After the closing ceremony concluded, we considered grabbing some snacks from the stalls in the Lower Level on our way home. However, since we’d entered the plaza through the Upper Level, we hadn't anticipated just how congested the Lower Level's teleportation gates would be.
The crowd swelled as we neared the gates. Realizing that following the slow-moving current of people would take forever, we stepped off the main path. I decided to use my own teleportation magic tool to get us home. Thanks to Shiro-san's Blessing, I could bypass teleportation interference anywhere outside the Sanctuary, making it easy to travel with my own gear.
I activated the magic and brought us directly to my front gate. As soon as we arrived, I froze, stunned by the sight before me.
"Whoa..."
"W-Wow! Kaito-senpai, your yard looks like a public park!" Hina-chan exclaimed, her voice filled with as much shock as my own.
Everyone else looked just as floored. I knew exactly why they were staring; the yard was almost entirely unrecognizable from the one we’d left earlier that morning. I'd given Nebula and Illness-san permission to overhaul the garden after they showed me their blueprints, but seeing the finished product in person was something else entirely. As Hina-chan noted, the landscaping was incredibly deliberate. It was as beautiful as a fine art installation.
They'd expanded the lawn to give Bell and Rin plenty of room to play, yet the path leading to the mansion was perfectly paved and easy to walk. The lighting magic tools were positioned with master-level precision; they didn't glare, yet they illuminated the entire grounds perfectly. Flowers and ornamental trees were peppered throughout, and the addition of small hills gave the landscape a dynamic, professional feel. It looked like a high-end tourist destination; I felt like I could enjoy myself just by taking a walk around my own house.
"They did this in a single day?" Lilia-san asked, sounding genuinely shaken. "Even with Illness helping... this is incredible."
"Honestly, I wonder if even Illness-sama could have pulled this off alone," Luna-san added. "Look at the main path. Those look like reaction-type lighting magic tools embedded in the ground. The amount of labor involved is staggering."
"They removed the old fountain, laid down all this premium turf, and planted these trees and flowers?" Sieg-san noted. "I'd believe you if you told me this took a year to finish..."
As the three of them stood there in disbelief, the World Tree—which stood on a hill occupying a large portion of the yard, just as I’d requested—began to glow. Nebula came fluttering toward us.
"Master! Everyone, welcome back!"
"I'm home, Nebula... The garden is incredible. I knew it would be finished today, but seeing it completely transformed like this is still a shock."
"Illness-san and I worked together on it," she explained. "I'd love to give you a tour, but you all must be exhausted from the festival. We can do the detailed walkthrough tomorrow. Oh, and since you gave me the okay, I've already set up the tea field behind the mansion."
"Wait, that’s done too!?"
Nebula had asked me earlier if she could use some space for tea. In Lilia-san’s mansion, the backyard held training grounds and stables, but I didn't need anything like that. Aside from the sheds for Bell and Rin, I had tons of empty space, so I'd told her to use whatever she liked. But to think she’d finished that in a single day as well...
"You're a fast worker, Nebula."
"Of course! After all, I am an Absolute One!" she declared proudly.
"The Absolute One sure is something," I muttered.
It might have been my imagination, but lately, whenever she called herself an "Absolute One," it felt less like a divine title and more like a way of saying she was an all-powerful superhuman who could do anything—not unlike a certain maid I knew.
"In any case, thanks for the hard work. Like you said, we'll take a look tomorrow. Oh, and here—a souvenir from the White God Festival."
"Thank you so much, Master! How was the festival?"
"It was great, but I'm beat from all the walking. Though I guess that's nothing compared to what you did today. You're not pushing too hard, are you? Not feeling tired?"
"Not at all! The garden work was actually finished by noon. After that, Illness-san and I were just taking our time with the tea field. It was quite relaxing."
"I... I see."
Finished by noon? Man, the Absolute One really is terrifying.
Serious-senpai: "Tell me! Does the Fate arc start now?"
???: "No, he has to meet Blossom-san first."
Serious-senpai: "Oh, right... I forgot there was still one more hurdle to clear."