Mana Depletion

I’d spent all of yesterday installing the intercom system, so I was determined to finally start working on the bathroom today.

Gustav and Bumps had already moved all the furniture out.

I’d finished my paperwork too, and was just about to get started when the intercom on my desk rang.

“Aine? What’s wrong?”

“Whoa, it’s true! I really can hear the Fortress Lord’s voice!”

I’d assumed the call was from Aine, but instead, I heard an unfamiliar woman’s voice.

“Who’s this?”

“I am General Elietta Paimon of the Kingdom of Rosaria’s Western Expeditionary Army!”

Well, introducing yourself so grandly over an intercom was a bit much…

“Oh, General Paimon. What’s the matter?”

“I’m coming over right now, so wait there!”

There was hardly any waiting involved when the waiting room was right next door.

The door immediately flew open.

“W-what… is this?”

General Paimon froze in the doorway.

Come to think of it, this was her first time visiting my office.

Apparently, the enormous windows had taken her by surprise.

“How is this even possible…?”

“I made a few modifications to make the room more comfortable.”

“You call this a few modifications? It’s incredibly bright in here!”

“Well, I installed lighting too.”

The general’s eyes were glued to the lights illuminating the room.

I was tempted to switch the lighting to Party Animal mode and give her another surprise, but I restrained myself.

“It’s unusual for you to visit, General Paimon. What brings you here today?”

My question seemed to snap the general back to her senses.

“That’s right! That intercom thing!”

“What about it?”

“I heard about it from Karan and came to see it for myself. What exactly is this thing?”

“It’s a device that lets people talk to each other even when they’re far apart.”

“Can you install it anywhere?”

“Anywhere inside the fortress.”

Basically, I could install one anywhere as long as it wasn’t too close to fire or water.

“What about somewhere farther away, like the castle town?”

“That wouldn’t be possible.”

The Construction Company Job only allowed me to install these things inside buildings.

“Then what about connecting the watchtower to my office?”

“That would be fine. The watchtower is outdoors, but I can make it work by installing a waterproof enclosure.”

“I see! That would be most helpful!”

The general nodded in satisfaction.

I was beginning to understand what she had in mind.

“You want to install intercoms so you can receive reports from your soldiers more quickly, don’t you?”

“Precisely. That would allow me to issue orders much faster. I’m sorry to impose, but could you begin working on it right away?”

I’d really wanted to build my bathroom, but I supposed this was part of my duty as Fortress Lord.

“I’ll get started today. I’d like to borrow Private Gustav and Private Bumps as my assistants. Those two are diligent, hardworking men, so if possible, I’d like to have them assigned directly under me.”

“Use them as much as you like. I can even assign thirty men to you if you want.”

“Two will be plenty for now.”

She certainly was being generous.

I supposed that showed just how important she considered the intercom system.

“By the way, how many intercoms can you install?”

“I could probably manage around a thousand, but not all at once. My mana wouldn’t last.”

“I see… Actually, I’d like you to install as many as possible. The full moon is approaching. For now, just install however many you can manage.”

“The full moon?”

“Haven’t you heard? Every month, on the night of the full moon, a massive horde of monsters attacks from the north. Monsters grow stronger under the full moon, so they must be taking advantage of that.”

North was the opposite direction from the castle town.

No wonder there weren’t any houses on that side.

“I had no idea. If that’s the situation, I’ll make this my top priority. General, do you have a floor plan of the fortress?”

“No, we don’t have anything like that.”

“A simple hand-drawn one will do. Please have one prepared as quickly as possible and mark the locations where you want the intercom extensions installed.”

“You’re a great help, Fortress Lord. I’ll have a floor plan prepared immediately.”

If I was going to connect that many extensions, I’d need a telephone exchange.

I could install it in one of the storerooms.

“General, when is the next full moon?”

“Eleven days from now.”

That didn’t leave much time.

I’d better get started immediately.

I was waiting outside the storeroom when Gustav and Bumps arrived.

“Private First Class Gustav and Private First Class Bumps, reporting as ordered!”

“Huh? Weren’t you two just normal privates?”

Gustav gave me a delighted wink.

“We’ve been promoted because we’ve been assigned directly under you, my lord. Thank you very much!”

Even the usually taciturn Bumps showed a modest smile beneath his mustache.

“Well then, I’m counting on you two again today.”

We worked together to install the intercom system.

Whenever something needed to be installed up high, Gustav lifted me onto his shoulders, while Bumps promptly moved any heavy objects out of the way.

First, I installed the telephone exchange, then placed the first extension in General Paimon’s office and another in the watchtower.

I’d wanted to run the wiring through the stone walls so it wouldn’t be visible, but doing that would consume an enormous amount of mana and time.

For now, I’d prioritize speed.

“Where to next?”

Bumps checked the floor plan.

“The command post on top of the fortress wall. Once the defensive battle begins, the general will issue her orders from there.”

By the time we’d installed extensions at twenty locations, including the gatehouse guardroom and the secretaries’ office, the sun had set.

The longer the wiring became, the more exhausted I felt.

“I can’t take another step…”

I collapsed onto my bed without even eating dinner, and Aine immediately hurried over when she saw me.

Her favorite thing in the world was lying right before her eyes.

That was me, completely worn out and helpless.

“Oh, you poor thing, my lord. Let me get you changed into something more comfortable right away.”

Today, I didn’t have the strength to stop Aine as she devotedly began undoing my buttons.

The exhaustion caused by my depleted mana was so severe that even speaking felt like too much effort.

“Now, let’s take these off too, shall we?”

Maybe this was how men ended up becoming hopelessly spoiled…

That thought crossed my mind as she removed my trousers.

Before, I’d been too embarrassed to allow anything like this, but now I didn’t even mind her seeing me in my boxer shorts.

Was this how I was gradually being brought under her control instead?

“My lord…”

Setia entered the room, addressing me hesitantly.

I managed to meet her gaze, but I was too exhausted to say anything.

“Um, I brought you some special tea made from medicinal herbs…”

Tea?

…Huh?

What was this? Just smelling it seemed to restore a little of my strength…

“I-it has a slight mana-restoring effect. P-please try drinking some.”

Aine peered into my face and asked,

“Would you like to try it?”

The aroma of the herbal tea seemed to lend me strength.

I somehow mustered enough energy to give a faint nod, and Aine’s face softened into an expression of utter delight.

“I’ll help you drink it right away, my lord♡”

Aine lifted my upper body and moved behind me.

With no strength left in my limbs, I found myself cradled in Aine’s arms on the bed.

“Setia, the teacup, please.”

Aine took the teacup from her and brought it toward my lips.

“Blow, blow… Is it cool enough now? There you go, drink up.”

Being held in someone’s arms and fed like this… Wasn’t I practically a nursing baby?

The self-deprecating thought crossed my mind, but I couldn’t resist the aroma of the herbal tea.

My desperate craving for mana compelled my body to move.

“…Gulp.”

The mouthful I’d swallowed spread a pleasant warmth through my stomach.

It felt like water soaking into a dry sponge.

But I still couldn’t move my body.

“Aine… another… sip…”

“Of course, my lord♡”

This time, I managed to drink considerably more of the herbal tea.

Ahh, I could feel mana returning to my body.

“Setia… you saved me. I guess I pushed myself a little too hard today…”

“I wish I could give you more, but Bregant leaves are extremely difficult to find, and this is all I have. I’m sorry.”

“No, I feel much better already. Thank you…”

After finishing the herbal tea, I quietly closed my eyes.

There was still an enormous amount of work waiting for me tomorrow.

Kinoshita Construction Company’s deadlines were absolute.

I had to install another twenty intercom extensions before the full moon.

And there was something else I had in mind.

If only I had that, then surely…

As I let go of consciousness, sleep came almost immediately.