I still ’t believe it. I’m a stru worker now. Ka out a tired sigh, as she was underground, not too distant from Shirohebizumi shrihe cavern was hot and noisy, a rge number of bodies and some heavy maery that rattled and rumbled incessantly all packed together in a rauass, and sweat was trig down her ned bader the unfashionable overalls she wore. My underwear is damp. Ugh, I wish I was taking a sauna at the shrine, or taking a dip in Akio’s hot springs… no, there’s always ter.

  “Are you well, ssshrine maiden?” one of the white shat followed her kami, which were somehow here ierial, thanks to the ese woman, asked her, ed, and Kana managed a ugh.

  “I’m fine. Just… it’s terribly unpleasant down here. Hot, sweaty and noisy. A beautiful girl like me should be above ground.” Despite her words, Kana didirely mean that. Her baggy overalls were in white and red, somewhat resembling her shrine maiden hakama, a ouch that Hinata- had provided. And as one of the most tral figures to this scheme, Kana did feel a measure of pride, and a sense of aplishment. Although I feel more aplished taking a bath afterwards…

  Not far from her, a big, bck-skinned man with bulging muscles ughed crudely, the rge drill he carried effortlessly falling silent. He said a few words to Kana, but it was in English, and Kana barely uood much of it. It was then that the ratkin Ixitt, currently in his human form, said something back, and the man ughed, his panion, a tall, Caucasian man with dirty brown hair, spping him on the shoulder affeately, and after some more rapid-fire English, which made Ka she hadn’t put more effort into learning the nguage, Ixitt addressed her. Everyone seems to speak it but me. Really, I wanted a zy life of being pampered… but that’s no longer possible. I ’t be the only oo sit bad do nothing. Even Eri will ugh at me…

  “He meant no offense.” he said cheerfully. Ixitt was in his element, watg a bination of his teiques and human iy. Kana sometimes found him puzzling, but she appreciated that without his expertise and that of his fellows, Akio would have had a far harder time implementing a lot of his pns.

  “He was just saying ‘at least there are some girls to look at down here’. Then his friend reminded him you were ‘the woman of the boss’ and not to get cocky.” He snickered his usual odd ugh.

  “The versation seemed a little long for that.” Kana pointed out, and Ixitt shrugged.

  “Yes, they mentiohe woman Lua, who is wearing the new uniform.” Ixitt nodded over at the far end of the room, where the pretty olive-skinned woman with hair a different brown to Asians was indeed wearing a silver and bck military-style uniform. A glow of both red and green shone around her, and Kana was impressed.

  “Those uniforms, huh? Yeah, I see more of them around, but only on women. I’m not an idiot, there’s something going on. It has Shaeu’s sticky fingers all over it.” She paused, before shaking her head. “Not that it’s got anything to do with me, I’m sure. Though I certainly hope they didn’t step on Eri’s toes. But if it’s some sort of honour, I get it. She’s something of a genius, right?”

  “Yes, a hidden gem, it seems.” Ixitt snickered. All around him, his fellow ratkin and weaselkin were fussing over a number of small silver spires studded by beautiful crystals and shiniherites, and it felt very fortable here. “She is the only oo master two elements so quickly, and more impressively, opposing elements of wind ah. It makes sehat the princess wishes to get hold of her.” Seeing Kana watg his artificial Buildings, he nodded, proudly. “I see you admiring my Boundary to Material es, yes? They are rather plex and fiddly to make, and are great devourers of Etherites, but with the products of the Materia Tree, it is doable. Though I do worry, if the strange Yōkai from this nd, Ginneka, does not return soon, we will be set behind schedule as our devices are returo the Boundary.”

  “Yeah, but… what Akio is doing is far more important than a day or two here, right?” Kana interjected, slightly offended, and Ixitt snorted a strange ugh again.

  “Yes, you are quite correct. I must say, I find it rather heartwarming that you do take his side so.”

  Kana’s face felt hot, and she knew she was blushing. Still, drawing on her dignity, and the charm that had made her incredibly popur with boys her age and older uy-age men alike, she smiled. “Of course. I’m no fickle woman. I support my boyfriend, you know!”

  “Yes, well, you are here, are you not?” Ixitt agreed. “And this may not seem a gmourous task, but it is a vital one. And it will be important for your Shrioo. And speaking of…”

  “My turn again, huh?” Kana sighed, before pumping a fist, trying to hype herself up. “Yeah, okay. Is Grulgor ready? Now there’s a sight I doubt anyone ever thought they’d see.” She giggled a little, remembering the sight of the burly, bald man in work overalls like her, eagerly w like a miner.

  “Yes, wonders never cease. Aer still, he has cowed the giants and trolls Duke Formor sent to us…”

  “I’m trying to ighe giants.” Kana couldn’t help but gnce over, where huge, crude-looking humanoids varyiween three metres i up to nearly teres, were w impossibly huge pickaxes, shovels, mallets and more, rock shattering ah ferried away. “I mean, there’s the cubed mass w, right? Height increases linearly, but mass expands expoially. How do they even stand?”

  “Giants are strong.” was Ixitt’s only answer. “Yes, I know of the w of which you speak. I had never sidered it before ing to the Material. We Fae are mutable, and adopt many forms the Material would otherwise reject. And it is true that they burn through aether quickly. Fortunately Nie Ling is here to returo us when they disappear.”

  “Yeah, but st time, that wot injured by a falling hammer when one just up and vanished.” Kana pointed out.

  “True. Though he was sent for healing, the princess was gracious enough to work a little of it, so there was no sting harm. We now have takeions. Nothing of this magnitude of innovation es easily, or risk free. Have no fear, you will be free from harm. I would not have Akio wroth with me. I would likely not survive it.” Ixitt grinned, showing his teeth, and Kana had to ugh, a nervous giggle.

  “He wouldn’t kill you for an act. But it does feel good to know I’m one of those he’ll get angry for.” I worked hard for it, when I was always the one who wao be pursued. But… I have s. Well, maybe just one… Ka her face heat as she remembered the first night at their new home, when she had fled the hot springs. Even now, it wasn’t truly regret, but there was a certain feeling of what might have been that still lingered. No, I have that any time I want. I’m going to enjoy things in order! I’m not a child who ’t take her time!

  “In any case, Grulgor is here.” The burly troll appeared, grinning, fad bald head smeared in dirt. He needed no safety equipment, for any acts he simply regeed away.

  “Yes, Grulgor is eager to proceed. It is not as fun as crushing, breaking and smashing powerful enemies, and Grul ehose who are fighting in this Korea even now… but growing stronger is something Grulgor dearly wishes for. And it is enjoyable enough.” Grulgor flexed his massive arms, stone crusting his hands, and water was dripping from his fingers.

  “It is heartening you have awoken to the joys of learning.” Ixitt nodded. “I myself have learned much, and am irong. So…” Ixitt turo the one person that seemed incredibly out of pce, and Ka a little sorry for him, while also enjoying his awed rea to everything, including her, as she was treated as a VIP by everyone here, despite b just as everyone else did. I’m not oo worry over being respected because of who my boyfriend is, as getting a stelr boyfriend is a talent in itself. I see where Eri is ing from, but holy, just being there for Akio isn’t a bad thing in itself.

  “I still hardly believe any of this.” Kikutake-san, the man who was the age of Kana’s grandfather, said, rubbing a hand across his greying head, brown eyes wide. “Yes, I’ve seen the videos, I watched the talk-show with your… boyfriend…” Kana nodded. “…Izumi-sama.” He tinued after her firmation. “And when Fukumoto-sama and Ichijou-sama approached me initially, giving such strange specifications, I thought this would be a job for years. Instead… this speed and scale is simply beyond belief. Architecture and stru will ge forever!”

  “I’m not so sure.” Kana shook her head. “It’s not just ahat do this. You think it’s easy?”

  “Oh, no, I mean no offense…” Kikutake-san was flustered, and Ka a brief twinge of amusement at how eager he was not to offend her, before she smiled gently, not actually wanting to be a bitch.

  “And I didn’t take any. Nowadays I’m usually in a good mood.” She assured him. “I meant it more practically. Ixitt, you expin, right?”

  “I indeed.” He smiled knowingly. “Setting aside the issue that such users of earth element are rare indeed, it is far from easy to use such powers here in the mortal world. Elemental energies are resisted signifitly less thaher, it is true, but the effort required to achieve the same effects is at least an order of magnitude more, so elements run dry quickly. Of course… we ter that to aent. This area falls under Akio’s Territory, and already has Boundary to Material es deployed, and we also have these mobile ohe ether density here has grown, redug the extra resistao using abilities. It is still several times less effit, but that is enough to make steady progress. But to use all these requires a great deal of logistical and strategic supports. It is likely infeasible for others at this point in time. Likewise, the materials here…” he the bluish-silver metallic frames and bars several trolls were lugging over, as if the items weighing hundreds of kilograms were mere sacks of potatoes. “…they are manufactured via a voluted process. Though I suspe time, rivals might appear in terms of such.”

  “Nope.” Kana disagreed. “While I agree it’s stupid to think that only we do something like a project of this scale, certainly at least in Japan, and probably in Britain too, Hinata- won’t let our monopoly go to waste. She’ll be hatg plots to sell materials for a profit and choke off other petitors, mark my words. She’s not oo let a ce pass, and she’s greedy.”

  “By Hinata-, you mean Takatsukasa Hinata-sama, granddaughter of Fukumoto-sama and Takatsukasa-sama?” Kikutake-san asked, and Kana nodded. At that, he looked a little pained.

  “I see. I did hear the rumours one of Oshiro-sama’s fiancées was that girl. It must be tough for you, Izumi-sama.” He iserated with her, looking more like a kindly old unow than a Japan-renowned archited designer.

  Tough? Really? Well, I suppose that’s a normal rea. I guess now that I’m hanging around so many unique people, I’ve lost a lot of those feelings. “Hinata-’s easy to hahough it seems she does get carried away a bit too easily. But a girl loves who she loves. And I’m bad at giving up, even if sometimes I wao. No, Hinata- is always siderate, and if you need something, she’ll make sure you get it, and only the best at that. It’s the same here… you think when the factory, tunnels, bunkers and underground docks are dohat’s it? I wager even now there are pns being drawn up for buildings using the new materials. Cost isn’t an issue anymore, it’s quality.”

  “Quite so.” Ixitt agreed, looking at the architect warmly. “Yes, while you are the only one w on this project, as it s the security of the family aory of Akio and the princess…”

  “Yes, I am sworn to secreot even my office staff have been involved in the designs, and I don’t have a puter that ects to aworks st things!” he assured us hurriedly, and Ixitt tinued.

  “…other projects have been started, regarding buildings, mos, transportation systems… a rework of signifit parts of the suburbs of Tokyo around Shirohebizumi shrihe results were… mixed. Assuming that this project funs as we hope, you will be offered an attempt at formuting some designs. At least this time you will be able to involve your whole firm.” Ixitt barked a ugh, and Kikutake-san looked ied, before sighing.

  “I would like to see this done first. I am not able to rest until I know that I have not disappointed Fukumoto-sama, Ichijou-sama, and of course your boyfriend, the Hero of Britain, Izumi-sama.”

  “Yeah, they aren’t people to disappoint. But Akio isn’t unreasonable. If things g that are out of our trol, he won’t bme you. But… breaktime is over. I want to go home at a det hour, you know!”

  “Indeed. And since roceeding even faster than anticipated, thanks mostly to you, Kana, and the brulgor has drafted in, we should tinue! I rather imagine you will enjoy having the underground liween your shrine and your sed home.” Ixitt agreed.

  “Yeah. Getting chauffeured or even flew in by helicopter is awesome, but nothing will beat the ease of just popping down some stairs, getting on a pod aing whipped right over to the other pce.” Kana agreed. I was a little worried Akio would lose i in Shirohebizumi shrine. I guess I really should thank Asha.

  “All right then… you first, Grulgor.” Kana stepped back, and the troll thrust his hand into the solid stone in front of them. His flesh rippled, and the stoarted flowing onto his arm, f jagged yet rgely uniform spikes, Grulgor’s yellow eyes narrowing in tration.

  “Isn’t that… strange?” Kikutake-san asked, notig that Grulgor was maniputing the stone differently. As expected from a top architect, his attention to detail henomenal, and he had noticed the ges.

  “Of course. Grulgor is hardly ied in stru. But he wishes to grow stronger, and so this doubles as training, even if it is somewhat less effit. He is improving his mastery over earth and water by shaping it with great effort. He has beuch better. And much stronger.”

  “Grulgor knows… throwing big boulders is often less useful than a simple dagger. Strength is power, but finesse is might too!” he grunted. “Grulgor mocked Ulfuric, thinking the badger did not rely on his strength, but tricks with ons. Grul was a fool. Strength is found everywhere!”

  “How the princess ughs when she remembers all the insults she heaped upon your intelligence.” Ixitt snickered. Grulgor tactfully ighat, which to Kana’s mind was showing he wasn’t an idiot, and ne sparkles surged, and water began to drain through the rock, absorbed intor, his own flesh starting to liquefy. Ugh, it’s creepy as hell, but it’s certainly impressive!

  Kana wasn’t the only one who thought so. “This is incredible. I had assumed that with the water table arouhat the surveys and grourating radar picked up, work would be deyed while it was drained and the resulting voids and unstable faultliabilised, but…” the architethused.

  “Indeed. Grulgor draw it out, and then…”

  “I’m up.” Kana stepped forward, careful to avoid the mixture of water, and watery Grulgor at the rockface. “Ksitigarbha, do your thing!” She didn’t o say anything to use her ability, but somehow it just felt right to at least thank the Goddess whose power she had ied. Using the Earthen Womb, the rock liquefied, and as trolls passed through the metal bars, made from an alloy of steel and some straal from the Boundary, which remaiable and ierial after experimentation, Kahem through the liquid mud, positioning them as pnned.

  “Grulgor is right…” Kana pined, wiping away sweat that was stinging her eyes. “…precision like this is hard…”

  The gathered Fae who used water ah element, as well as the meraries who had trained ih, grouped up and started unleashing their elements, helping Grulgor drain away the water while the rock Kana was maniputing was stabilised and hardened. Pockets of mud ay voids left by the drained liquid, as well as cracks and fissures weakening the overall structure, were filled in by iron-hard stone, ohe GPR and other devices the Mortal Engineers held were checked by Ixitt and Kikutake-san, making sure the metal reinforts were properly positioned. After around fifteen mihey were done, and Kana sat down on an offered chair, taking a break.

  “Here.” She took a hot tea, surprised it was the architect who proffered it to her. Seeing her rea, he took a sip of his own tea, as he watched the final finishing touches being applied, the walls being smoothly tiled at an armingly fast rate by application of various teiques. “I still ’t believe it. Weeks of work, often filled with problems, especially with subsurface water in rock types like the survey showed here, done in under an hour. It shakes my fidence, but…” he smiled, and looked a little like a child then. “…it’s also sparking my creativity! With materials of far greater tensile and pressive strength, yet density parable to aluminium, as well as stronger wires and the ability to transform and reinforce mud and stohout wholesale rept and anch… the heights of buildings will surely exceed our wildest dreams! A strong, stable foundation, even ihquake-prone Japan…”

  Kana smiled as he rattled on, drinkiea, exhaustion weighing heavy ohere was no way that she could keep up such a pace, ordinarily, but… Ixitt thought of everything. Oh well… holy, work is hard, but it doesn’t feel bad. So long as I get plenty of holidays and fun times, being a w woman isn’t so bad. And it makes my dad happy. These st few months, I’ve finally started feeling dad and grandfather are proud of me…

  “…so yes, I’m delighted. That even when magic sweeps the world, architects and craftsmen will still be needed.” He finished, as Kana eyed the rge drum-like barrel which tained a signifit amount of bluesteel, charged with earth element.

  “Of course it will.” She replied, finishiea, taking a towel from one of the meraries, wiping herself down. “Magic… uh, I suppose if you want to be correct, you should call it elemental aheric abilities, I hear architects value terminology…”

  “I stand corrected, thank you, Izumi-sama.” he said graciously, and Kana flushed, embarrassed she had lectured a much older, professional man, but he didn’t seem to mind.

  “Uh… yeah. So… it’s not like you just do anything. There are rules that apply there, just like here. Sure, it do stuff sce ’t, at least not yet, but w with sce gets the best results.” That’s what Akio says, and he’d know. After all, he built up everything from nothing. And holy, I’m a big part of that, introdug him to the shrines and temples. I’m pretty proud of that. It may not have seemed much, but I’m a part of his story. And his girlfriend. She reminded herself again, befoing to a barrel and starting to drain it of earth element. Though this doesn’t get rid of the fatigue. Maybe Ginneka won’t e bad all this will return to the Boundary, then I get a break. No… the quicker I’m dohe quicker I don’t have to do this again. Anything after this will be a luxury, not a y.

  “That is rather reassuring.” Kikutake-san agreed. “I would hate all I’ve worked for all my life to be obsolete. Aren’t you tired?” he asked her then, and she let out a long sigh.

  “Yes, I’m exhausted, but… I’m not fighting for my life, u mount Atago, so this is nothing.” Freshly charged, she pumped her fist. “So, what’s ?”

  The architect sulted the pn. “Now the foundation and framework is i seems the southern loading dock, and five hundred metres of tunnel. A big job.” he ceded, eyes curious. “How long do you see it taking?”

  “We will not know until we try…” Ixitt sidered it. “…but from the previous data, I estimate we certainly finish that today, and perhaps the final strengthening of the first underground area. Then we use any remaining time to get ahead of the dirt and stone removal for the expansion.”

  “I see. Being ahead of schedule is a luxury. Even we must fae ued deys…” As the two of them talked, Kana merely shook her head, chug a little. Looks like I won’t be getting that early night after all. But then, that just means Akio will pamper me more when he sees how hard I’ve worked. Akio… I know you’ll be all right, but… keep Haru- and Aiko- safe, okay? I know they probably hahemselves, like Shiro, but, even so… I’m happy with my life right now, I don’t want the retionships I’ve made to ge!

  “Might as well make the best of it. Hinata- is probably too busy to spend any time with me, preparing things for Akiht now, but Eri should be about, I think she was visiting the shrioday since Asha es often.” Listening to the instrus of the architect, Kana put her hands on the wall and ihe Earthen Womb again, Grulgor also supp her, being a mass of rock beside her, t as tall as one of the giants. As the rock rippled like wet mud and formed into a great, open archway nearly thirty metres tall and wide, she found herself smiling. sidering we were like oil and water when we first met, Eri’s actually rather fun to hang around with. And Mio- and Asami- should be at the training school. Serious little Marika- and poor Hotene-san, Keomi- and others too. I wonder if Asami- has won Ren-kun over fully yet? Surely it’s just a matter of time, she’s like me, a girl who knows how to get what she wants…

  Yes, there were defihings to look forward to. As the great doorway solidified, she stepped aside, watg many giants and trolls lifting huge doors into position, like ants carrying heavy loads. Oh… I’ll have to move the seg bolts like I did the reinf metal bars earlier, right? If I sider I must surely be strengthening my skills too, I’ll get through this… With that final thought, Kana had no other leisure for idle distras, and she threw herself into the task, eager to get done…

  ShipTeaser