if he wasn't wearing his armor, was he really hit so hard he couldn't walk?
"Yeah... he just picked the wrong opponent this time," Zeff said.
"You know Libiola, right?" Camille asked.
"The Greater Monkey-kin maid? She helped me with my experiments this morning."
"Then this is simple. She’s the one who hit him. Just so you know, she doesn't just have the physique; she’s a master of unarmed combat."
"There are some areas where men like us aren't allowed to go," Jill explained. "She handles security in those places. Among the women in this house, she’s one of the top two fighters."
"Her fist moved so fast I almost lost sight of it," Zeff added with a shudder. "A clean strike right to the solar plexus."
"That sounds painful..."
Hughes, just what on earth did you say to get targeted in a vital spot with that much force? I glanced over at him, only to find him being tenderly nursed by Lulunese.
While the two of them seemed lost in their own world, the eyes of the gathered male volunteers were absolutely terrifying. I couldn't exactly blame them for the jealousy.
"Should we just leave them be and get started? It looks like most of the group is here," I suggested.
"Yeah, that would be for the best. For everyone’s sake," Camille agreed.
"I'll go talk to the people who've arrived," Camille said.
"Then please ask them to gather at that corner. I'll explain the process," I said.
"The spot with the sand piles? Got it!" Zeff chirped.
"I'll head over as well," Jill added.
"I... suppose I'm not needed for the shouting," Camille said to me. "Do you need a hand with the preparations? Don't hesitate to ask."
"Actually, I do have one request."
With that, the work began.
"First, I’d like everyone to help prepare the floor for the party area where the guests will gather. The site has already been excavated a level deeper than the surrounding ground, and the edges have been reinforced with bricks. Please work within this boundary.
To start, I’ve placed piles of soil at intervals inside the brick border. Please take a suitable amount from the nearest pile, spread it, pack it down, and use these tools to level it. I’ve marked the required thickness on the surrounding bricks, so please follow those guides. Start from the edges and bring the inner sections up to match."
With Jill’s help, I demonstrated the process in front of the group. Once we had a flat surface capable of supporting people:
"Once the ground is leveled, we’ll lay down these stone slabs."
I presented the slabs—which were actually Earth Magic creations consisting of H-shaped blocks interlocked without gaps. Considering that most of the volunteers were unaccustomed to masonry, I had used magic to create them in large, pre-assembled units. Each side was about three meters wide, allowing us to quickly create a beautiful, uniform floor once the soil was ready.
The only downside was their weight, but since most of the volunteers were guards with plenty of strength and stamina, it didn't seem to be a problem.
"I’d like you to align them perfectly and line them up one after another. This will leave a gap the size of a single block at the joints. Please fill those gaps with the individual blocks I’ve prepared separately. By filling the hole, you’ll easily lock the two units together."
"Hoh, this looks simpler than I expected."
"Just spreading soil and laying down boards, basically?"
"Is this really all we have to do?"
"For our purposes today, this is more than enough," I assured them.
Doing anything more complex would take too much time, and more importantly, it would be difficult to restore the site to its original state after the wedding. Instead, I had used Earth Magic to lightly reinforce the foundation. Since the wedding and reception would only last a day, it would easily hold up for a week.
"I’ve also prepared levels. Please be careful with the height of the soil and any unevenness. It’s dangerous if someone trips on a joint while they're drinking, and if the slope is too steep, food and drinks might slide off the tables. It’s simple work, but the comfort of the wedding guests depends entirely on you!"
"Haha, comfort at a drinking party, eh?"
"When you put it that way, we have to give it our all."
"I'm counting on that spirit. One more thing: for the gaps between the brick border and the stone slabs, please cut and fill them with the individual bricks. If anyone here can use Earth Magic, I could use your help—"
"I can do that," a voice called out. "I'm with the Magic Unit. My specialty is Barrier Magic, but I'm decent with Earth Magic."
"I can use it too!"
"Count me in!"
Voices rose from behind the wall of muscular guards. Several people stepped forward, including a slender man and a woman. Camille was with them, and given the title "Magic Unit," they were professionals.
"The Magic Unit! So you're specialists! Thank you so much, I’ll be relying on you."
My somewhat exaggerated gratitude was met with quiet, though clearly satisfied, wry smiles.
"Alright, I have more to explain to the magic users, so please come this way. Everyone else, get to work!"
"Alright, boys, let's move!" Jill roared.
With Jill taking the lead, the guards set to work. Camille organized the members of the Magic Unit, while Zeff directed latecomers to their respective groups. Having the three of them acting as intermediaries made my job much easier, and the project proceeded smoothly.
As for the two stars of the show...
"I'll help too!" Hughes shouted, finally back on his feet.
"What’s this, Hughes? Is your stomach okay already?"
"I mean, you two can stay together longer if you want. Don't worry about us!"
"Seriously, just get out of here, you lucky bastard!"
"I'm so jealous of you, damn it!"
"Don't you know women get anxious before their wedding? Go keep her company!"
"Yeah! Stop trying to look good by working!"
"If you make Lulunese-san worry, I'll kill you myself..."
"Go have a serious talk with her. You can still change your mind, you know?"
"Just go!"
"Don't come over here! Get away, you traitor!"
"Hey, wait, you guys—Guff!?"
"Sorry about the noise, Boss. We'll leave this guy to you, Lulunese-san!"
I wasn't sure if it was jealousy or a weird form of kindness, but the end result was that the revived Hughes was promptly knocked down again and sent back to Lulunese to "spend time together." He spent the rest of the afternoon in a state that was half-heaven and half-hell—forced to endure his fiancé's hovering care while being watched from a distance by a crowd of envious, heckling colleagues.
I suppose they all got along well enough in their own way, but their methods were certainly extreme.