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Chapter 162

By the time I was back on my own, I still had half the day to do what I wanted, so I went back to work on the mansion. Priscilla had done a good job cleaning what was there. She moved everything that was damaged or broken to the back for removal and cleaned everything that could be recovered. With such an environment, I got to work. With my strength and stamina, the work proceeded smoothly.

First, I got a room set up for Priscilla. Besides fixing the door and windows, I also constructed furniture. I fixed what could be salvaged, but I also built what needed to be built. Priscilla managed to find construction materials left in a nearby shed, and when I didn’t have them, I debarked and sanded the wood myself. I started experimenting with my various skills to create methods to increase the quality of my construction.

I was able to use Water Jet to create a high-powered beam of water capable of cutting trees and shaving off bark. I also could use Matter Shifting and Mimicry to shape the wood into the shapes I wanted to mimic. Fibrinolysis allowed me to strengthen and harden the wood so that it was as strong as steel. In the end, I managed to produce dozens of furniture pieces that looked like they were done by a professional woodworker.

I didn’t stop at Priscilla’s room. Once I had constructed a bed, dresser, vanity, desk, and chair for her, I began to work on the rest of the mansion. I was able to sand down and smooth the wood with a touch, and then stain and protect it with the available stains. Once I absorbed a little bit, I figured out the molecular composition and then replicated it. Along with my Fibrinolysis which restored the strength of damaged wood, I was able to rejuvenate every piece almost like it was brand new.

Priscilla helped as much as she could, but occasionally she would stop and watch with amazement. In only eight hours, I had managed to furnish the entire house and restore much of its beauty as a cottage. Priscilla left for a bit and returned with an assortment of flowers she must have bought at a nearby florist. I helped her plant flowers in the front. When she first saw me with my sleeves up digging in the dirt, she became flustered.

“M-master…” She looked at me in alarm. “You don’t have to do that. I just thought after everything you did, some flowers would brighten the place up.”

“I agree.” I smiled. “I’m helping because I want to.”

After studying horticulture for nearly a week, I was in the mood for gardening anyway. Something was calming about planting and cultivating plants, even if they were just for looks. I found myself eagerly thinking about the other plants I would grow in the farmland behind. I noticed Penelope watching us, but after a few minutes, she turned around and walked away. The pair of us continued to decorate the building until the sun started going down.

Priscilla went in to clean up and then make dinner for me. I would have told her it wasn’t necessary, but I decided that having regular meals wouldn’t be a bad thing. It’d help make me feel more human and get along better within Paragon society. Higher-evolved paragons also didn’t need to eat regularly. There must be a skill they unlock that allows them not to need to eat as much as well. The level people believed me to be wasn’t there yet, so it would look suspicious if I didn’t eat much.

“Hmph!” I heard a voice and glanced up from my chair on the porch to see Mara standing there with her chin up and turned away.

“You still haven’t forgiven me for earlier?” I asked. “I told you that nothing happened.”

“Hmph.” She looked away even more, although her pouty demeanor looked cute to me and I couldn’t help but grin as I looked at her.

“Are you trying to say that my fiancé is willing to see me now and you’re here to escort me to her?”

“Hmph!” She turned the rest of the way and started walking back to the main mansion.

I chuckled and got up, following after her. It wasn’t that I could read her silly mood. It was that I had a sentinel that overheard her being sent to fetch me. I also already knew the result of their conversation. Listening in on them had made my day of work go by even faster.

She escorted me into a smaller and more intimate receiving room. Although she was angry at me, she would follow Lady Capala’s orders. Inside the room, Lady Capala was sitting at a table drinking tea. I sat across from her without being invited. Her lips tensed tightly, but she didn’t say anything and took a sip of her tea instead. The silence lingered for a while, and I was considering saying something when she finally talked.

“You’ve been putting a lot of work into the mansion, I see.”

“I am living there,” I responded. “I care about a place I call home.”

“Is that so?” She tilted her head. “Then, what are your thoughts so far about the Paragon families?”

“Complicated.” I frowned. “I used to think that money made things simpler, but I guess families are complex no matter where you come from.”

“And where do you come from, Spirit?” She asked as Mara filled her cup.

When she asked the question, Mara tilted her head as if also interested in the answer.

I smiled. “Hasn’t Mara already told you my origins?”

Abigail stared at me. “One doesn’t become a skilled botanist with only a week of study. I suspect you’re already an alchemist, and an alchemist at your age is miraculous and must have some kind of incredible background.”

“You say that… but I can honestly say I had never read a book on mythic plants until this week. Whether you accept it or not, this is the truth.”

“It seems like I’ve been underestimating you since the beginning.” She dropped her eyes for a moment. “I never expected you to tell me the truth. We all have our secrets; I just hope that you can be trusted with some of mine.”

I was certain she was reading too far into many of the things I said.

“If you want the truth, I will not hurt Mara under any circumstance. Whether I harm the Capala family or not is directly proportional to how you treat her.”

“Is that a threat?” Abigail’s eyes narrowed.

“Ah, Mistress… he didn’t mean…” She held up her hand, silencing Mara.

“Threat?” I remained relaxed, even picking up my cup of tea and sipping. “I don’t make threats. I thought we were speaking in truth. Mara and I are a packaged deal.”

Abigail broke into a smile. “Good. That’s what I was hoping to hear.”

I blinked. “It is?”

“Are you surprised?” She chuckled. “If you had no motivations, then how could we work together? I’d always be suspicious. Now that I understand your bottom line, we’re able to work together more peacefully.”

“You say motivation, but why do I feel like you mean a method of control.” I frowned.

“Nonsense, I would never use my cousin to force your hand.”

“I hope you remember that.”

Her smile didn’t fade, but she sat up and straightened her blouse before continuing. “Either way, that isn’t why I called you here. You want to know the conclusion of our discussion, correct?”

“I’d like to know what you decided.”

I knew what they discussed, but as for her final decision, it wasn’t something she had spoken out loud. Either way, I had an idea of what to expect.

“You won’t be working at our herbalist storefront. Although Elder Li is not a member of the family and the amount we pay to keep him on retainer is exorbitant, the Capala family isn’t willing to sever our relationship with him to save some money. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to generate money some other way.”

“I see…” That much I had already grasped by overhearing their conversation.

This was ultimately a decision made by the young lord. Abigail did not have the authority to override him.

“Although you seem to be intelligent in some things, there appears to be a lot you still need to learn. Having lived the life of a commoner, you lack the common sense most paragons possess. This is something that needs to be resolved before you can become a better asset to the Capala family.”

This was something that she hadn’t expressed out loud, so it was new to me.

“Alright, what do you have in mind?”

“We will be admitting you to the school. I’ve already begun the admission process.”

“I’m sorry, school? Isn’t that in the Capital?”

“The Arcford University is made up of countless colleges. The main campus is in Arcford, but there are also countless branches. One of them is just outside of town. It is currently being run by one of the Provost’s disciples.”

“So, it’s a school for paragons?”

“Mm… there are many directions of study. Botany and Pharmacology are only two options. Since you appear to be quite intelligent, the young lord wants to see how you’d perform at the academy before deciding your role in our family.”