Chapter 44: The Estate

Recently, the residents of Magnolia had been captivated by two events.

One was Irene, who looked very much like Erza, and the other was the massive changes happening on the outskirts of the East Forest.

Passing through a part of the forest, a giant castle with a dragon stone statue suddenly appeared in the East Forest. A five-meter-high wall enclosed a large area, and curious onlookers found that the enclosed area was surrounded by a large magic array, like a transparent wall, preventing any entry.

Even attempts to fly over the area were futile. From above, the enclosed area appeared as a gray blur, with nothing visible.

The East Forest was vast, covering an area of over 1.2 million square kilometers, including part of the terminus of the Clover Canyon.

Selene wasn't greedy, and for now, she had marked out an area of three square kilometers, about the size of 420 standard football fields (7,140 square meters).

Compared to the entire East Forest, this area was indeed small.

Aegon and Selene did not actually live in the castle.

In fact, as a military building, the castle wasn't very comfortable for living. Therefore, the grand dragon castle stood as a decorative structure on the edge of the walled area, serving as a deterrent.

Using Selene's materials and Irene's enhancement and reconstruction magic, they built a two-story tiered building with an indoor area of over 5,000 square meters in the center of the enclosed area.

The building's main body was off-white, with a beige roof, tall columns, and cornices.

A path paved with gray and white bricks led from the main gate to the courtyard, flanked by greenery and open space.

In front of the massive off-white building stood a dragon stone statue fountain.

Ascending the white outdoor steps to the entrance of the building, there were eight Ionic columns wide enough for an embrace.

The space between the main gate and the white columns was covered with the most precious glowing stone from Earthland, and the ceiling above was decorated with intricate frescoes.

"You open the door."

Selene leaned against the entrance, pointing to the 3-meter-high, 2.8-meter-wide double doors.

In the foyer, there were another eight stone columns, with natural stone paving the floor. The two-story-high ceiling featured four massive glass panes, allowing ample natural light to flood the foyer.

Directly opposite the foyer was a hall furnished with matching beige sofas and chandeliers. Four large floor-to-ceiling glass doors provided lighting and direct access to the backyard.

To the right of the hall, through three arched wooden doorways, was a secondary seating area with an entire wall of bookshelves, sofas, and a piano in the corner.

The left side of the hall, also with three arched doorways, led to the dining area, featuring an oval table for 24 people and four floor-to-ceiling sliding doors leading to the terrace.

On either side of the foyer, there were corridors. The left corridor led to a hexagonal kitchen with a massive light blue island and blue stone countertops. Corresponding to the kitchen's hexagonal design, the island was a cut hexagon.

Deeper into the main kitchen was an open-concept relaxation area with two large skylights, a U-shaped sofa that could seat twenty facing the backyard, and a spiral staircase leading to the open rooftop terrace.

After seeing the terrace, Aegon could only comment on how enjoyable it would be to play mahjong up there...

The right side of the foyer contained four bedrooms, with the entire house having sixteen bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.

Aegon's first thought was whether, if they played hide-and-seek, it would be impossible to find anyone without using their noses.

The second floor also features various seating areas. Opening the door to the balcony reveals a view of the backyard, filled with various green plants.

Each of the 16 bedrooms has its own unique characteristics. The master bedroom is on the left side of the second floor. Naturally, Aegon's favorite is the master bedroom, which includes an extra-large bed and a six-meter-diameter round bathtub made of radiant stone...

He could already picture it.

"What a pity," Aegon murmured softly.

Unfortunately, Irene was busy with something else, so only Selene was with him during the tour. Otherwise, he would have wanted to try it out right then.

Such a large estate would be a hassle to manage and secure.

Luckily, this is a magical world. Security can be handled by a simple magic array, and for maintenance, Irene had already enchanted various kitchen utensils, lawnmowers, and other tools to create thirty dedicated maids responsible for cleaning, cooking, and garden maintenance.

As for the choice of a steward, Aegon had someone in mind—Mira.

However, she wasn't in Magnolia at the moment. One reason Aegon had agreed to visit the Fairy Tail Guild's tavern was to see Mira, but unfortunately, she wasn't there.

After the house tour, Aegon sighed.

"I can only say... I'm deeply impressed."

Building this structure was actually quite simple. Meira used her Ancient Language Book Magic to reference various architectural styles and designed it for Irene.

With Selene providing all the materials, Irene only needed to use her enhancement and reconstruction magic to perfectly replicate it. Besides requiring magic power, it didn't take much brainpower.

And for Irene, magic power was the least of her concerns. With just a wave of her hand, this area was created.

Selene raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I really like this house. The backyard was my design. Well, I suggested the ideas."

A rough view from the second-floor balcony revealed an outdoor dining area and seating areas in the backyard.

There were also symmetrical hot spring pools and ponds, with a small bridge in the middle. However, a set of sofas inexplicably placed at the end of the bridge puzzled Aegon.

Even more curious were the dragon-shaped stone water spouts positioned every meter along the edges...

"Are you sure Mercurius won't come after you?"

Selene shrugged. "I copied the Sea Dragon King. Besides, he won't come here. Even if he did, you're here."

Selene was right; Aegon wouldn't let the Sea Dragon King come here.

"Are there fish in the pond?"

Selene raised an eyebrow. "I added them. Nice, huh?"

On the right side of the pond was an infinity pool with a row of sunbeds and umbrellas.

Selene had a mysterious look on her face. "Hmm, my most important design isn't any of those."

Aside from the two crescent pools, Aegon couldn't think of anything else, so he shook his head. "Just tell me."

Selene tiptoed to whisper in Aegon's ear, "Didn't you notice the sofa at the end? That's for you. No matter if they're sunbathing, soaking in the hot springs, or swimming, you'll have a perfect view..."

"..."

Selene was indeed getting to know him better.

His body responded honestly, and he wrapped his arms around Selene's waist, whispering, "Do you know how to swim? I could teach you..."

"Sure... ah!"

He picked her up easily and carried her over to the pool. She was giggling as she squirmed in his arms.