26  I want my own toys!

"I want the mountain range in the north of midpoint and a workforce, sworn to secrecy." I proclaim in the living room. 

"...." 

"What do you need a mountain for?" -Ireth asks shocked. 

"I want to set up my own research institute there. It is an old volcano and there are many metals like iron inside the volcanic rock." I explain. 

"But we have the house of Cygnus who can do the research for us." -Arthur 

"That's true, but there is much knowledge which I don't want to distribute to the public. I trust Cygnus, but I would feel much better if I could keep it in my own hands. The latest design for the new power plant belongs to that category." -Me 

"I guess we could organize it. But what about the money." -Nicol 

I drop a stack of papers onto the desk. 

"I already calculated everything. We will shut down the old royal power stations, which support the city and replace it by my new power plant. They are coal based and outdated anyway. My new power plant produces energy much cheaper and we can just keep the old price and finance the project with the saved money." -Me 

"Hmm." Katrine looks suspiciously at my papers. 

"On top I want to set up some surprises for the guys from Meltheim and Tulhelm. They were too silent since Odlef ran off. It bugs me." -Me 

Yes. It has been a few months since the incident with Odlef. My parents are back already and I and Celes are in the middle of our second school year and eight years old by now. 

But strangely enough there was less action than we anticipated from the Meltheim side. They just heightened the prices for their materials. 

The other disturbing thing is that Sarda and Senda are gone from the school. They were studying abroad anyway and all the notification the school got was that they went back home. 

Strangely enough Iris is still here. Though she seems to be pretty isolated during fighting lessons by now. 

The north is just one big black hole of information by now. Of course there is still the official stuff, but the buggers have somehow managed to cut off every intelligence my parents could get in other ways. Including stuff like material and equipment distribution through the area. 

My parents cannot complain, because they fulfil their responsibilities in every aspect to the letter. 

"You just want some toys to play around with!" -Celes 

"That is the other reason." I will try to be frank here. 

"Why not, it is not like I don't believe that Angrod couldn't manage something like that. And we have given in to Celes's technological development plan too. Compared to this, giving Angrod a single facility to play around with can't cause that much trouble." -Nicol 

The rest of the parents nod and I put up a devilish grin. Celes just shakes her head but doesn't say anything. When everyone is gone, she sits down in front of me and stares at me. 

"What?" -Me 

"Could be my question. What are you planning? I want to know too." -Celes 

"I am planning to do exactly what I said. A facility with state of the art technology, to counter everything Meltheim and Tulhelm may throw at us." -Me 

"You know that it's bad for a world if there is too much innovation? That's why we fought in first place! I hope you won't give this worlds people too much knowledge and power!" -Celes 

"Hmm. Maybe? I wonder." I answer. 

"ANGROD!" Celes is now seriously angry. 

"It's just my very own toy, so don't freak out like that. And the facility will have every security and secrecy possible." -Me 

"I hope that...." Celes has now a complicated expression, while looking at me. Then she jumps up and leaves the room, leaving me alone. 

I shrug my shoulders and take up one of my books. 

***

I am sleeping. Ah, its so nice. Being able to sleep and dream of good times. I grip my encyclopedia tighter to my chest. 

Strangely it keeps slipping away hmmmmm. Hoh, something seems to creep around inside my bed? Strange, do I have a pet? 

Something inside bed? 

I shoot straight up and awake to bump my head into something. 

"OW! MmhhhmNMEMNemn" Someone shuts my mouth with his hands. 

"Shhh! Or they will hear us!" -Celes 

"Wmat mare mou moing mere!?" -Me 

"Give me that book, I need to see those plans for the facility!" -Celes 

"No?" I press the encyclopedia tighter to my chest. Apparently Celes has mistaken it as the blueprints, which I obviously hid much better. 

The encyclopedia Celes found when she first rummaged through my room helps me to sleep easier. Yeah, yeah just laugh at me. Others have a favourite plush toy, a favourite pillow or someone of the other gender they can hug. 

I have a favourite book! And I hate pillows! I just can't sleep with something so soft under my head. 

"Give me that plan! You are obviously planning something stupid, or you wouldn't need to hide it! It's even bad enough, you need to keep it with you even in bed! I knew that there was something fishy about this!" She grabs my book and starts to pull. 

But I resist and pull on my end too. The witch wants to steal my favourite encyclopedia! 

"Never! You will never get it! Only over my dead cold body!" I grasp it tighter. I am still sleepy and  the gears in my head haven't started to turn properly. 

Celes locks me down with her legs to get a better grip, trying to use the leverage effect to get a hold on the book. Her tail wriggles around me and tries to twist off my fingers. 

"Give it! I won't allow you to lure this world on to destruction too!" -Celes 

"Wawawa! Never!" I try to push her away with an arm, when the door opens and a tired looking Nicol looks into the room. 

Now I become aware of our position, which could be misinterpreted very easily. 

Nicol looks at us for two seconds and then smirks in a very dirty way. He raises a hand to his lips and signals us to be quiet. 

Then he slowly closes the door. 

NOOOO! IDIOT FATHER! THAT'S EXACTLY THE WRONG THING TO DO! 

I didn't sleep much this night.... and I guess Celes got to check another item on her list.