The morning - we skip that part.
I was driving towards the capital after getting a map and directions from Luna at the guild. The drive wasn't that long, though because of the how tight some roads are and because of forests and all the other natural obstacles it took me four hours to get there.
When I reached the capital I directly went to the castle gates, where two guards stood on both side.
"Hey, can I come in, I have something to speak about with Iris."
"Sorry, you don't have an invitation... or a notice for that matter."
"Damn." And so I left, to where, to put the drone on watch and then teleport back home. The drone shall be my teleportation object. The drone is there to watch what happens with the conflict, because if I prove worthy, I will be in the celebration, and if I am at the celebration, I will be able to talk with Iris.
My plan is to get her permission to claim the snowfield forest area as my own, this way I can make the ski resort.
So I waited... And waited...
...
...
Man, fuck this waiting, I might as well enjoy myself while waiting, or do something productive. I literally just cooked myself lunch and drank wine - man, it's tastes way better when Eris is with me.
Nonetheless, I had the weather to appreciate. The sun gently filtering through the leaves, the sound of the wind rustling the leaves... the rivers. A simple day... Too simple...
As sunset came so did my dearest.
And from there, all the simplest of pleasures.
Then morning came, we sat at the table, a luke warm cup of tea in my hands as I looked out of the window, thinking to myself about what to do.
I came to the conclusion, that it would be better if I use my drone as a messenger.
But I will do it later, for now I will just enjoy myself, or at least try - thinking can sometime be painful.
"Something's on your mind. Is everything alright?" Eris asked me gently.
I don't know why I thought of myself as a bit corrupt, I am not causing anyone any harm.
"No, it's nothing." I replied.
Maybe I think of myself as a bit corrupt, because if I get land from Iris, in term I get an advantage that no one else has. I suppose inequality is inevitable. And I'm not planning of becoming a monk, sooo-...
With that the morning was over, we both had work to do. I wrote a letter and sent it through the astral plain and in the non-functional part of the drone, I set it the command to give the letter to a guard, Claire, Rain, or Iris directly. Either way, this should ensure that she can read my notice, although I can just appear there right now.
Now I just needed to wait; in the letter I wrote: "Hello Iris, Baron Svetislav the First of Axel, the industrial mastermind here. I have very important topics to discuss with you, so mind sending back a letter, just put it under the drone, it's chilling in the courtyard."
I laughed to myself thinking back to the letter, very casual, Claire is probably going to burn it, if so I'm infiltating the castle to have some tea and a talk with the princess.
Now I just have to wait for a response. I thought that it would be quick, after all, I delivered it straight to their door step. But nothing came back, I set a box that will receive the letter automatically. Hours passed by, and I got hungry, so I made myself a gyros, out of curiousity if I can make such, cuz most of the times I was the one eating without making it on my own. And legit, I need to make a garlic sauce. I would just need to somehow find a way to make bulgarian yogurt.
As I was munching on my gyros a letter appeared in the box. I looked at it for a second and then slowly cut it open while still holding my gyros, which was wrapped in some of the paper my cardboard factory isn't using.
I pulled it out and read through it... An invitation to come and talk.
Perfect - this means I get to teleport there and not get scolded for it.
And that's what I did, I grabbed the letter and put it in my pocket, before teleporting under the drone, still holding the gyros.
And there she was, Iris was waiting at the table under that beautiful thing that I actually don't know what it's called. Claire was also there.
"Hello there, it's been a while." I said as I walked towards the chair opposite of hers. My words made a vein pop at Claire's temples.
"It indeed has. How have you been?" Iris said with her usual grace.
I sat down and shrugged. "The usual, I have been making use of the land, if you ever go on the highway look around for a concrete tower." I then placed a box of the jelly candy. "Try one." I opened the box.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Claire immediately rung in as she saw what was inside. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL OFF THE PRINCESS?!"
"As in?"
"These are made with gelatinous slime, am I right?" Claire asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.
"No, actually, it's made with pure gelatine and a bit of time to settle, along with a sugar and an aroma of your choice. Nailed it."
I grabbed one of the jelly cubes. "Besides, you should know that the real choke hazard is when you are glutonous." I threw it into my mouth and savoured it.
"Claire." Iris looked up at her, pleading.
"No, I cannot risk it." Claire shook her head, standing firm in her position in the situation.
Iris looked down, disappointed.
"I also brought crystal candy." I slid another box onto the table.
Iris looked back up at Claire, who sighed. "I suppose this is fine."
Iris cheered up and took one of the cherry drops.
"Anyways, what was the important thing you wanted to talk about?" Iris said, surprisingly with the candy still in her mouth... so much for being manners.
"Well, I got a vision, and for it I would need permission to build, or just owner ship of the snowfield forest."
That got her curious, so she asked: "And what is that vision."
"A ski resort." I said without hesitation.
She looked at me weirdly.
"Skis, two long pieces of a material that you put on your feet to glide down a snowy slope..."
"I have never heard of such a thing."
Time to get my acting game on. "Well, I came up with that sport. During the vision I was walking down the mountain, but that wasn't efficient, so I started to slide, then I realized that this can't be done in the real life, and so I came up with putting two smooth surfaces on my feet so it's possible."
"You came up with an entirely new sport?" Iris said, her eyes sparking with admiration.
"Indeed." Man, I wish I had the option of not lying and not exposing myself. "And for that I will need the land. It's not in use anyways. Same excuse as for the desert."
"Indeed, the rough condition don't allow for crops to grow, nor do people want to be there, because it's constantly winter. If anyone can find a use for it - it's you."
Claire kept silent, there was nothing she can do.
I leaned on my elbow and thought to myself - how would people get to it? It would be such a hassle to walk all the way to it. Then it hit me, I should make a railway.
"I also have another proposition to make, now that I think about it. A train, or in other words horseless metal carriage that hollows a preplaced metal track. Imagine, people would move faster, would be safer, and also more comfortable, and let's not talk about the fact that the trains can also carry goods, which means economical growth for the kingdom."
"Princess, may I?" Claire asked, her tone serious.
Iris nodded. And so the negotiation was on. "I suppose you will require payment from the people who use the... 'train'."
"Indeed."
"Then we would like fourty percent of the earnings from the train." She added.
I smiled. "That's fine by me. This way we can say i'm renting the land that the tracks would be on, right?"
"Yes." Claire nodded once.
"Perfect."
And so all this tension eased.
"How is Lalatina, if I may ask?"
"She's fine, I am also now an ally of the Dustiness family."
"I meant with the marriage situation." Iris added her brows furrowing a bit.
"What?" I looked up from the box of candy.
"She's getting married to Alderp, right?"
"No. I paid off their debt to Alderp, how come she's getting married?"
"Rumours came around yesterday about his marriage." Claire said.
"Old news perhaps?" I began to get worried that something isn't right.
Claire shook her head. "Shouldn't be the case."
I give a sigh. "No matter, I will deal with this later. So anyways-"
And so I stayed a while to chat with Iris, which continued for a few hours as I entertained her, with a bit of chess, at which I have become better, still not good enough to always beat her. Soon enough it was time for me to go home. So I left, not before I got that document though.
The snowfield forest is mine.