Of course, Axel wasn't being stingy.

If he were, then he would've asked for compensation for the 100 billion worth of potions used on each of them. The reason he wasn't sharing his barbecue with the girls was much simpler.

'They have their own food, so I don't need to share.'

They were a military force, so it was normal for them to bring provisions with them.

However, of course, he was sure it wasn't anything amazing or delicious. Military food had long been a symbol of tasting bland—if not bad—but lasting longer than the soldiers on a battlefield.

"You girls..."

Nina, who saw her fellow witches look broken-hearted while staring at the meat, couldn't help but hold her aching temples.

"Where's the pride of the Elite Witches of Hallbach Queendom?! Shape up, eat your provisions, and get back to work!" She roared.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

The witches did as told, taking out small packets and beginning to nibble on them.

However, they still kept glancing in Axel's direction, as if unable to fight against the charm of his barbecue. Even just sniffing the scent of roasted meat was enough to make the bland block of nutrition they were eating taste a bit better.

"..."

After eating his sixth stick, Axel began to realize he had made a bit too much.

He was already full, but there was still half of the meat remaining. Although he could keep it in his inventory, it would lose its warmth, so that wasn't optimal. In this case, disposing of it would be better...

"Nina." He called to the leader of the witches and reached out, holding the plate of barbecue over to her. "I made a bit too much. You take charge and distribute this to the rest of the witches."

"S-Sir Axel... are you sure?" She asked. "This is food you cooked for yourself..."

He shrugged, casual about it. "Yeah. Do it fairly and make sure that no bad blood remains."

Grudges over food last an eternity, they say. Although he wasn't here to do charity, it was true he needed to keep the bare minimum of "friendliness" with the Elite Witches guarding him. If they decided he was scum and cut him off instead of protecting him, then he'd be doomed.

"P-Princess...!"

"Thank you, Sir Axel...! I'll forever cherish this grace!"

"Sir Axel is truly amazing... a god...!"

The witches, who were enviously watching him eat, rained thanks toward him. Of course, even if they could only get a slice or two of meat, it was still much better than the tough nutrition bar they were having. It was more than welcome.

Axel just waved his hand, as if saying it was nothing at all, before closing his eyes and taking a nap.

The only requirement for him was to stay in place, after all. It didn't say anything about having to stay awake. And although he did "sleep" for a few hours, it was more forced than natural, so a good bit of sleepiness remained.

As he was napping, Nina distributed the meat to the girls present by the bonfire and kept equal parts for those who were out watching over Fenrir.

The girls took small bites of the meat, as if wanting to savor it for as long as they could. Almost as if they were using the meat's rich flavor to erase the eraser-like rations they were eating.

After their meal was over, they switched with the other group, who also cheered thanks for the few pieces of meat shared with them. Of course, they weren't aware that Axel ate six whole skewers, compared to them only getting a few slices each. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Just like that, time passed.

And exactly one hour later, Axel opened his eyes.

"It's done..." He whispered.

As he looked around, he immediately realized how much the place had changed.

He could see the broken walls now standing tall, strong, and seemingly inviolable. The grand defensive tools on standby near the courtyard. And even the various fortifications on top of the walls.

Everything was finally back to normal... no, it was even better, as if brand new!

"With this, that's one down, and two more to go..." Axel sighed.

However, despite his achievement, he was faced with one serious problem... the cost!

This one fortress alone cost him over 30 billion Colts to repair. Although he still had over half a trillion Colts remaining, it was still a heavy expense.

'I should ask for compensation soon, or else...'

Just as he was thinking about that, Nina stepped forward with a smile on her face.

"Sir Axel, thank you for your hard work. With the fortress back up, we can call over reinforcements to guard this place," she said. "Please rest for now as we set up the teleportation formations."

"Teleportation formation?" Axel raised a brow.

If they were going to install a teleporter, then...

"Could we return to the castle first thing tomorrow, then?" He asked.

"Tomorrow?"

Nina tilted her head, confused.

They were doing quite well enough, in her opinion, so there was no reason to return at all. However, she thought she might have been missing a few dangers that Axel himself noticed, so she nodded firmly.

"I'll arrange it as such. Please rest well for tonight, Sir."

"Good."

Of course, it wasn't because Axel noticed a hidden danger.

Rather, he wished to return simply to ask Queen Wisteria about payment.

He had already spent over 30 billion on repairs. If the queen told him they couldn't pay it back, then he might lose his reason to fix the other two fortresses altogether, with or without the system's quest.

Though, of course, that was his last resort, if negotiations regarding his compensation failed.

With that in mind, Axel returned to his "tent" and went to get a good night's sleep.

Thankfully, nothing eventful occurred, and he woke up just as the morning sun was about to peek over the horizon.

[Good morning, Contractor~! For surviving another day, you gain another random bonus: Concoction Auto-crafting slot increased by one!]

To his surprise, Navi welcomed him with good news first thing in the morning. With more crafting slots, that meant he could make even more potions for himself and for selling.

"That's great!" Axel grinned as he jumped up, stretching his stiff body.

After a few stretches and some wake-up exercises, he changed back into his usual suit and went out. There, he couldn't believe what he saw.

"So many witches..."

Wherever he looked, witches could be seen—pacing around, running, standing guard on top of the walls, and more. This continued as far as he could see.

"Oh, Sir Axel. You're awake."

Nina greeted him quickly as she saw him emerge from the door. However, her face wasn't covered with a smile, but with a serious expression.

"Queen Wisteria, Mother, would like to meet you now. Please follow me."

"..."

And right off the bat, he was heading into a different kind of battlefield.

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