After leaving the castle, Shin, Schnee, and Luxuria headed towards the institute. Though the town had been severely damaged, the institute albeit only part of it was in a pitiful state.

Weve got more than enough time to fix it.

Shin spoke while looking at the ruined structures as they headed towards Hilamees office.

He was a blacksmith, but there was also a reason why he was so confident.

All Rokuten members shared part of their specialty with other members.

In Shins case, he taught his smithing and metal engraving skills to Reed and Cook. On the other hand, when he built his guild house, Tsuki no Hokora, another Rokuten member, Cain the Blue Magician, taught him all sorts of things.

Thanks to that, his architecture skills, while not too high, were proficient. Architects also required imagination: taking advantage of the fact that he was in a game, Shin had also built all sorts of bizarre constructions.

I already knew that you were something else, but wellyou really can do anything.

Not reallyI just have a bit of experience, but, by professional standards, I wouldnt be good at all. Other than Blacksmithing, Architecture and Alchemy are the only skills I can handle.

Shins architecture skill level was IV, alchemy was X. He needed alchemy to create potions for his Blacksmithing, so it was much higher, but that was all.

If he was told to create the same things as the Red Alchemist Hecate, his answer would be a flat no. Alchemy required much more than just a high level.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, his trading skills, farming and animal raising skills etc were all around II: he had just acquired them and leveled them no further.

After taking in Yuzuha as partner his taming skills had grown a little, but he was still inferior to professional tamers even in this world.

Being able to do only that seems already enough to mewell, I guess its different if we use the standards of the past era.

Luxuria knew of the Game Era before the Dusk of Majesty, so she understood why Shin classified himself in that way.

It would be more than what we could ever ask, but is it really okay? You will end up standing out, wont you?

In the headmistress office, Hilamee made a troubled expression after hearing Shins proposal.

Being a skilled fighter was already enough to draw attention. If the information that he was capable of creation skills spread, many would seek to contact him. Even if there were particular circumstances, Hilamee was concerned that Shin had shown his true abilities before others more than necessary because of his involvement with her and Erkunt.

Ill do just enough to let people think Im worthy of my A rank. Its a bit late to worry about standing out anyway.

Shin had already given up on avoiding standing out too much.

He was not based in any country, so, as long as he left the country where he was last seen, it was pretty much impossible to contact him. If someone followed him, it would be all too easy to lose them.

The circumstances are what they are, so lets just accept our sweet Shins kindness, no? We just have to thank him properly later.

Luxuria held Hilamees shoulders from behind and interjected. Hilamee couldnt see it, but Shin did not miss that her smile widened when she said the words thank him.

I know already that your thanks is going to be something bad

Oh my, Im hurt.

Luxurias lips pouted. It was rather childish for an adult, but her charm made it mysteriously acceptable.

Shin, however, glared at her. Even as an angel, he couldnt shake off the feeling that her gratitude would be sexual in nature. She was not a devil anymore, so Shin thought that Luxuria wouldnt need to draw energy from peoples sexual activities, but contrary to his expectations, she still possessed that ability.

Not even a king could ever hope to have an angel service him

I know what you really mean anyway. Besides, why would I go to any other woman when I have Schnee at my side?

Shin then pulled Schnee closer to him. Her look had turned sharper because of Luxurias words, but Shins sudden action took her completely by surprise. Even though they were husband and wife, she still seemed unused to such physical contact.

Look at them, Im getting jealousin this world polygamy is not all that rare you know?

Where Im from monogamy is the norm, and fiction is more than enough for harems. Why are you so persistent, anyway? Because Im a High Human?

In the beginning, Shin thought she was provoking him out of curiosity. Though, it wasnt enough to explain her behavior anymore.

To fall in love with the person who saved you in a tight spotis not so strange, is it?

I watched you get beat up without doing anything and attacked once in the end. Thats what made you fall in love?

Luxuria said that Shins attack was what triggered her transformation, but he argued that those were two separate things.

That was one of the reasons. Maybe because I used to be the lust devil.

What do you mean?

The strong emotion you and Schnee shareI think I was attracted to that. Its clearly different than other humans.

Luxuria had grown interested because she was the lust devil. Before she could realize it, it had changed into a feeling unlike infatuation or love.

Maybe one other thingyou dont show an excessive reaction after learning of my true nature? Normally, people would outright reject any contact with a devil.

Maybe?, she says

Luxuria caressed Shins hand, the one opposite to Schnees side. Shin didnt react much, but a normal person would probably scream and knock it away. Even if she was an angel now, people would usually hate to be even remotely close to a devil.

King Kreunzeit, who wasnt a Chosen One or even a former player, normally conversed with Luxuria, but that was an exception among exceptions.

For Shin too, Luxuria was someone to defeat. Surely a troublesome opponent, but still not enough to show an excessive reaction to.

I cant help it, can I? I dont care about how it started anymore. Im surprised too to be so attached, you know? I have never felt like this before in my life

Luxurias had tightened her grip on Shins.

Normally, devils played around and toyed with others. They sought the weaknesses in their hearts, stimulating their desires, charming them. There was no affection in that. In other words, they were complete beginners in terms of approaching someone simply because they hoped the other person would like them, not manipulate them.

WellI can understand if youre feeling confused. Even so, it has nothing to do with this.

Shin thought what people call first love had bloomed inside her. Considering that, Luxurias words and actions were understandable. The feeling of liking someone else couldnt be suppressed, even if one wanted to.

He couldnt comply with her desires, though. Schnee had come closer, as if hugging him, so Shin was presently sandwiched between them. He couldnt see Schnees expression, however, which was quite scary for him.

Schnee is a much more fearsome enemy than you, I see.

Im not going to let you go any further.

Between the two ladies smiling gazes, sparks were flying. Schnee was ready to do battle.

Hilamee, who was observing the situation, decided to interrupt at that moment.

Ehm, if possible, I would like to resume our discussion about the reconstructionaaah!?

The two ladies focused their gaze on Hilamee, which was enough to make her retreat several steps. Shin mentally saluted her courage.

What is going on here

Masakado, who had arrived late, expressed his confusion at the situation. His expression clearly showed that he thought he had arrived at a very bad moment.

Anyway, like Hilamee said, lets discuss the reconstruction now, okay?

Shin used the silence created by Hilamee and Masakado and tried to change the topic with all his might. It was their reason for visiting, after all: Luxurias topic was completely unrelated.

.understood. We will talk about this again another time.

We dont have to

Luxuria winked and Shin felt a headache coming.

They finally managed to get back on topic, so he avoided thinking about Luxuria and talked with Hilamee about rebuilding the school. Shins skill level was high enough to restore the mostly ruined buildings to their original state. He also mentioned using the opportunity to reinforce them to be stronger than before.

The institute used a modified version of the technology employed to build guild houses, but the building itself used the same standards as that worlds architecture.

Both I and Masakado have battle-focused skills, so all we could do was use the sturdiest materials to build it.

In the game era, all they had to do was to send a request to a creation guild that, provided an appropriate price was paid, could build a school as strong as a fortress which could repel monster attacks easily. That was not possible now, though. It was obvious for the buildings to be damaged after suffering the brunt of a devils attacks.

I guess I will focus on making it as resilient as possible. My skill level isnt high either, but I should be able to use Cains techniques to fill the gap.

The techniques Shin mentioned were real-world techniques, adapted for use in this world. Schnees method to temporarily repair the breached wall, an earthen net supported by ice, was based on the structure of concrete.

In game, many players thought of walls as compact masses of earth or metal.

However, Cain, who was a real life architect, came up with this idea and put it into practice. Thus some real-world techniques could be adapted to the game world. Other players also noticed that creation skills did not have to be used strictly as they were created, so a part of creator-type players knew about such techniques.

Shin too was one of the players who realized it by himself. When smithing, he thought that, since he was moving his body, he might as well imitate real blacksmiths, and noticed that the resulting gear was higher in quality.

Dont imitate Cain so well that you add in self-detonation devices, okay?

I wont, I wont.theres no one else who would put stuff like that, anyway.

Hilamee, who knew of the High Human that made it a personal rule to insert self-detonation devices in everything he created, made it clear that she wanted no such thing.

Shin too had been encouraged to equip Tsuki no Hokora with one, but refused.

The detonation devices themselves were made by Hecate, designed to blow away only the building and its interior. They boasted that it was an incredible item that would never cause damage to anything outside it, but, because of its concentrated power, not even a High Human could necessarily survive the blast.

Leaving bombs and such aside, Id like to start working immediately, but is there anywhere you want me to start from?

Let me seewe cannot start the lectures right away anyway, so I would ask you to start from the dorms next to the school buildings. Its difficult for us to let the students coming from afar stay in inns for a long time, after all.

Many foreign students came to Erkunt to study, but, except for a few affluent ones, most of them lived in the student dorms. Their school expenses would be a little higher because of it, but it would still be much cheaper than renting a room at an inn.

The inns in the city had also suffered damage because of the monsters, so the situation was still problematic. For the students sakes, rebuilding of the dorms was the highest priority.

Okay, Ill start right away then. Ill finish today, so they can rest easy.

Shin headed to the student dorms right away, there was no time to lose.

He found a half-destroyed building there. The parts still standing were cracked in many places, looking like they could crumble anytime.

I see, I see, looks like it wont be hard.

Shin used a skill and displayed the dorms structure in his mind. The parts used to build it were not too rare, so he could handle it by himself. Since the wreckage was still there, so he had materials to spare. Shin touched the wrecks and activated a skill.

The structure plan of the student dorms, as displayed in Shins mind, materialized itself before his eyes, with the same size as the actual building. Shin moved his hands in midair and the wreckage turned into a liquid, gradually filling the blueprint he materialized.

The wreckage started filling the building plan, like water filling an empty container. It seemed as if it were dancing according to the commands of an invisible conductors baton.

A few more adjustments and

Shin?

Hilamee had been watching over the construction, but she apparently couldnt wipe the thought of the self-detonation device from her mind and grabbed Shins shoulders from behind. Her tone was enough to express that she was admonishing him not to play any tricks.

Easy, easy, Im not going to do anything weird. I was just thinking of reinforcing the walls a bit.

Is that true?

Of course!

Shin was offended by the suspicion. High Human abilities were well known, but their personalities were often not trusted.

Shin continued and raised the walls resilience by about 30%. The mostly completed dorm glowed faintly, then showed itself just as it was before the destruction. The furniture and accessories likely used by the students were all outside. Many things had been broken when the building came down.

I cant do anything about that, so the rest is up to you.

It wasnt impossible for Shin to fix them too after a bit of research, but repairing the buildings took precedence. Thus, he thus decided to leave that kind of work to Hilamee.

The structure inside is the same as before. I cant do anything about the furniture, so theyll have to do something about it themselves.

With sleeping bags or something similar, the students should be able to get by. Regardless, the most important thing was to have a roof over their heads. Hilamee informed Masakado via Mind Chat and they started relaying the communication to the students.

Masakado had stayed in the school building, ready to contact the students as soon as the dorm was restored.

Okay then, onto the next one.

Skill-based construction work could be done at a speed that would leave professionals speechless. The Erkunt institute of magic regained its original look within the day, with added resilience to boot.