Chapter 190: A Door to Another World
The week flew by pretty quickly. But most importantly, I finally got rid of that damn wheelchair.
Now my means of transport had become two forearm supports, which I jokingly dubbed “sturdy sticks” or just “crutches.”
Every morning, struggling to step over the threshold and out onto the porch, the first thing I did was look up at the sky, admiring the Tower. Dornheim was finally relatively safe.
Breathing heavily from the simple act of walking, I returned to the workshop. Shifting my crutches, I sank onto a wooden chair with a sigh of relief. I’d had to build it just the other day. I leaned the “sticks” against the workbench and stared at my bandaged ankles.
“Eight steps on the first day, twelve on the second, today I hobbled to the warehouse and back...” I mentally totted up.
It was colossal progress. It hadn't been in vain that I dragged myself to Albert’s infirmary for treatments several times a day. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. Another second, and I would have drifted off to sleep, but then a memory flashed before my eyes.
“Right... I did promise Elyria I’d build a fountain and a Meditation Garden. Since my hands are free, now is the perfect time to sit down with the blueprints.”
I grabbed a charcoal pencil and pondered. I needed a noble material—a durable white or light-gray stone with high density and minimal porosity. A local equivalent of marble would be perfect.
My fingers ran across the paper as usual, sketching the first lines: distributing the fluid circulation to avoid stagnant water and clogged nozzles, calculating the weight distribution of the central bowl so the base wouldn’t crack under the pressure of a cubic meter of water.
To put it simply... it would be a neat, compact, and beautiful basin. Water would gently jet from the central decorative hub, then flow smoothly down the lower stone tiers, creating a pleasant background noise without any unnecessary splashing.
I added the final touches, shading the stone texture, and set the pencil aside. The blueprint for the hydraulic assembly and the fountain’s external frame was complete.
Setting the finished fountain sketch aside, I reached for my supports again. Sliding my arms into the plastic cuffs, I stood up with effort, stifling the familiar wave of tingling in my ankles, and slowly hobbled to the workshop door. Leaning my shoulder against the jamb, I nudged the door open and called out:
“Elyria!”
Elyria materialized right in front of me immediately.
“What is it, Iron?”
“I was just thinking... I promised to work on your garden project. I’m sitting over the blueprints right now, but I have no idea how this area should look. I need your input. How do you imagine it?”
Elyria froze. Her translucent wings stopped vibrating for a second, and she hovered in the air. Then her body flared brightly.
“What?!” she squeaked so loudly my ear rang. “A garden?! Really?! Seriously?! Iron, don’t joke with me like that, it’s not funny! Tell me it’s true!”
“It’s true, it’s true.”
Overcome with emotion, Elyria darted toward me like a bullet and hugged me, burying her face right against my cheek.
“Hooray! Let’s get started! Come on, come on, I’ll show you everything!” she chirped, pulling away and tugging on my sleeve.
“Wait,” I said. “We’re not going anywhere yet. First, the blueprint.”
Elyria immediately pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well... is that really necessary? Why waste time on papers if we can just build it right away?”
“It is,” I snapped, turning around and slowly hobbling back to the chair. “Sit at the table and tell me. What is this ‘Garden of Eternal Roses’ of yours supposed to look like?”
Elyria sat on the edge of the workbench, tucking her knees under her.
“Well... there has to be lots and lots of soft grass. The kind you could lie on for hours. And trees. And definitely clean, clear water. In short, a perfect corner of nature where the wind sings.”
I listened to her, thoughtfully twirling the charcoal pencil in my fingers, and then said:
“Elyria, we have an entire forest right outside the camp door. Grass, trees, streams—why isn’t that nature enough for you? Why build what’s already in abundance all around us?”
The little spirit snorted indignantly and waved her arms emotionally:
“You don’t understand anything! That forest is full of monsters! They’re constantly rustling, growling, stomping, and ruining my entire meditation! And you’re the one who forbade me from wiping them out completely in the area... Besides, I need a special space. One where it’ll be... well, a hundred percent cozy and safe. And I know you can build it, you’re our genius, after all!”
“Alright,” I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying to digest her logic. “What about the Spirit Realm? Can’t you sit and meditate there in peace?”
Elyria immediately slumped. Her shoulders dropped, her wings stopped glowing brightly and just flapped listlessly.
“I’m tired of it,” she admitted quietly, studying her fingers. “It’s... well, very boring there. Everything is monotonous, nothing ever happens at all.”
“Well, just change the environment there, then,” I shrugged, surprised by such a problem.
“If only it were that simple,” Elyria sighed heavily and tucked her legs under her. “There are some problems with that...”
“Like what?”
“To earn the right to change the surroundings there, you have to win the tournament among spirits. And in my current form, I’ll lose to everyone there. No matter how warm and friendly our relationships are there, no one is going to go easy on you during the tournament.”
I scratched the back of my head, considering her words. The situation was becoming clearer, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“Okay, I get it,” I exhaled, staring at the blank sheet of paper. “But do you at least understand what you’re asking for? Building a completely new space, and one that changes according to your wishes... That’s incredibly difficult. I’d even say it’s on the verge of the impossible.”
“Well, come up with something, please!” she pressed her palms together before her chest beseechingly and looked at me devotedly. “There’s nothing impossible for you, after all.”
“...Fine,” I surrendered, realizing she wouldn’t let up anyway. “What kind of entrance will it have?”
Elyria pondered for a second, putting a finger to her lips.
“Hmm... I think it should be one of the doors in our hybrid house.”
“Alright,” I agreed. “We have empty houses there anyway. I hear you, I’ll create an entry point on one of the doors. But I’m warning you right now: don’t expect anything supernatural. This is the first time I’ve worked with spatial magic like this, so it’s going to be tough.”
“Okay!” she beamed instantly, having forgotten her sad thoughts in a heartbeat.
“Now don’t bother me, I need to work.”
Elyria nodded obediently and flew out of the workshop like a quick spark, leaving me in silence.
I twirled the pencil in my hands and stared at the clean page.
“Lumon. You know how to do this, right?”
The voice echoed in my head instantly:
[No.]
“Well, alright then,” I muttered quietly to myself, gripping the pencil more comfortably. “That just makes it all the more interesting.”