After being informed by Eden that her reward was an entire world, Lilia stood with glazed, hollow eyes as the goddess guided her through the pocket dimension she had constructed within the Dimensional Rift.
Upon their arrival, the first thing Lilia saw was a vast, unending prairie stretching toward the horizon.
"Here we are. Even though I say I created a world, it is quite small in scale. At most, it is roughly the same size as the Human Realm."
"...It is plenty. Um, because this is important, allow me to say it once more: it is more than enough."
Considering the territory was equivalent to three whole countries, the scale was staggering. To produce that much land so effortlessly... she truly was the God of World Creation.
"No living organisms exist here. Furthermore, any items brought into this world will be automatically state-preserved, meaning they will never deteriorate. Most importantly, no one can enter except for you or those you choose to invite."
"...Should I view this as a strictly private space, then?"
"Indeed. You can activate the system simply by focusing your thoughts. I shall omit the finer details for now, but you can think of this as the Board to Operate the World. Try manifesting it."
"Ah, yes... Something like this board?"
Following Eden's instructions, Lilia visualized the concept, and a translucent, floating panel appeared before her. It featured various menus and categories. Eden began walking her through the basics.
"...I see. So, while the world is currently set to a prairie, I can use this board to change the scenery or even construct buildings in specific locations. This is... truly the creation and alteration of a realm. A divine feat."
"Well, I am a goddess, after all. As for its purpose... I prepared this world to serve as your personal collection room. You were starting to run out of space for your models in that hidden room of yours, weren't you?"
"—!?"
Lilia’s expression froze in shock. On second thought, however, her benefactor was an omniscient and omnipotent god; it was only natural she would know.
As Eden pointed out, Lilia’s collection room—the sanctuary where she stored her dragon-related memorabilia—had become dreadfully cramped. She had even forced herself to pass on several items during the Six Kings Festival for lack of space.
Because she wanted to keep her hobby a secret, she couldn't exactly order an expansion of her estate's hidden rooms. From that perspective, the gift Eden had bestowed was incredibly enticing.
Since only Lilia or her guests could enter, it provided the perfect defense against Lunamaria, who would undoubtedly blab about Lilia's private life if given the chance. Moreover, with a landmass equal to the Human Realm, the space was so vast she could never hope to fill it.
The automatic state preservation was a godsend for her collectibles, and the ability to construct buildings meant she could finally build a proper museum. Eden even explained that the board allowed for near-instant teleportation to any point within the world.
"Oh, and I’ve prepared a bonus as well."
"A bonus?"
"Yes. I have gathered data on creatures from five other worlds that would be classified as dragon species in Trinia. I’ve prepared life-sized models of them, along with Guide Boards containing descriptions of each species. In terms of total area, they take up about a third of this world. I’ve placed them some distance away, so use the system’s map function to locate them."
"..."
Lilia stood dazed for a moment, but her eyes soon began to sparkle with unbridled excitement. Lilia loved dragons. And now, dragon species from other worlds—dragons she had never even dreamed of—were right here as full-scale models, complete with detailed ecological data.
It was a priceless opportunity to study dragons from beyond her own reality. Lilia’s heart hammered against her ribs; if the goddess weren't standing right there, she would have teleported to see them that very second.
"Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"...I have a feeling you’re far more excited about the bonus than the world itself, but very well. Regardless, you did excellent work during the festival."
"Yes! If there is anything else you require of me, please do not hesitate to ask!"
After seeing Eden off with a deep, ninety-degree bow, Lilia's face broke into a broad, uncontrollable grin. She immediately operated the system, teleporting herself to the location where the unknown dragon models awaited her.
Machina: "See? Even I can give thoughtful presents! Lilia might not be my child, but I recognize her worth and grant rewards commensurate with her efforts."
???: "That’s fine and all, but... hey, you klutz. How about you explain why you let her awaken her Heart Tool so suddenly?"
Machina: "...Well, you know... I guess I just did it on a whim? Or, uh... ouch! Ow, ow, ow!?"