episode_0055
by fnovelpia
55. Abnormal Desires
Brook and Eightree had gathered again in the workshop.
Eightree, who had been crying, returned after washing her face, and Brook looked slightly tipsy, as if she had stopped for a drink.
Considering their concrete project had just collapsed, it made sense Brook drank—had I been a better drinker, I’d have downed a fair share myself.
“Hey, genius! Finally found a solution, huh? You absolute beauty of a brain!”
“Eightree helped a lot.”
“N-no, I didn’t…”
Brook slapped my back enthusiastically with another bizarre metaphor while Eightree shyly blushed and bowed her head at the compliment.
Watching the two of us, Brook teased in a mischievous tone.
“Don’t tell me you two did it?”
“We didn’t.”
“We didn’t!!”
Eightree’s face turned apple-red as she vehemently denied it.
Given how intensely she reacted, it seemed she definitely didn’t like me romantically.
Unfazed, Brook nudged me with her elbow, oblivious to Eightree’s feelings.
“If you two ever do, call me first, got it?”
“Sis!! It’s not like that at all…!”
Eightree’s face burned red as she weakly protested.
Seeing her so obviously disliking me stung a little.
Then again, why would she feel anything romantic for a guy who once smashed his head against a desk and passed out after a mental breakdown?
Even I think I’m the worst.
Clearing my throat, I clapped my hands to shift the mood.
“First, let’s focus!”
Eightree handed me the revised blueprints she had redrawn before washing her face.
“What’s this?”
“A ‘remicon,’ they call it.”
“Remicon?”
I nodded and slowly explained to Brook.
A cylindrical drum with a foot pedal at the back to manually rotate it.
It even had large wheels underneath like a chariot so it could be pulled by a horse.
Inspired by electric vehicles, the cart’s movement would turn the gears, making the remicon rotate automatically.
“Concrete is a fluid-like material. It needs constant mixing to stay uniform and prevent premature hardening—so this is essential.”
“Got it. So if we build this, we’re good?”
“Yeah, but there’s more.”
I made a second request to Brook and Eightree.
Why had I initially chosen Roman cement over modern Portland cement?
First, making the remicon would take time.
Second…
“I need a kiln that can reach 1,450 degrees.”
“…1,450 degrees? That’s enough to melt steel.”
“Not just that—it needs rapid cooling to 100–200 degrees. A specialized kiln…”
“What the hell are you…? No, wait. Yeah, this is exactly the kind of thing you’d ask for.”
Brook was about to protest again, but then she recalled all the absurd requests Erica usually made of me and grudgingly relented.
Shrugging, she answered.
“For a kiln that advanced, we’ll need a dwarf skilled in magic.”
“The rich elf can handle that.”
“Adel Grace?”
“Yep.”
She was obscenely wealthy.
Starting with money-lending, she expanded into multiple businesses—all of them successful.
At one point, she had even been Erica’s primary financial backer.
With that kind of wealth, hiring a magic-capable dwarf to craft a specialized kiln should be easy.
“Finally, we’ll need to crush everything finer than flour.”
“Mountain after mountain, huh?”
And that’s why I had chosen Roman concrete.
If only we could secure volcanic ash, the rest could be gathered and prepared easily.
Modern Portland cement, on the other hand, required 1,450-degree heat, rapid cooling, and ultrafine grinding.
“Hey, genius. So how do we grind it?”
“That’s for you and Eightree to figure out.”
“And what are YOU doing?!”
As she snapped, I threw on my coat.
“Going to get the most crucial ingredient.”
Brook and Eightree sighed but agreed.
“Ugh… Fine. I’ll round up some mages or whatever. Just don’t get yourself hurt out there.”
“Same here! Come back safe and soon!”
I flashed the dwarf sisters a peace sign and slipped out of the workshop.
────────────────────
My destination was a room inside the Grace manor.
Specifically, the room of Adel Grace—the wealthiest of the family and the one Erica had stationed in the capital.
Knocking cautiously, Adel’s voice responded from inside.
“Come in.”
The filthy rich elf was leaning by the window, skimming documents.
Her eyes lazily scanned the papers until she flicked her gaze toward me, sizing me up briefly before returning to her reading.
“Going well?”
“…Honestly? I’m not sure.”
At my answer, she looked up, intrigued.
If Vivian was voluptuous glamour, Adel was soft curves and elegance.
Smirking, she walked toward me.
“Oh? There’s something the ‘Heaven-Sent Genius’ doesn’t know?”
Her words dripped with sarcasm rather than praise.
Remembering my reckless attempt at Roman concrete, I shut my eyes tightly before answering.
“I never claimed to know anything.”
“…Now you sound like your old self again.”
Playfully pinching my cheek, she twisted her lips into a teasing smirk.
She looked like a bratty kid pulling pranks.
“Honestly, I liked you best when we first met during the Penrose War. But then one day, you started acting like some stuck-up duke!”
“I’m ashamed to hear that.”
Adel had taken an interest in me on the battlefield.
But after I got dragged into imperial court affairs, she lost all interest.
Looking back, her reaction made perfect sense.
I’d ignored my duty to Erica, locking myself in the workshop for two days to build a piano and worrying everyone.
I’d completely forgotten to finalize our business talks, scrambling to finish discussions only on the ride back.
And then, summoned by the emperor, I ended up with shattered arms and shoulders, worrying Erica further.
All while shamelessly submitting resignation letters daily.
From Adel’s perspective—someone who deeply respected Erica—it was only natural she’d despise me.
But after the imperial ball, I’d gained confidence and pushed Erica to act on my plans immediately…
Looking back, it’s a miracle I wasn’t executed for insolence.
“Still, you being cautious now… That’s good to see. And no mocking—I mean it.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t forget Erica is both a noble and your liege.”
“I won’t.”
Seemingly satisfied, Adel perched her ample hips on her lavish wooden desk and regarded me with a captivating, provocative smirk and gaze.
“So, how can I help?”
“How’d you know I needed something?”
“You came to me—wasn’t exactly subtle.”
Hmph. Definitely Erica’s sister—quick on the uptake.
Lowering my head slightly, I asked:
“Do you own any clay mines?”
“I do.”
“How many exactly…?”
“Plenty.”
Her curt replies felt like pressure. Clearly, she wanted concessions.
Sighing, I got straight to the point.
“You know I’m terrible at this. What do you want?”
“The recipe for your miracle building material. And the apartment.”
She’s a straight-up thief!
But then she continued, leaving me speechless.
“Those lands I sold you at a steal? They were prime real estate for luxury mansions.
I practically gave them to you for the city’s sake—this is the least you owe me.”
Fair enough.
Aris had mentioned they flattened rocky hills to make the land perfect for heavy construction—prime honey-pot territory.
But Adel dropped an even bigger bombshell.
“And those lands had something FAR more valuable underneath! Something I wouldn’t sell for millions!”
“…A gold mine?”
“More precious.”
What?
Was the Ogdoad’s Hammer buried underneath or something?
Her dramatic buildup piqued my interest.
Smug at my curious look, she finally revealed the land’s true worth.
“If we’d built a two-story mansion as originally planned…”
“Yes?”
“I could’ve watched Sister Erica bathe every day!”
…….
I stared at her through half-lidded eyes.
But Adel, lost in her own world, gushed with starry eyes.
“Petite, yet perfectly proportioned… Soft, palm-sized breasts with just the right give.
An angelic, flawless body paired with that cold, expressionless face—
And I could’ve seen every inch of my adorable, perfect liege washing herself…!
Of course, once your high-rise buildings go up, no one will get that view.
I’ll have Sister move the bathhouse immediately.”
“……”
Is the Grace bloodline cursed or something?
Or did they dump all their points into INT and CHA at the expense of sanity?
As I stared at her in disgust, Adel coughed awkwardly and continued.
“Understand that land’s value now?”
“Uh… Sure, take it.”
“Good. No hard feelings—business is business.”
Eager to end this, I agreed to hand over the apartment and concrete recipe.
I never cared much about money anyway—I planned to relinquish the apartment to Erica eventually.
Securing ownership, Adel immediately began scheming.
“Perfect! Once tenants move in, I’ll open a general store to sell daily necessities!
Heheh, this’ll rake in profits.
I can finally buy that cute dress for Sister…
Imagine her in twin-tails, stepping on me…! *pant*…!”
Vivian keeps draining me without commitment…
Adel’s borderline-incestuous, sadomasochistic lesbianism spins my head…
At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if Erica and Luna also hid twisted fetishes…
Genuinely concerning.
After calming Adel down, we boarded her carriage—just the two of us—and headed for the clay mines.
0 Comments