Today is the day to create a warm spot for the divine beasts. Excited, Lil Wilson woke up early. As he was trying to wake up a drowsy Marron, a loud gust of wind echoed outside. It was the same sound as yesterday.

Realizing this, Lil ran to the entrance. Just as he expected, the old dragon was there.

‘Good morning, Lil. I brought this, thinking it might help with the cost of preparing for winter.’

“Good morning! What is this?”

Lil curiously examined the large, pitch-black stone the dragon held out.

‘It’s a mineral that humans value. It can only be found deep within the forest, so it’s considered quite rare in the human world.’

“Is it really okay for me to accept something so valuable?”

Lil asked, feeling concerned.

‘In the human world, it may be rare, but in my dwelling, there’s plenty of it. You are providing a comfortable environment for the divine beasts. As the oldest dragon, this is the least I can do.’

“Thank you! I’ll hand it over to the person funding the project.”

The dragon nodded in agreement and then soared back into the sky.

“Lil, what did the dragon want?”

Before he realized it, the knights had gathered behind him.

“Dad, he gave me this to help with the cost of preparing for winter for the divine beasts. I promised to give it to the person funding everything.”

Ian looked at the stone and held his head in his hands. This wasn’t just a contribution toward the costs. With this single mineral, they could make a hundred of the same thing. Without a doubt, this was the legendary Orichalcum—said to only exist in dragon nests.

Ian decided that, for now, they needed to take it to the kingdom immediately.

Despite the dragon’s visit, today’s main task was installing floor heating. First, they needed to dig a large hole about thirty centimeters deep.

Lil worked hard with a shovel, and the expert diggers—the rabbits—helped with their tiny front paws.

Digging a shallow hole was trickier than expected, requiring careful adjustments.

Next, they filled the hole with gravel, about ten centimeters deep.

Then, they laid down panels connected to a special box. The panels could be linked together as they were placed.

According to what Lil heard, the box contained a switch and a control system. The panels would generate warmth—and could even cool the floor in summer.

To finish, they poured a cement-like substance over the panels. Once it hardened, the installation would be complete.

Apparently, it would take about an hour to solidify. Everyone waited eagerly.

While waiting, Lil decided it was snack time for everyone.

There was plenty of meat from yesterday’s dragon visit, so Milena had been busy making smoked meat.

For the herbivores, they only had nuts to offer, but they all ate together.

The rich, flavorful smoked meat was Kohaku’s favorite. He seemed to prefer it over regular meat.

The leopard cubs they had met yesterday were fighting over a piece of smoked meat. Their mother scolded them, leaving them sulking, so Lil gave them one each.

“Thank you!”
“Yay!”

The mother leopard scolded Lil for spoiling them, but he couldn’t help it—they were too cute.

Watching the leopard cubs, Rosaline Pierce and Gloria Solanas got excited and asked to pet them.

“After all, cuteness is justice,” Michiru said.

Once the cement-like substance had dried, it looked as if the floor was covered in white marble. Lil instinctively looked toward Maynard Pfeiffer.

“Haha, it’s fascinating, right? The magic alters its color as it hardens.”

It now had an incredibly luxurious texture, making Lil appreciate how amazing magic was.

Following Maynard’s instructions, Lil pressed the switch on the control panel.

The system activated, and the panel lit up.

Lil excitedly placed his hand on the stone floor, wondering how long it would take to warm up.

The divine beasts gathered on the stone floor as well. Gradually, it became warm. The temperature was just right.

The divine beasts melted into relaxation on the floor—it must have felt incredibly comfortable.

Perhaps they could bring in blankets for winter. Lil decided to suggest it later.

‘This is the best!’
‘I never want to leave!’

It was so well-received that no one wanted to move.

The feline beasts, in particular, seemed to love it.

They all huddled together, forming one huge, warm pile on the stone floor.

“Looks like we’ll need to expand this…” Ian said in exasperation.

“Yeah, Dad.”

Before winter arrived, they would need to build another one.

Watching the divine beasts, Lil and the knights resolved to work hard again.