The Next Einzbern (Fate AU) c2

While mana is slowly becoming less of an issue in building materials.


The coded magic circles take the dirt and transform it into a solid state; however, there is a limit to how much dirt I can take before it becomes too much.


Before long, the basement was finished, and I could place the boundary field core.


With that done, the core started to gather mana to power up, and I began moving the homunculi tank to the basement.


It came in parts, reminding me of those chemistry tubes. On the return trip, I read about what is necessary to make homunculi, and it's not much. Three things are needed: water, metal, and organic matter.


The hardest parts are not the materials but the programming of its personality. Even Einzbern doesn’t quite understand certain parts of creating their homunculi correctly, but after studying the books and the rituals, I realised that they lacked one crucial component when it came to making their praised creations.


And that is a computer.


The best comparison to what they did is similar to making 21st-century blockbuster games with 1960s computers.


With a lack of coding ‘software’, many things could fail. That is what specifically happened, with so many failures to make Justeaze’s copy.


As I was pondering that, I finished moving items. One of the last things I got was a long chest.


My eyes stayed on it for a while before I walked over and opened it.


What was inside made my eyes widen. It was a golden blue sheath.


‘...Avalon…’


My hands stroked the sheath. The surface of the Noble Phantasm was exquisite. It had the feeling of the supernatural, nothing like I had ever seen or touched before.


“To think that I will have you. Quite a catch.”


At that moment, I realised that I was on some sort of failed timeline of Fate Zero. If Fate Zero fails, then Fate Stay Night never happens.


‘Does that mean Kiritsugu is somewhere around trying to end the war at this moment?’


I snorted at the idea.


After Avalon’s inspection, I returned to my work. It was time to bring some water and get some makeshift concrete.


To make the house itself, I will use the water from the stream to refine dirt. Thanks to the addition of water, it won’t be exactly like concrete, but closest to it.


Once the walls and ceilings are done, I could refine them with extra materials to make them smoother and more durable.


‘For now, the pipes… I wish I had someone to assist.’ I imagined a black-haired girl with twin tails for some reason…


I walked with my refined rod to the freshwater stream and began to lay down a circle there. Slowly, the morphing dirt came into contact with water and changed into a dark grey material. 


With the pipe entrance done, I went to the midway point and began drawing another circle. This was a little bit tricky, as I needed to be very specific with my numbers, or I could misalign the pipes because I couldn’t see where I was making them.


After finishing the magic circles, I returned to the house and inspected the pipes. I slightly smirked as the water started flowing. Now, I can start refining the basement and not worry that the ceiling will collapse!


~~~


Once the freshwater source is secured, I could begin carving the ritual circle on the foundations of the house.


My design for the house is two types since I need areas with mana. For example, the kitchen won’t have windows, but places like the living room or bedroom will have large windows. 


‘For lighting, I could use mana flowing through the walls.’ 


I pondered the possibilities as I carved the runes. Sadly, daylight is about to end, and I don’t have a bed.


‘Well, shit…’


Not that I had a solution, but still…


With a sigh, I went to pick up my sleeping bag.


The next day, I watched as the walls from the house foundation started to rise. The foundations didn’t look as black; they looked more grey, reminding me of concrete. Now that water is added to the mix. The foundations get small bits and pieces of metal and other materials from the water to cause such a reaction via the ritual.


As the place grew and the soil around the house shrunk, I started to lay down an extra circle to balance out the soil draining. I don’t want the area to become ugly, so balancing out is in order.


A couple of hours later, I was done, and it was time to get something to eat.


~~~


For the roof and lighter parts, I went to chop a couple of trees in the forest. With reinforcement, I brought them to the house, and the ritual took it over from me.


Honestly, these Einzbern rituals are the best thing they made so far!


However, I doubt they considered how I would be using them.


Or maybe they knew they could use it like that?


After all, they had a Western-style manor in the middle of nowhere Japan. 


‘Well, I did wonder how they got it there.’


I watched how the wood tiles smoothly appeared on the floor. The tiles were made from the most common conifers, also known as pines, so they were lightly brown.


Usually, this wood is annoying to work with, thanks to the many branches, but this is where magecraft comes into play. The cuts are neat and smooth, giving it a swirly look.


Once those are finished, the flooring for the upper floor is next, and the horizontal support beams for the floor magically position themselves swiftly, as if a magical machine did them.


Before I knew it, the second floor was done, and the roof support beams were done.


The only thing left are doors, the roof itself and glass.


While the place looked like a house, it was nothing more than a ‘skeleton’.


‘Hmm, let me see if I could find some sand.’


For the next couple of hours, I explored the area and even found a river. After pondering for a second, I realised that this was the very same river that flows through my town.


‘Honestly, I am quite happy that I was reborn in the same place.’


Apart from a few small differences… like being reborn twenty years early and in Fate verse—the rest is the same.


As I walked along the river's shore, I inspected the sand and boulders.


There is quite a bit of both, something I can use to improve my house.


For example, sand can be used to make glass, and I need a lot of that glass. I need to make more Homunculi creation chambers, my huge windows, and other stuff like in the kitchen, the bathrooms…


Just thinking about it, I realised that I need even more of it.


“...ugh… just great.”


With that in mind, I walked further away from my house location. Since I will be stealing sand… and rocks, I need to take them further away from my house.


Thankfully, further away, I saw higher elevation, and the stream got stronger.


When I saw this, my eyes widened for a bit.


‘I got it! If I want to be self-sustaining, I need to have something that could generate an endless amount of material for me!’


Gears started to spin in my mind as I imagined a net that could collect sand, metal dust, and other small stuff! I need all of that for my alchemy.


Not many know this, but metal, like iron and other stuff, is everywhere in extremely small quantities.


But if I make a farm similar to Minecraft ones, I could collect piles of that stuff!


“Heh… that could do it.”


I channelled my mana into my rod and started to draw a specific circle that could help me solidify and cut sand. 


For now, I will collect all the sand I need to finish my house. Once it's finished, I will begin designing my gathering net.


By then I will have my homunculi helpers.


~~~


“Honestly… making a house is fucking easier than glass!” I complained out loud as a blob of black grease-like stuff dropped to the ground.


This was my… ‘I don’t know, I don’t count this stuff!’ Attempt… 


“If only the internet were a thing!” I complained again before pondering on where to look for info. It's not like I will return to the town to check the bookstore or the library. It's too embarrassing as it was only around three days since I declared that I would be a hermit.


“Hold it. Those Einzberns should have made glass on their own.”


With that in mind, I rushed to the basement and checked the books.


There was more to creating biological body parts and tube-grown organs than making basic stuff.


‘Then again, the basic stuff could have ended with my old man…’


As I pondered my options, my eyes eventually fell on something that could help. It was a book on the designs of the creation chambers.


The book was thick. It should have some hints.


“Let’s see…”


I started going through the pages, seeing schematics, assembly guides, notes, and, lastly, materials…


A grin appeared on my lips when I saw alchemy circles meant for creating glass, even specifics on how to mould it into the shapes I wanted.


“...This is perfect, even if I need to refine suggestions if I lack materials.


“Damn, these early Einzberns didn’t mince words: ‘If you are in danger, just make an army’.”


I commented on their notes. 


‘Who wouldn’t want to have an army on a moment's notice.’


After finding the ritual I wanted, I went outside and started to carve it and then fill it with mercury. Since I will be using it a lot, there is no need to make it temporary.


But then I realised an issue. 


Leaving magic circles outside is a bad decision, and I have large ritual chambers in the basement.


The issue is that the doors are not big enough to accommodate the blocks of solid sand I brought over from the river.


‘An extra entrance to my workshop? But that’s…’


I realised the pickle I was in.


‘Well, Magus society is inherently selfish, more than regular humans are. Not even Einzbern, who makes artificial humans, ever considered industrialising to some degree


I did consider making an extra entrance for the big stuff, but for now, finishing the house is the priority.


So, I sliced the solid blocks of sand into smaller pieces and took a couple of trips to bring them all to the workshop, where I started refining the sand into glass. 


While several other components were needed, I simply used more mana.


This is becoming an issue as I am burning through it very rapidly, and the mana in the air around my house is getting thinner by the day.


I need to finish this quickly and let it recover.


~~~


A couple of hours later, windows were finally installed, and next was scaffolding, which was not as hard as making glass. All I needed was a form of solid gravel mixed with water inside the alchemy circle. 


Instead, I needed to make solid doors, so I went to the forest, where I found medium-sized oak trees. 


‘Well, you guys will do. I will get a couple of saplings, too, considering oak is a great tree.’


I thought about it while placing my hand on the tree trunk. Green veins appeared on my hand as a pulse of mana went through my hand and into the tree trunk. I used a form of structure analysis to discern the tree before concentrating mana close to the ground and then accelerating it. I accomplish this by invocating runes that react to the mana. At first, I did it via my refined rod, but soon I realised why not mentally cast it?


‘Wait… is that even possible by Fate standards?’ 


For a second, I wonder if it is related to my attribute or origin?


As I thought about my uniqueness, the tree collapsed on its side. I proceeded to cut its branches, and I had to cultivate the trees at the side of my house. If I use ritual growth and slowly feed the samplings with mana, they could technically develop some unique attributes.


‘Interesting idea…’