On the desolate clearing, all sorts of precious building materials were laid out. A cool breeze swept away the scorching heat.

Under the sunlight, the materials shimmered with an otherworldly glow. Outsiders would’ve cursed this as sheer wastefulness.

Some items were legendary artifacts—mostly shattered but still repairable. Kevin likely planned to use them as decorations.

“How’s the preparation going, Emma? Time’s almost up.”

Clad in a worn cloak, Kevin stood on the clearing. Pale blue eyes scanned the surroundings from beneath the hood before he spoke leisurely.

“Done. I put in quite some effort.”

Emma replied listlessly. She even stretched lazily beside Kevin, then leaned on his shoulder for support. To her surprise, it felt unexpectedly soft and comfortable—just like a girl’s.

She didn’t dwell on it. Kevin Jaeger turning female? That’d be the world’s biggest joke.

“Still, what’s wrong with your body?”

“Nothing serious. Just a magic glitch. It’ll fix itself soon.”

Kevin feigned calmness. It was true, after all. The system would revert him eventually—or he’d dismantle it.

“Really? But why gather all this?”

Curiosity got the better of Emma. Anyone could see this was for building a house.

Yet Kevin never did meaningless things. Nothing major had happened lately.

“Just founding a family here. Tight schedule. I want this wasteland turned into a luxury villa by tomorrow.”

Kevin said it casually, as if it were trivial. His eyes already held the villa’s blueprint.

Emma nearly jumped. Not because the idea was absurd—but demanding a villa overnight? That was insane.

Sensing Emma’s incredulous stare, Kevin explained confidently. He’d prepared well, merely exercising his Guardian Kevin privileges.

“Don’t worry, Emma. I’ve got this. But no rest today.”

“Are you overconfident just because you’re Tenth Tier? You can’t handle delicate magic alone. At best, you’d only frame the structure.”

Emma bit her finger lightly, frustration flickering on her delicate face. After a pause, she spoke.

“Fine. I’ll reluctantly help you out.”

“Thanks, Emma. But—”

Kevin snapped his fingers. Magic rippled through the air. The ground trembled. Soon, top imperial mages surrounded him, awaiting Kevin Jaeger’s orders.

Why not summon knights? Their ties to Gari Barodale ran too deep. Kevin feared leaks.

“I never said I’d do this alone.”

Wouldn’t Gali notice? Kevin had a solution: erase their memories of this place. He couldn’t trust their silence.

But this spell was troublesome. It required pre-set zones and time.

Kevin screamed inwardly. This magic was exhausting. Every step had to be perfect. He’d nearly drained his stored mana stones.

He slightly raised his slender hand. The materials levitated—not gently, but yanked skyward by raw magic.

The mages, guided by Guardian Kevin’s mental commands, began their tasks.

The villa’s base model neared completion swiftly. Only under Kevin Jaeger’s direction could top imperial mages achieve this speed.

They barely finished by sunset. Mages kept collapsing, grumbling but working. They always obeyed Kevin’s orders faithfully.

Guardian Kevin rarely summoned them—but when he did, trouble followed.

“Almost done. I’ll handle the finishing touches. Good work.”

Floating mid-air, Kevin gazed down at the villa that had appeared overnight. He sounded satisfied.

“Rewards await. You may leave.”

Only after his command did they stop. Complaints and sighs erupted as they fled down the mountain at magical speed. At home, they’d forget everything.

“Not bad.”

Kevin admired the villa. Externally flawless—but minor details remained. He’d be working late.

“Kevin, I brought the two dolls.”

Two motionless dolls stood beside Emma. Lifelike in appearance, yet their eyes held no spark of life.

“Perfect. I’m pleased.”

Kevin inspected them with magic, nodding in approval. His tone was complimentary.

“No problem. I’ll leave first. Rewards later.”

Before departing, Emma cast one last reluctant glance at Kevin. Though both served the empire, they rarely met. Perhaps their paths seldom crossed.

After Emma Devivo left, Kevin sensed solitude with magic. Only then did he remove his airtight armor. Heavy metal clanged against the ground.

With a wave, he dispelled the memory-erasing spell. It drained too much mana—he’d be dry if kept active.

Placing hands on the dolls’ shoulders, he cast a concealment spell to hide their artificial nature. Gali wouldn’t detect them now.

Only maids and a butler remained. Why go to such lengths? If Gali discovered Kevin Jaeger had become his dead wife’s likeness… death would be preferable ten thousand times over.