Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Mermaid Heel Headquarters.
May, x785.
"Damn, I'm tired." Alfonzo said as soon as he stepped into the house that served as his, Marin's, Wendy's, and Carla's lodgings for the duration of their stay with Mermaid Heel.
"I don't even know why you started cooking while we were still in their guild hall." Marin said with a chuckle. "You should have known this would happen."
"Yeah, I know." Alfonzo replied while smiling wryly. "But after Wendy and Carla mentioned that I could cook, there was no way I was going to get out of it."
Though Wendy had fallen asleep part way through the welcome party and was currently being carried in Marin's arms, Carla glared at Alfonzo for his statement.
"Are you trying to say we are responsible for what happened?" Carla asked with her eyes narrowed.
"Well, Wendy did ask if I was going to cook something in front of Anko." Alfonzo replied, completely unbothered by Carla's glare. "And you did say that you'd prefer it if I was the one who cooked. Or did I imagine that?"
"Immediately, Carla looked away in slight embarrassment. Instead, she focused her glare on Marin.
"That may be true." Carla said. "But I'm sure Marin's comment about you being the best cook in Fiore did not help, either."
"Yeah, you're right about that." Alfonzo replied with a nod. "And I plan to punish her for that. But for now, I'll bring in everyone's luggage. It's been a long day, and I'm sure you want to get some sleep, too."
Instead of replying verbally, Carla nodded her head, yawned, and rubbed her eyes. Then, she and Marin took Wendy to one of the bedrooms and put her to bed.
Also, though it was not previously mentioned, the house Ritsu provided for the Fairy Tail wizards was a simple two story house with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a kitchen, living room, dining room, and a backyard large enough to do some light training.
And right now, the Escalade and the trailer carrying the necessary materials for Mermaid Heel's upgrades were parked in front of this house. In fact, riding back with Alfonzo and the others is the only reason why Tsunade and Ritsu were able to return so quickly after leaving the guild hall earlier in the day.
Not long later, Alfonzo re-entered the house with everyone's luggage. First, he took Wendy and Carla's luggage to the room where he could feel everyone's presence. However, he only left their things outside of the door.
"Hey, Wendy and Carla's bags are out here." Alfonzo called through the half-open door without looking inside.
"You better not come inside." Carla hissed.
"Yeah, Yeah, I'm not gonna fall into such a cliché development." Alfonzo replied nonchalantly. "Besides, Wendy's a bit too young for me to be interested, anyway."
Though Carla wanted to be upset at Alfonzo for some reason, she did not know what to say. So, she chose to remain silent while continuing to help Marin change Wendy out of her clothes.
"Anyway, I'm gonna go put my own stuff away." Alfonzo said as he started walking away. "Oh, and I'm gonna put your stuff in the other empty bedroom, Marin."
"Huh?" Marin exclaimed in confusion. "But I'm sleeping with you, aren't I?"
"Sure, if you want." Alfonzo replied without stopping. "But won't it be easier to pack up your stuff if you don't' have to worry about it being mixed up with mine?"
"I guess." Marin replied as she stepped out of Wendy's bedroom to pick up the luggage. "As long as that doesn't' mean that I have to sleep in that room, I don't really care where my stuff is. I mean, I have my own room back in the mansion, too."
With that, Alfonzo put Marin's luggage down before making his way to the house's master bedroom. Then, after taking some time to inspect the room, he started putting his belongings away.
"*Sigh* This is gonna be a really tiring month." Alfonzo muttered to himself while hanging his clothing in the closet.
["You're the one who set the timeframe for a month."] Bedlam replied from Alfonzo's inner world. ["It's not like you couldn't have stretched it further than that."]
"Yeah, I know." Alfonzo replied. "But I really don't wanna make Lici wait any longer. Two years in our past life and another twenty in this one. I'm surprised she hasn't already given me some kind of ultimatum for our marriage."
["It's because our Lici is understanding and caring."] Riot said, cutting into the conversation. ["Because the circumstances were what they were, she knew that she had to wait. *Sigh* She's so wonderful."]
["Super-simp."] Bedlam said with a bit of derision in his tone.
["The fuck did you just say?"] Riot asked angrily.
["If you're not super-simping, I don't' know what else to call it."] Bedlam replied, seemingly unbothered by Riot's angry outburst. ["Or did you forget, she helped another girl take advantage of Alfonzo while he was drunk?"]
In response, Riot could only grit his teeth. Though he was created from the feelings of love Alfonzo held for Elicia, he was also created from Alfonzo's anger. So, even with his feelings for Elicia, every time that incident is brought up, he almost completely loses it and wants to tell Alfonzo to cancel the engagement. However, that feeling only really lasts for about a second. Then, he would start trying to convince Alfonzo to forgive her.
"Okay, kids, that's enough." Alfonzo said in an exasperated tone. "Riot, chill out. We've already gotten past that. And Bedlam, even if what you're saying isn't wrong, stop egging him on with it all the damn time."
["Tch!"] Riot only clicked his tongue before falling silent.
["Fine… I'll stop."] Bedlam said with a cocky smile on his face. ["but like what Alfonzo said, I wasn't wrong."]
[I'll fucking kill you!"] Riot exploded.
Instead of trying to stop the bickering, Alfonzo simply cut off the connection with his [Armament Spirits] for a while.
"Were you talking to your [Armament Spirits] just now?" Marin asked as she entered the bedroom.
"Yeah." Alfonzo replied while continuing to hang his clothing.
"*Sigh* I wonder when I'll be able to hear my [Armament Spirit's] voice." Marin said wistfully as she clung onto Alfonzo's back.
"Soon." Alfonzo replied with a smile as he reached up and patted Marin on the head. "You only transformed your [Soul Armament] from its embryo state earlier in the month. I'd bet that you'll be able to talk to it by the end of summer at the latest."
"I hope so." Marin replied before pecking Alfonzo on the cheek. "Still, I have no idea how long it will take until I can release its first seal. I'm not nearly as talented as you, Lici, and Erza, after all."
"Don't sell yourself short." Alfonzo replied as he returned to putting his clothing in the closet. "I mean, you made A-Class in less than four years when you hadn't been training at all before that. So, you're pretty talented."
"Yeah, but in the same amount of time, both Erza and Mira made S-Class." Marin said, sounding a bit downcast.
Hearing Marin's tone, Alfonzo decided that he could finish putting away his clothes later. Then, he pulled her around to his front.
"You know there's no point in comparing yourself to everyone else, right?" Alfonzo asked as he placed his forehead against Marin's. Then, while looking into her eyes, he continued. "Otherwise, you'll start having really stupid thoughts like Cana did. And you know how that ended."
Hearing that, Marin couldn't help but start to giggle at the thought of Cana laying over Alfonzo's lap while being spanked like a naughty child.
"Or… Maybe you want to be punished." Alfonzo said in a lecherous tone.
"Kya!" Marin yelped as Alfonzo tossed her onto the king sized bed in the room.
"Speaking of punishment." Alfonzo said as he started walking towards the bed. "You need to be punished for adding to the chaos earlier.
At the same time, the entire room was covered in a thin sheet of metal. Though, there were a few openings to let air circulate. A moment later, runes were carved into the metal, creating a silencing barrier around the room.
"Oh, no!" Marin said dramatically with a smile on her face. "Please, I'm sorry. I don't wanna be punished."
Hearing Marin's words and tone, Alfonzo only rolled his eyes while starting to take off his clothes.
"Sure, you don't." Alfonzo said before pouncing on Marin, who accepted her punishment with grace and poise.
Around three and a half hours later, the metal surrounding the room was dispelled. Meanwhile, Alfonzo was standing next to the side of the bed, fully dressed. At the same time, Marin, with a satisfied smile on her face, was fast asleep while hugging a pillow.
"Alright, it's time to get to work." Alfonzo said while adjusting his collar. "I only have about five hours until sunrise. So, I'd better get going."
["Did you ever figure out where you'd start the work?"] Bedlam asked curiously.
"Yeah." Alfonzo replied as he opened a window. "There's a small uninhabited island with a lake that's almost as large and just as deep as Lake Sciliora a few miles off the coast. And I bought that island just before going on the quest with Erza. It'll be a good place to test the airship's weapons when I finish building it, too."
["But will you have enough to buy Lake Sciliora?"] Bedlam asked.
"Don't worry." Alfonzo replied. "After introducing the line of muscle cars, magic vehicle sales have gone through the roof. So, money isn't an issue."
["That's good."] Bedlam replied.
["Get going already."] Riot ordered. ["It's not like you have all the time in the world."]
"*Sigh* Even though I know you're right, it wouldn't kill you to shut the hell up, would it?" Alfonzo asked as he jumped out of the window.
["Eat a dick."] Riot replied angrily.
At the same time, Alfonzo's body was covered in arcs of blue electricity. Then, in a flash, he vanished from outside the house.
Meanwhile, Tsunade, who was still in her office, put down her sake cup. And when she noticed the blue flash in the night, she looked towards the house where Alfonzo, Wendy, and Carla would be staying for the next month.
"I wonder where he's going?" Tsunade muttered. Then, she shook her head and returned to looking over the blueprint of the guild hall, making sure that everything would be perfect when Alfonzo started installing the training rooms. "Well, as long as he's back in time to start his work, I don't' care what he does."
A few moments later, Alfonzo appeared over an uninhabited island off the coast of Fiore. And just like he told Riot and Bedlam, it had a large lake near its center.
["Yeah, that looks about the same size as the one back home."] Bedlam said. ["I'm actually surprised you were able to find it."]
"Actually, I wasn't the one who found it." Alfonzo replied as he pulled Riot and Bedlam from the strap on his lower back. "Gramps found it for me after becoming a member of the Council. He scolded me for making him work so hard after retirement the whole time, though."
["Ah… The benefit of having friends in high places, huh?"] Bedlam asked in an enlightened tone. ["But seriously, how do I not know about this? I mean, I should know everything you do."]
["Yeah, how are you shielding your thoughts from us like that?"] riot asked.
"This time it's on the two of you." Alfonzo replied with a chuckle. "You two were having one of your fights. And it lasted for almost four full days. And during that time, I talked with Gramps about it. Anyway, we don't have time for idle chatter. Let's get to work. [Run Wild with Destruction on your Fingertips. Usher in Pandemonium with Creation in Your Hands. Riot, Bedlam]."
With that, the first seal on Alfonzo's [Soul Armament] was released. Then, he got to work creating materials for his new residence/the venue for his and Elicia's wedding. All the while, he checked off the materials from a list he was holding in his hands.
A few hours later, exhausted of his magic power, Alfonzo returned to the house where he would be living for the next month and slipped in through the same window he used to leave. Then, he took off his clothes and crawled into bed next to Marin, where he slept for the next two hours.
Two hours later, Alfonzo was gently awakened by attender kiss on the lips.
"Ugh… I'm so tired." Alfonzo groaned as he opened his eyes.
Upon opening his eyes, he saw Marin smiling at him gently.
"I know you're tired, Fonzie." Marin said. "But you've got work to do. Besides, Wendy will be up soon, too."
"*Sigh* I know." Alfonzo said as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Let's go take a shower and get ready for the day. Oh, and I'll write you a shopping list. Can you go to Cedar and get some groceries? You can take the Escalade."
"Sure." Marin replied. "that's why I'm here, after all. To make sure you don't have to worry about the little things."
"Thanks, Marin." Alfonzo said before leaning in for a quick kiss. "By the way, do you know who will be coming next?"
"It's supposed to be Lucy." Marin replied with a smile while waggling her eyebrows. "You make sure to take care of her, alright?"
"Of course." Alfonzo replied. "Though, I thought it was supposed to be the other way around."
Marin could not help but giggle in response. A moment later, however, she slumped her shoulders.
"*Sigh* I wish I had decided to follow you out here instead of ride with you." Marin said dejectedly. "Now, I'm gonna have to take the train back."
As Marin alluded to, Alfonzo and Elicia had taught all the girls to drive. Or tried to, anyway. Erza, after several accidents, had been forbidden from driving. So, for their most recent birthdays, Alfonzo gave each of them a magic vehicle of their own. In fact, that was the whole reason most of them agreed to visit Alfonzo in shifts while he was at Mermaid Heel. Otherwise, they would have chosen someone to stay with him for the entire month and ride back when the job was done.
"Come on, it's not so bad, right?" Alfonzo replied. "I mean, you booked a few modeling jobs with Sorcerer Weekly. So, you won't have to spend all that time on the train all in one go."
"I know." Marin replied. "Still, I'd rather drive than take the train."
"Hey! Alfonzo, Marin, it's almost time to go." Wendy said from outside the master bedroom's door. "Are you two up yet?"
Hearing that, Alfonzo and Marin exchanged glances. Then, they got out of bed.
"Yeah, we'll be ready soon." Marin replied as she and Alfonzo made their way to the bathroom to get cleaned up for the day.