Although I was a bit concerned about Tornel, I trusted him and headed to my workshop.

　As I recall, in the courtyard of the Misfirito Castle, there was a building called the Gazebo, a resting place, around the center.

　I'll try to recreate that as well, although it's a bit miniature in size.

　A beautiful garden should have a gazebo, after all.

　I activate my earth magic and lift up the sand in the garden.

　The gazebo inside the Misfirito Castle was an octagon. I made an octagonal base and then extended the pillars upwards from there before making the roof.

　Hmm, that's pretty much how it looked. All that's left to do now is to make the pillars and roof a little lonely, and smooth it out.

　I just need to make sure that the size of each pillar doesn't come apart and decorate them carefully.

'Is the courtyard now mostly complete?

　When the work on the gazebo was complete, I let out a breath of relief and looked around.

　Hmmm, it's a beautiful, artificially unified western style garden.

　Western gardens are based on flowers and greenery, but they are also based on the symmetrical beauty of nature artificially manipulated into a geometric orderly form. To put it simply, it looks as if it has been designed by human hands.

　On the other hand, the Japanese garden expresses the natural beauty of nature asymmetrically, with natural stones, trees, moss, flowers and water changing day by day depending on the seasons. The Japanese gardens do not look like they have been altered as much as possible, but focus on how to present them in harmony with nature.

　It's hard to choose between the two, but the western style looks fresher than the Japanese style I'm used to.

　Considering the fact that this is a courtyard, it would be more refreshing if it was organized like this.

　While I was fiddling with the gazebo, Tornel may have finished leveling the ground in the courtyard, and the garden ground was completely leveled.

　I guess he's good at simple tasks like this, I don't have anything to complain about. The ground hasn't been gouged out or raised in any strange way.

　I can hear the sound of the ground being leveled with a dragonfly from the back of the castle now, maybe they're doing the back side of the castle.

　When you hear that sound, which is somewhat regular, you know you've gotten used to it.

　After confirming that Trunel's leveled ground is fine, I apply soil magic to the ground to compress and harden it.

　Yeah, now it won't be a problem for people to get inside.

　Then I use my earth magic to make a ladder to climb up and start making the windows of the main body of the castle.

　I've almost finished making the whole thing, so I just need to work on the details.

　Misfirito Castle is a big building, and it had a good number of windows.

　I'll also make some patterns for the windows and bricks.

　However, I can't remember the exact location of the windows because I couldn't see the details.

'Yeah, as long as it looks like that,'

　It's not just a matter of making things up as you go along. If it looks like that, people can understand it well enough. So it's fine to make them as they are.

　I roughly recreate the windows and brick patterns as I tell my mind to do so.

'Oi!　Alfried!　I've flattened the entire perimeter of the castle!

　As I'm working like that, Tornell looks up at me and makes a cheerful noise as he looks up at me.

　Apparently, he's already finished.

''Oh, is that so?　Then carve some veins in the leaves of the flowers in the garden.

You're serious about that?

'Just kidding. You're free to help with the gates, or look at them, if you want.

Okay!　Then I'll go check the gates!

　When I say that, Tornel cheerfully heads towards the castle gate.

　Now, I'm also curious about what's going on outside. Let's just finish the work quickly and go and take a look.


　◆



'Oh!　I never thought I'd put the shells on like that.

　When I finished my work and headed to the castle gate, something much more stylish than I had imagined awaited me there.

　The shape itself was a castle gate in the royal capital, but it was very different in that the walls were embedded with fragments of seashells and magical stones recovered from the beach.

　The sand-colored walls with light-colored seashells and fragments of transparent magic stones were very beautiful. Perhaps because the entire castle gate was made of sand, these ornaments stood out.

''After all, was it bad to embed seashells and magic stone fragments in it?

'No, not really. I was just amazed that you're so good at what you do.

　Quina asked timidly, and when she answered once and for all, Quina let out a breath of relief.

　It is outrageous that this is not good. Rather, thanks to Quina, it can be said that the work became more sea-like.

　If it were me, I would have just raised the quality of the wall like a fool and never come up with such nautical decorations.

　It's not just a matter of elaborating on the details, but you need to cultivate this kind of design.

'Hey, Alfried. Don't you notice what I'm doing?

Yeah?　Eric's success?　...the one with the slightly funny angle of the shells around here?

　There's a lot of weirdly tilted shells on the left side only. Maybe this is the one Eric did.

'Ugh!　Yes, but no!　Look more closely at the whole thing!　There must be a regularity to it that you understand!

　Hearing Eric's words, which make my face mussed, I once again look at the castle gate.

　Yup?　A regularity that only I know. Something I know because I'm a nobleman?　No, I don't think there is such a thing.

　Well, I've seen it in King's Landing, so how do I know about it?　

　As I looked at it, remembering the gates I saw in the royal capital, I noticed a bit of regularity in it.

''........Oh, could it be where the holes where the soldiers shoot their arrows are represented by the curling shells?''

'Yes!　By using pointed snails like that, they're showing aggression when defending.

　I say, and Eric tells me with a full-throated smirk on his face that he's been waiting for.

　Again, it's an expression that I'm not sure if it's awesome or not.

　Quina was also smiling at this, and Tornell, who had never seen it before, had no idea.

　Well, as long as Eric enjoyed making it, it's fine.

''Hey, can we take a look inside this time?''

'Ah!　Me too!　I haven't seen the inside yet and I want to see it!

Okay. I've finished the inside.

　When I agreed, the two of us walked through the castle gate, so me and Tornel followed suit.

''...........''

　The two of them are stunned as soon as they look up at the miniature Misfirito Castle.

　The only problem is that it's not as comfortable as it should be if you're silent all the time. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make your life easier.

''........I thought it was tremendous just now, but it's even better than that.

It seems to me, rather, that this is the real Castle Misfirito.

　No, this is indeed uninhabitable, and with a sand castle, I feel sorry for the king.

''Great. Even one of the pillars of the building has been carefully decorated. Moreover, I can't find any distortions in any of the eight.''

'This one has even recreated every single flower. Can earth magic, if mastered, create so many things?

　Quina and Eric observe and admire each of them.

　After all, it's a pleasure from the perspective of the person who made it if they notice the parts they were concerned about. It's no wonder that Eric didn't notice it earlier and said those words to me.

"I think you can make a living this way now.

...Yes, Master Alfried is a more splendid decorator than I am.

　I got an endorsement from a real decorator of something.

　Well, I like to make buildings with clay magic, and it's not bad to make a living like that.

　But I don't want to finish it as a work of art, I want to design it so that it can be lived in and make an income like a landlord.

Well, anyway, that means everyone's castle is complete, right?

Yeah, I guess so.

　Everyone's castle. Hearing those words from Tornel, a strange sense of accomplishment spread through my mind that I had never seen before.

　It's a little different from building a home on your own. A strange feeling.

　So this is the joy of making things with others.

"Hmm, it's been a long time since I've played with sand this seriously.

It was a lot of fun.

　The expressions on Eric and Quina's faces as they said those words were colored by a sense of accomplishment.

　I'm sure you'll find that even though Eric said he wouldn't do it at first and Quina was hesitant to do it, he ended up having a lot of fun doing it.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more.　I was the one who leveled the ground here, remember?

'Oh, come to think of it, I've been hearing the sound of scraping dirt the whole time.

'A limb alone wouldn't make a sound like that, and it wouldn't be this flat, would it?　How did you do it?

'Heh, Alfried gave me a tool called a dragonfly. If you push or pull on the ground with this stick, it will flatten the ground. Isn't that amazing?

　Perhaps because we all worked together, the distant atmosphere from Eric, Quina and Tornel had vanished once and for all.

　At first Eric was confused by Tornel's closeness. Quina was fearful and reserved about Eric's status as a nobleman. However, these feelings were blown away by the solidarity of working together and the understanding of each person's humanity.

　I, too, was able to experience the joy of working together to create something new.

　So this is the power of working together. It's not something to be taken for granted.

　As I was thinking about this, Tornell asked me in a fidgety manner.

"Hey, this is not going to break down anytime soon, is it?

It's fortified with earth magic so it won't break on the slightest bump.

So, can I go brag to my friends for a minute?　I want everyone to see this!

Of course you can. But it's almost dusk, and we're going to the house--

'Yes!　I'll go talk to my friends then.

　I was about to say that I was going to return to the mansion, but Tornel couldn't wait, or maybe he didn't hear the end of it, and ran off.

'Oh, hey brother!　Master Eric and Master Alfried are leaving, so we need to say a proper hello!

　And so on and so forth, Quina raised her voice, but Tornell is already beyond.

　He's showing his athleticism without regret, and he's moderately fast to run.

''S-Sorry!　You've been so good to me and my brother didn't even say hello!

Okay. Don't worry about us, just follow your brother. That one's restless.

As for the castle, you can break it down and do whatever you want with it.

'Yes, thank you!　Now if you'll excuse me!

　When we say this, Quina bows her head with a smile and runs off to chase after Tornel.

'I know what it's like to have a brother in a hurry,'

Well, my sister is doing well, so I kind of know how that feels.

　We both seem to have a hard time with our families.

　As Eric and I looked away from Quina with a sincere feeling, we heard a strange shout from the rest stop.

'Wow!'　Oh, my God!　Lady Silvio!　We'll be in King's Landing before we know it!

'Uh-huh?　Wh-What do you mean, Meena?