Stress and Tranquility

After his elaborate show of power, Ernest returned to the mansion and jumped onto his bed.

"...What a pain."

He knew what he did back there was dangerous and could attract attention from the outside, he knew one day that he'll have to show his power to the people so it was inevitable. Summoning the main driving forces of industrialization was a good move of saving the city of Eighbury, but still...it was too early.

He just has been in this world for three weeks and yet he is showing off his skills as if he had built a stable relationship with those close to him. No, looking back, Guilhem and Blackbelly seemed awed at his performance earlier and swore their fealty to him as if he was their god.

"I hope it remains that way," Ernest mumbled.

It's too late for regret now. He summoned it and now it's there and there's no going back. Summoning the driving force of industrialization is one thing but there is still another force that is important in the age of industrialization. Electricity.

When he thought of the word electricity, two words came up in his mind: Oil and Coal. But those two are literally killing his planet by generating pollution causing global warming. He can't have that problem here, this world is fresh and new, he can't pollute this planet that will soon become his.

Ernest got up from his bed and headed to his office desk. There he thought of other ways of generating electricity. There's a lot of ways to get electricity, there's wind, solar, water, geothermal, and biomass. The wind is okay but it's highly dependent on wind, solar energy will not be able to accommodate the energy demands at night, water seems okay, and biomass, absolutely.

Instead of digging oil and damaging this planet, why not gather all the shit the humans have been expunging for years and use it as a main source of electricity.

And so Ernest does, He looked up in his system, facility tab, and searched "Biomass Plant."

There is one, and it costs 100,000 tyrant points. He was about to purchase it but one thing came to mind.

It's too early.

There's no need for electricity for now since there are only 3,000 people in the city of Eighbury, there's no one going to manage the Biomass plant and his representative was surely busy at their current work.

So he gave up on the idea of powering the city since it's not yet needed. In the future, when he needs electricity, he'll get back at it.

Also, the steel mill factory, the cement plant, have their own generators that can generate electricity, he'll just have to fill it with oil.

"Hau…."

Ernest placed both hands onto his face upon realization, the factories needed electricity. They have generators but they don't have oil.

Is there oil in the system? He asked as he searched in his "Oil."

And surprisingly, there's one.

"Omg system," Ernest exclaimed. "You are a lifesaver."

There is an oil he can purchase from the system and it comes in a barrel. One barrel of oil costs 50 tyrant points. The problem is he doesn't know how much oil he needs to power up the factories.

"System...you got my back?"

[Calculating...For the factories to run for at least six months, you'll need at least 600 barrels. It'll cost you 30,000 tyrant points. But it'll only supply your factories for six months. Why don't you just purchase an oil plant? It cost only 90,000 tyrant points and it's a lifetime! Until you ran out of oil to dig.]

"System, I understand what you're saying but mass production of oil is not yet needed. I only need a city to run and this world already has some useful magic stones that act as street lights, house lights, et cetera. I think when our territory expands, I'll consider buying one."

[Okay, you're the user so you're the ones making the shot. But aren't you gonna need it now? You are industrializing a small city and industrialization needs logistics. How can a horse pull tons of steel? Tons of cement? You'll need vehicles and for vehicles to work you'll need fuel.]

"Then I'll just buy the fuel from you," Ernest said simply.

[Fine.]

"Okay, setting that aside I want your help on creating a blueprint for our water pipeline. I forgot the man who said that the city's main source of water is an aquifer. Because if that's the case then naturally there would be a fossil aquifer in that area. So what I want you to do is to design. Since I'm no engineer."

[Okay.]

During their time alone in his office, Ernest was lectured by the system so that he can explain it to Guilhem who will be the one constructing the pipeline.

The night had finally descended and the night breeze streaming through the windows gently passed on his face, feeling the chilly cold air, making him sleepy.

Despite having no clocks to tell the time, Ernest assumed that the time was almost 9 P.M. Back on earth, he would still be playing on his computer until dawn breaks. But since playing again doesn't use that much brainpower, he can pull out an all-nighter but today he is using every cell of his brain to understand the blueprint created by the system. It was like listening to your professor reading a PowerPoint. It was boring and yet he persevered. He doesn't want to look stupid in front of his loyal followers. What he just needs to remember is the key points. But…

"N-No more~…I've never been dumped with all of this information...I want to play games. I want to play League of Legends or Rise of Kingdoms. I don't want this life anymore."

While sluggishly slouching over his desk, the officer's room's door was being knocked on.

Ernest got up instantly, at the same time, the door was opened. The one who appeared there was a girl. Not just any girl, but a girl he was very familiar with.

"Ernest? May I come in? I brought you some tea."

"...Gulp."

Ernest was struck at her new appearance. She wore a refreshing dress, her long aqua hair fluttering behind her, with her gentle steps, she entered the room with a tray carrying in her hand.

Pretending to work diligently, Ernest raised his face and straightened his back, and continued scanning the blueprint.

"I'm sorry if I bother you at your work…"

"No no, it's okay. I've been thinking of taking a break and brewing tea for myself." Ernest smiled, he doesn't want her to leave just because he is working on the city's projects.

He gazes at Sophia, watching her approaching him as she puts the tea on his table. But his eyes were fixed on Sophia, even the sweet aroma of the tea didn't sway him.

…

'Why is he staring at me? He's been looking at me ever since I entered this room.'

Sophia thought and sat on the couch located in the center of the governmental affairs office. The tea she brewed specially for him wasn't touched, rather he was just looking at her as if looking through a beautiful painting.

Ba-dump.

Her heart beats faster than normal, her face gradually turning red. Does she look awkward? Is there something on her face? Questions about herself flooded her mind. She wanted to touch her face if there's dirt but that is too embarrassing.

"Uhm...Ernest...you've been staring at me a lot."

Her words made Ernest snap back to his senses.

"Ah sorry…" Ernest said apologetically, "I'm sorry if looking at you made you uncomfortable...it's just that I can't help myself not looking away from you."

"Hmm?"

Ernest was unusual today, most of the time he was straightforward and would tease her but based on his tone, it was otherwise.

"You look charming on that white dress of yours. I didn't expect you to wear one." Ernest said.

Ah, so that's how it is, her dress. She only wore this dress because she felt like it, to think that it piqued him made her somehow happy.

"Thank you…" Sophia lowered her head, hiding her face. She can't think of a word to reply to him.

Meanwhile, Ernest was crumbling inside. Damn, she was just too beautiful. Why does she live in this cruel place? She should belong to heaven ferrying the souls of weebs or otakus. Honestly, it wasn't like that. By just looking at her charming face, all the tiredness and stress he's having. What is this feeling? Is this love? No, he can't be too sure about that. It could be just admiration, but isn't that the same thing?

"Uhm...Ernest."

"Pardon?"

"Uhm...err...it seems that you're overworking again, why don't you take a break and drink the tea I made for you?" Sophia suggested.

"Oh thank you." Ernest grabbed the cup of tea on his table and drank it. As soon as he gulped it, his inside was rejuvenated and cleansed. He wasn't into tea but after tasting it, he thought of it as a perfectly brewed tea.

Ernest sighed, releasing the accumulated stress.

"How's the tea?"

"It's delicious…"

"Really? I'm happy that you like it."

After that, the office turned silent, the awkwardness between them created a tension of who broke first.

"...Ernest."

Sophia lost.

"What?"

"You're working too hard again. Why don't you take a rest now and call it a day?"

Now that he thought about it, he had been working constantly since coming to this world. There were things to do, things he ought to do, things he had no choice but to do, piles and piles of them, and so he had been using his head all the time. Having this sort of time where I didn't need to think about anything... It was the best.

"Ahh... I wish I could just melt away and return to the soil," Ernest murmured.

Sophia was silent. After seeing me like that, she seemed to think for a moment, then hesitantly said, "Do you want... to rest your head in my lap?"

…

Ernest unexpectedly said yes without any hint of disapproval and rested his head on her thighs.

When someone rests their head in your lap, they can either do it with their body lying horizontally or vertically from your perspective. This was the vertical variety.

When Sophia peeked down at him, her face was reflected upside-down in his eyes. Ernest's head was lying between her two thighs, and it tickled her a little.

"Th-This is... kind of embarrassing, you know." Ernest's face was a deep shade of red. "I am in your lap again."

'...I was sure mine was, too.'

"Who do you think this is most embarrassing for?" Sophia asked him. "The person giving the lap pillow, or the person using it?"

"I think it's embarrassing for both parties. don't you think?" he chuckled.

At that moment, they both feel the tranquility, the only sound they can hear right now is the night breeze whistling.

"...Hey Ernest. I was wondering if you've been staring at me a lot and you're saying that I'm beautiful when you're teasing me. I was wondering...if those were true?" Those words naturally came to her lips.

Ernest's eyes went wide, and he turned his bright red face to the side.

"...It's not fair for you to put it like that."

This was his second time being bashful.

"O-Oh, yeah?" she stammered.

Seconds later, Ernest answered.

"To be honest. I really find you beautiful. You're cute...hahaha." He let out a chuckle.

So it was true...then it must be…

"Then...do you like me?"