Chapter 62: Problems
The return trip to the Fortress was uneventful but still filled with problems.
Hera, even though unconscious, was still mumbling incoherent words and throwing her body around.
It was so bad that Edgar had to keep her in his arms the entire trip just to stop her from falling.
Once the group reached the Fortress, Edgar brought the girl to his house and laid her down on his own bed.
He sat down on the chair beside her and looked at the dried, tear-stained face.
’...I hope she doesn’t kill herself.’
The only concern he had right now was the girl’s low self-esteem and whether she was blaming herself for everything that had happened to her clan.
With a tired sigh, he stood up and walked out of the house, finding the other three gathered around.
Looking at Lady Viera, he asked politely, "Can you look after the girl for a while?"
The lady bubbled her head hesitantly. "As you wish, young master."
She walked inside the house and also took a bucket of water to clean the girl.
Edgar looked at his clothes, which were now dirty and blood-ridden.
"...Was that the right choice, young master?" Old man Oswald said quietly. "Bringing that girl here?"
The old man was genuinely concerned about Edgar’s safety and the safety of the Fortress.
The words nailed onto the Fortress Wall kept replaying inside his mind, making his old heart heavy.
Edgar lowered his head for a long while before answering confidently. "I know what I am doing, Uncle."
Oswald opened his mouth to speak but slowly closed it again. "...I understand."
Edgar rubbed his neck and shoulders before looking at young Andrew.
The boy was also staring at him without blinking.
"What?"
Andrew shook his head.
"...It’s just... you grew taller."
Only then did Edgar notice how much he was towering over everyone around him.
His previous height was around five foot ten, but now he was easily above six feet tall.
’...The Jade really changed my body.’
Edgar walked toward the stone slab working as the gate and stepped out of the Fortress.
He looked around and quickly found the boulder placed outside.
Without wasting time, Edgar walked closer and wrapped it with his upper Sage Hands.
’It should easily weigh fifteen hundred kilograms... Huff. Alright!’
Rumble...
The enormous rock slowly rose from the ground. Dust and loose gravel rolled away from its base.
Edgar picked up the clay-like object hidden beneath the boulder before focusing again.
’The strength... isn’t bad.’
He wasn’t sure how much force the invisible hands could exert, but lifting over a ton without difficulty meant they were far stronger than an ordinary person.
After observing them for another minute, Edgar gently lowered the boulder back onto the ground.
He looked at the ⟨Stonehide Colossus⟩ Nightmare Shard and played with it.
Yesterday, he had already obtained the ⟨Three-Legged Raven⟩ and ⟨Elder Tortoise⟩ Nightmare Shards.
Playing with the clay-like object, Edgar wondered who he should distribute the Shards to.
’I will give the Tortoise Shard to Oswald like I planned, but which one should I give Andrew?’
Edgar had long decided to strengthen those close to him in case of an emergency.
Like last night, because of the ritual, he had been completely defenseless for a long while.
There were more rituals to come, and Edgar wanted competent people to guard him.
He debated for a long while before settling on the ⟨Three-Legged Raven⟩.
Walking back to the Fortress, Edgar noticed Andrew poking his head out from behind the wall.
"What are you looking at?" he asked, walking closer.
"Are you some kind of wizard now?" Andrew asked curiously. "How can you pick people up like that, young master?"
"That’s a secret." Edgar said, gently hitting his head. "Come with me, we have work to do."
"Aye!"
Young Andrew moved beside him as both of them reached the mother-son’s house.
Edgar pointed at the house and said,
"Destroy it."
"Huh?" Andrew let out a startled cry before saying, "Where will we go then??"
"I will make a new house, idiot." Edgar replied calmly. "Just destroy it."
With a sigh of relief, the young boy spoke up.
"On it!"
Edgar rubbed his face and looked at his hands.
’The Jade really messed with my feelings, didn’t it?’
He had noticed it earlier, but Edgar felt like he was more prideful and more arrogant than ever.
’It’s as if my brain was rewired into believing that I am a superior being...’
Edgar didn’t like the feeling, but he didn’t let it hinder his work.
Walking inside his house, Edgar brought out a parchment and began working a toned-down version of his own house blueprint in his mind
He wanted to mass-produce these houses and create at least fifteen of them around the Fortress.
’Though, first need to make sure there is plenty of room for the installation of the sewage system later on.’
He sat down beside the fire and began creating the blueprint.
---
It took Edgar a total of three hours to complete the blueprint that could be mass-produced.
Besides that, he spent another two hours mapping out possible ways to fit the sewage system.
During that time, Andrew had already taken everything out of his house and dismantled quite a bit of it.
Edgar stood up and walked toward Andrew’s half-dismantled house.
"It’s almost done, young master!" he said loudly.
"Good job." Edgar replied as he shifted his gaze toward the system panel.
It took some time, but the lower-level two-story house was finally registered.
Just as Edgar was about to start the construction, old man Oswald came rushing toward him.
"Yo...ung mas...ter," he said in an uneven tone. "There are people outside."
Edgar didn’t look at him and asked quietly, "What are they doing?"
"They are kneeling outside," he replied. "...They are begging to be let inside."
’...So, it had already started.’
Edgar thought to himself, as he had expected such an outcome once the Yamhad Clan was gone.
Taking in a deep breath, he spoke. "Ignore them for now."
He began working on the construction of the new house.
"We will deal with them once everyone is here."