Free Web NovelChapter 42: Repairing the Grim Palace
There was much to do about the Grim Palace now. I had to be truly honest, but our little house was slightly in ruins.
"Can’t you just, fix it back up?"
Standing outside in the yard on a new morning, Weiss, I and Delka stared at the top of the broken Palace. The little kid had just come along, while the other three usual suspects of ours were busy training.
"I can... but it won’t be very much the same."
"And why is that?"
"I am no architect, Butler."
That’s your reasoning? For a girl who could control mana even in the palace I expected something much stronger.
"Plus I destroyed a lot of the material," Weiss looked at me and lightly stuck her tongue out. Her black cat had somehow come to her feet and climbed into her arms. She pet its fur gently and shrugged. "Think of something Butler."
"Let’s just fix whatever we can right now..." An idea entered my mind. "And for the rest... how about some renovation?"
"Renovation? What kind?" My dear miss witch said that sharply, but I could tell her intent quite easily. She was just feeling lazy about renovating the whole building. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Well. Even if she was not an architect, as a thief it was important to be multi-talented. A jack of all trades if you will.
"I have read my fair share of building plans through my years, you know? Little Delka, you will help me."
"Me...?"
"It’s important for children to study," said Weiss.
"Me..."
We both looked at the kid with a bright smile. This was the right way to raise children. Neither Miss Witch nor I had gotten the chance to have a good childhood.
My mother used to feel very sorry, she used to say that education was the only way she could make up for it. Many things I knew, I knew thanks to her small teachings.
I looked at the Grim Palace.
I knew it. The renovation would do good.
"I knew exactly what this place needs."
"What is it?"
"Giant fucking rectangles."
"Like, pyramids?" asked Weiss.
"Like pyramids with guns."
***
I spent most of the day after that sketching the building plan in the library. Delka and the Grimoire were with me. Surprisingly enough, the Grimoire seemed to know a lot about architecture too. With boards, scales, pencils, pins, strings and all kinds of tools present in the study already, we were able to cook up a very good plan in almost no time.
Little Delka was quite bored at first and thought it all too complicated, it was definitely complicated to know the depths of architecture, but he took a lot of interest in drawing.
"Hooh... do you think we can add a window here?"
"No, that is just more openings to get hit from."
"Then...?"
"We’ll add a motor over here, and make this spire spin around."
[That would be quite expensive]
"A single gun that fires in all direction, how is that little Delka!"
"It sounds cool! Really cool! C-can this gun throw fire as well?"
"A flamethrower? Hahaha! You know what, why not? Let’s make this gun detachable."
[How are you planning to fun this, really?]
Enough with that nay-saying. Did I say the book knew a lot about architecture? Fuck that. This little bastard knew nothing. It couldn’t dream.
[Maybe add a way to see the stars as well? What a base, woooh!]
I frowned at the Book’s words. And scribbled the planned material for the roof. Something slightly see through would be really nice, yeah. I could hang out there.
After a long session of planning and cooking up things, we were finally done. Even Weiss’ room was crushed in a few places, so I went ahead and added a new area there too. A small swing.
"Miss Witch won’t approve this," Delka said as we were outside her room. The book seemed to think the same. Well, unlike anyone, I understood Weiss the best. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
We entered her room and sprawled the plans on her desks, the broken wall next to her bed was attracting a lot of birds, and she fed them. What if they shat? As the birds would date do that in the Witch Queen’s room.
Weiss glanced at the plan, I explained all the changes we were going to make for her.
"Hmm, make me some cake, Butler."
And approval received!
Was she stupid? Not at all! Was she just lazy? Absolutely.
After that it was pretty easy, I made her some cake, got along with the golems to fix everything we could fix on our own.
And in some time... hit a wall.
Delka and I sat staring at the Grim Palace, our hands resting on our knees as we squatted.
We needed parts and money.
A lot of parts.
Watching out from the top floor in the Palace, Weiss peeked down.
The skies were very gray these days with large clouds up high. A monsoon was almost on us. All colors had become a shade darker, and the walls looked richer, as if they had been sprayed with water.
I looked at the white haired witch and she gazed back.
"What?" she said. Her voice carried with the wind.
"We’ll need a lot of magic stones, and a lot of money to make all these things."
Weiss leaned on the ledge, her cheek resting on her palm as she smiled at me.
"Would some hunting help, dear Butler?"
Dear?
Delka looked at me and started giggling. Even for a thief with years of experience this was a slightly sudden strike. Holding in the blush that threatened to color my cheeks, I asked her.
"Should I send the armors to find monsters?"
"No, we’ll go. You and I," she seemed to be in a great mood. "Let’s go and get some monster hide, some magic stones, and have a small trip around."
A chuckle left me. How bewildering.
Another gust of wind blew.
"Shall we?" said.
"Yes, let’s... The weather is great."
