CHAPTER 24 —
The following morning arrived with a different kind of light.Not bright.Not dazzling.But steady.A slow golden glow that slipped between the branches and stretched across the still waking kingdom.
It was the kind of sunlight that meant only one thing.
Work was waiting.A lot of it.
The central plaza, which yesterday had been chaotic enough to resemble a battlefield, was already buzzing the moment the sun rose. Spirits floated through the air, elves carried blueprints twice their height, fairies zipped around offering completely unhelpful advice, and magical beasts pushed carts full of stone and lumber with impressive determination.
Even the wind seemed heavier, carrying the scent of sawdust, earth, mana, and a faint trace of Airi's aggressively optimistic dreams.
Airi hopped onto a big wooden crate, cupped her hands around her mouth, and yelled loudly enough to scare a flock of birds out of a nearby tree.
"Everyone, good morning. Today is day two of Aetheria's super mega giant construction. Onii Chan says we cannot finish everything in one day but I still believe in miracles."
Haruto, who was triple checking the architectural formation of the market district, did not even turn around.He simply sighed, long and tired.
"It is literally impossible."
"Nooo, Onii Chaan. Not with that attitude."
Lunara the Dragon Queen snorted so loudly a few pebbles vibrated near her claw.
"If she says miracle one more time, I am flying back to the empire again."
Airi puffed her cheeks, pointing at her dramatically.
"You cannot leave. You are the dragon excavator."
Lunara froze."…Excuse me?"
Lyria floated down gracefully, wings shimmering like dew in the morning light.
"She means you remove land and create foundations."
Lunara blinked slowly.Then nodded with regal acceptance.
"Oh. Then yes. I am the dragon excavator."
Haruto pressed his palm to his forehead.
This would be a long month.
Week One; Laying the Bones of the Kingdom
The first week became the foundation of everything.
Frost and the dark elves took charge of expanding roads. With Frost's icy precision and the elves' ability to shape stone and dirt, the land transformed rapidly into smooth paths and wide layouts for the future districts.
Airi, however, appointed herself as the supervisor.A self declared one.
She darted around with her clipboard like a squirrel hopped up on sugar.
"Two centimeters more to the left."
"Why is this line crooked?"
"Nooo, this road looks sad. Make it rounder. Round roads are happy roads."
At one point she even lay down on the dirt path to "feel the angle of destiny," which made the elves very nervous.
Every ten minutes Haruto appeared and grabbed her hood.
"You are confusing them."
Airi wiggled in his grip.
"They understand the language of passion."
"No. They really do not."
One dark elf raised a hand."We absolutely do not."
By the end of week one:
- The Residential District foundations were carved.- The Education District layout was complete.- The Market District had its first row of shop frameworks.- The Spirit Garden District already had glowing paths forming naturally from the spirits' mana.
Airi proudly collapsed onto the grass, limbs sprawled dramatically.
"I worked so hard. Someone praise me."
Haruto patted her head.
"You mostly ran around."
"That is emotional contribution. It counts."
Lunara walked by, muttering, "If emotional contribution had weight, this entire kingdom would collapse under hers."
Week Two; The Rise of Aetheria's First Walls
The second week felt heavier in every way.
This was no longer blueprint work.It was real construction.
Walls rose like teeth from the earth.Beams were carried by teams of elves and beasts.Magic circles glowed across the skies as fairies enchanted materials to strengthen them.
Lyria and the fairies enchanted growing trees so they bent into graceful archways. Spirits froze water into transparent crystal like blocks that became decorative pillars and sculptures. The dark elves shaped stone with such precision that Haruto actually paused to appreciate their skill.
Lunara dropped an enormous boulder beside him.
"This goes here," she declared.
Haruto, looking at the map, frowned.
"That is five meters too far to the north."
Lunara stared at him for a long, emotionless moment.
Then she shoved the boulder with a single claw.It slid into place like a pebble.
"Better?"
"Yes. Thank you."
Airi, watching them with sparkling eyes, suddenly gasped.
"You two look like a married couple."
Haruto choked on air.
"I beg your pardon?"
Lunara's tail whipped across the dirt.
"Never say that again."
Airi giggled into her hands.
But her greatest excitement bloomed elsewhere.
Airi's School Dreams
The Education District became Airi's personal kingdom.
No one assigned her the role.But she claimed it with the enthusiasm of a child claiming the last sweet in a jar.
She visited every site every day, always returning with new ideas.
She inspected the sword arena with a serious face, swinging an imaginary blade and commenting on safety rails.
She tested the magic chambers by jumping inside and shouting "Explosion," even though she could not cast destructive magic. Nervous spirits rushed to calm her down.
She picked herbs from the healing gardens, examining their smell and texture as if she were a professional botanist.
She played with crystal winged spirits in the Spirit Arts fields, chasing them across the grass while fairies yelled at her not to step on the seedlings.
She sketched designs for the Architectural Wing with messy lines that made Haruto question physics and reality.
One quiet evening, she sat beside Haruto while the sun painted the sky orange. Construction noise faded for the moment, giving them rare peace.
Airi whispered softly,
"Onii Chan… when kids study here and grow up… this place will really feel alive."
Haruto turned to her. The gentle glow of the setting sun illuminated her hopeful expression.
His own gaze softened.
"That is the goal."
Airi nodded, hugging her knees.
"I want them to have what we never had."
Haruto placed his hand on her head.His voice was quiet but firm.
"We are building that future."
Week Three; The Market Comes Alive
The third week was a symphony of chaos.
Hammering.Cutting.Spells firing.Laughter.Arguments.More laughter.More arguments.And very loud instructions from Airi.
Shops began taking shape.
The bakers experimented with fire magic to bake faster and accidentally set a dough ball spinning like a flaming meteor. Frost caught it in his mouth, swallowed it, and nodded as if critiquing the flavor.
Potion makers insisted on water channels through the market. Spirits offered to operate the water flow, but negotiations broke down when the spirits demanded shiny acorns as payment.
Crafters tested metal extracted by Lunara. One crafter asked for thinner pieces, so Lunara heated the metal with her breath until it melted like liquid silver. Everyone applauded until she said, "Next time I use more fire," which terrified them.
One day Airi rushed into a pottery shop and decided to help.
She pressed the pedal of the clay wheel.
She pressed too hard.
The wheel spun like a festival ride, flinging mushy clay directly into Haruto's face.
Airi froze, horrified.
"O-Onii Chan… you look like a monster from a swamp."
Haruto wiped his face.
"…Thank you for that observation."
Airi held out a tiny towel, trembling.
"Peace offering…?"
He sighed and patted her head again.
"You are impossible."
She giggled, relieved.
Week Four; Aetheria Breathes
By the fourth week, something magical changed.
Aetheria began to breathe.Not literally.But the feeling was unmistakable.
Lights glowed softly along the roads as fairies tuned mana threads into glowing lanterns.
The Spirit Gardens shimmered with drifting lights that resembled falling stars.
The first apartments neared completion, decorated with elegant carvings from dark elves and gentle floral patterns from spirits.
Children from the dark elf tribe ran around new playgrounds. Airi joined them sometimes, sliding down stone slopes and laughing loudly until Haruto had to drag her away to avoid accidents.
The Mana Dome neared its half finished form, a massive rounded structure made of silver stone that pulsed faintly with magic.
Lyria approached Haruto while they oversaw the construction from a cliff.
"Time passes strangely here," she murmured.
Haruto nodded.
"Yes. But even so… it is peaceful."
Lyria smiled.
"That is because You and the Airi brought peace."
Haruto glanced toward Airi.
She was currently arguing with a squirrel spirit who claimed ownership of a shiny acorn she found.
"…Sometimes I wonder."
Lyria laughed quietly.
End of the Month — The New Dawn
The final day of the month arrived slowly, carrying a warm breeze that spread across the land.
Everyone gathered in the central plaza once again.But this time, the air felt different.
It felt like celebration.Like pride.Like hope becoming real.
The schools stood tall like white palaces.Their rooftops glimmered under the morning light.
The markets were colorful, decorated with lanterns and banners embroidered by fairies.
The hospital glowed with healing mana, its walls warm with gentle light.
Residential towers sparkled with floating orbs of fairy magic.
Roads connected each district cleanly like veins of a living city.
The Spirit Garden shimmered under drifting mana dust.
The Mana Dome pulsed softly, like a heart learning its first rhythm.
Aetheria was not finished.But it was alive.Growing.Thriving.
Airi walked onto the plaza platform, chest puffed proudly.
"One month down. Just some day more and we will be officially declared a kingdom. Aetheria will shine."
Haruto stood beside her, silent but proud.His presence alone made many elves straighten their backs.
Lyria spread her wings.
"To the future."
Frost bowed deeply.
"To the Eternal Princess."
Lunara rolled her eyes so dramatically the ground almost shook.
"To my endless suffering."
Airi giggled behind her hand.
She leaned against Haruto.
"Onii Chan… this place… it makes me so happy."
Haruto looked at her long and quietly.
"And it will continue to."
A breeze swept through the plaza, lifting motes of light into the sky.They drifted above Aetheria, like blessings.
The kingdom they built with their own hands continued to grow toward the horizon.
And Aetheria took its first breath as a home.