The next morning, Lancelot arrived at Laurent’s home as agreed.

Ruth, as usual, left early for the Knight Academy. Until they earned their first real income, she refused to resign, as Laurent had suggested.

When Silaim woke up, he was almost scared to death by the white-haired knight sitting at their dining table.

Lancelot, however, didn’t show any awareness of being an intruder; on the contrary, he took the liberty of chatting amiably with Silaim, a stark contrast to his indifferent demeanor from the day before.

Silaim was rather flattered. While the Academy’s instructors were mostly level-six to level-eight knights, he wasn’t unfamiliar with high-level knights. However, Silaim’s talents weren’t particularly outstanding, and although he was diligent, he didn’t attract much attention from his instructors.

To have a high-ranking knight guide him with such a friendly attitude, especially on his training problems, was a first for him.

When Laurent finally woke up, his younger brother was sitting by Lancelot’s side with a look of utter admiration, listening intently to the knight’s stories about his experiences in the Loplo Mountains.

It seemed like the white-haired knight had completely won him over.

Sighing inwardly, Laurent bypassed the two and headed straight for the backyard.

No matter the reasons, Lancelot offering some guidance to Silaim was undeniably a good thing.

Laurent went about his usual chores, cleaning up, and then went to the kitchen, slicing a few pieces of white bread, smearing a thick layer of butter on them before putting them into his makeshift oven to toast.

While the bread was being gently embraced by the heat, Laurent took out three exotic beast eggs, cracking them into a small, oil-brushed iron skillet.

The skillet was one of the custom-made kitchenware pieces Laurent had commissioned Simon’s father to make, just the right size for the eggs to form a perfect circle.

He then sliced a piece of marinated beast meat and fried it along with the eggs.

When the bread turned golden and crispy, Laurent took it out of the oven, added a slice of cheese and fresh lettuce, and finally sandwiched the marinated meat and eggs to complete the Laurent-special breakfast sandwich.

Although Lancelot was a noble, the culinary skills of the chef at the count’s castle were limited, as was typical of this world, and they failed to provide any remarkable delicacies.

The black pudding praised as a gourmet food among nobles was something Lancelot had never grown accustomed to; the overwhelming bloody smell made him prefer the strangely flavored roasted meats instead.

Laurent's culinary skills were a pleasant surprise for him.

With no aristocratic airs, Lancelot shared breakfast with the Laurent brothers. The sandwiches Laurent had prepared based on his own portion size were evidently insufficient to satisfy Lancelot’s appetite.

After finishing his own, Lancelot’s hunger only intensified, but given that they were still just partners who had met once, he didn’t feel comfortable asking for seconds.

After breakfast, Laurent left Silaim at home to look after the young pups and took Lancelot to the teleportation array to travel to the Fifth Outpost.

Upon seeing the horses being teleported in, the three knights stationed around the teleportation array showed remarkable respect.

With reverence, they verified a uniquely crafted badge Lancelot took off his shoulder and then stepped aside to watch them leave the outpost.

Laurent caught a glimpse of the tree-shaped emblem and guessed it was similar to the Adventurers’ Guild credential he possessed.

Except his was the standard version, while Lancelot’s was clearly a customized high-end one.

Leaving the outpost, Lancelot brought Laurent onto his warhorse, galloping down the road.

Within about twenty minutes, they arrived at the plot of land, which had been fenced off with wooden posts.

Branches plucked directly from trees were casually stuck into the ground; to call it a "wooden fence" would be an overstatement.

However, as this was merely a way to preliminarily mark the land's boundaries, Laurent forced himself to look away from the unsightly fence.

The two of them rode up to the front of the lodge, tied their warhorses to the side, and Lancelot glanced up and down as Laurent began to introduce his plans.

“A bit of renovation, and this place can be used. I plan to make this the foundation of the pet store.”

“I want to turn the L-shaped lobby on the first floor into a rectangular one, with a large front door that opens fully onto the main road. The smaller backdoor facing the backyard will be placed behind the counter. This will serve as the main storefront.”

“We don’t need too much space; the main function is to showcase the facilities and introduce the pet beasts. It can be simple.”

“The extra part of the first floor and the second floor will be converted into living quarters. The first floor will serve as a living room and communal area, and the second floor will have three bedrooms—one for each member of my family.”

At this point, Lancelot interrupted, “If possible, I’d like a bedroom as well. In the future, I might need to stay here for extended periods.”

Laurent gave him a complicated look. “If you need one... it's not impossible to make an additional room. Or, there's a small shop nearby that can be used with minimal renovation, and I can set up your room there.”

“No need for the trouble; just leave me a room on the second floor of the store.”

“Alright.”

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Seeing Laurent agree, Lancelot nodded in satisfaction, unaware that Laurent was secretly planning to put his guest room in the furthest corner to avoid him getting in the way.

After all, the young lord probably wouldn’t actually live there.

“Besides what you've mentioned, I think a teleportation array is necessary here,” Lancelot said absentmindedly as he touched a pillar in the lodge.

“A teleportation array?!”

Laurent’s voice was so shocked that it changed pitch.

To him, a teleportation array was an incredibly advanced piece of technology. He’d never even thought about having a private teleportation array before.

Even public teleportation arrays were something he had rarely used.

Teleportation arrays were, after all, one of the greatest contributions of magic to everyday life in this world.

Even though humans had lost the benefits of animals like cattle and horses for transportation, they had still managed to build vast cities and interconnected regions.

The primary reason for this was the many long-distance and short-distance teleportation arrays.

“Can you contact someone who can build a teleportation array?” Laurent was first thrilled but then worried. “What about the cost...?”

Lancelot couldn’t help but twitch the corners of his mouth. “Consider it part of my investment. Pick a spot, and I can set up the teleportation array right now.”

“So convenient! Then let’s do it here, on the first floor, right here,” Laurent said excitedly, pointing at the ground and stepping back a couple of paces, his face full of anticipation.

Seeing Laurent’s bright-eyed gaze, Lancelot suddenly felt less inclined to set up the teleportation array in front of him.

It felt as if Laurent saw him as no different from a street performer.

But he had already agreed, and without setting up the teleportation array now, his follow-up plans couldn’t proceed.

Lancelot reluctantly walked over to his horse, took a small copper box hanging from the side, and pulled out a thin piece of beast hide from within.

Once unfolded, the beast hide was about five-by-five in size, covered in magical runes.

Staring at those runes for too long made Laurent feel like his soul was trembling, as if it was being drawn into the strange symbols. He quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look any longer.

After moving the hide to the desired location for the teleportation array, Lancelot retrieved a prepared viscous potion, pouring it directly onto the hide.

The thick potion seemed to come alive, automatically filling all the lines and patterns on the hide.

Then, accompanied by gestures and incantations that Laurent couldn’t understand, a blinding light burst from the runes on the hide, too intense to look at directly.

Laurent couldn’t help but close his eyes. When he opened them again, the hide had vanished, replaced by a fully formed teleportation array.

“That simple?” Laurent asked incredulously, staring at Lancelot. “With how expensive these teleportation arrays are, I thought they’d be...”

Lancelot laughed, “Simple? Don’t let appearances fool you. For example, that piece of beast hide—it came from a twelfth-level exotic space beast, fully grown.”

“As for the potion, it contains the essences of fifty-nine eighth-level or higher plant-based exotic beasts. Just that bottle alone requires an eighth-level alchemist over a month to prepare.”

Laurent’s mouth dropped open in surprise. He mentally calculated the value of what Lancelot had described, and he couldn’t help but be stunned.

Considering just those materials, if not for being backed by a colossal entity like the Magic Council, it would take years just to gather the ingredients, let alone quickly create a teleportation array.

No wonder teleportation arrays were still so scarce.

Not to mention, for every teleportation array built, a terrifying twelfth-level exotic beast had to surrender its hide...

“You can operate this teleportation array from this crystal pillar over here,” Lancelot explained. “Look, pressing this button activates or deactivates the teleportation function.”

“For now, this is a directional teleportation array linked exclusively to my estate. That means it can currently only send you to my castle.”

“If you want to go somewhere else, you’ll have to first teleport to my place and then teleport out from there.”

“Though it's slightly inconvenient, it’s much more secure.”

As he spoke, Lancelot fiddled with the crystal pillar, placing a fist-sized crystal atop it. Instantly, the teleportation array lit up with its signature glow, and a well-dressed elderly man led a group of seven or eight people through it.

“Young Master, everyone is ready,” the old man said to Lancelot, surveying the surroundings.

“Uncle Peter, could you please oversee their work here? Laurent will discuss the specific plans with you,” Lancelot said, nodding toward the young man. “This is Laurent, a beast breeder and my business partner.”

The old butler, Peter, scrutinized Laurent carefully for the first time.

The young man was dressed in rough cloth, with neither a hint of magical energy nor aura, appearing to be nothing more than a handsome but naive commoner.

However, Lancelot’s serious introduction made it clear that this person was someone he should treat with the utmost respect.

“Hello, I’m Peter, the butler of the Cavendish family. Whatever requirements you have, please let me know, and I’ll do my best to fulfill them,” the old butler said, bowing slightly to Laurent.

Laurent quickly returned the gesture, and the two began discussing the construction of the store.

The workers Lancelot brought were very experienced, and one of them quickly sketched out a floor plan on a piece of leaf paper based on Laurent’s description.

Admittedly, although the drawing was a bit rough, it clearly outlined the layout, making everything easy to understand.

“This ‘Magically Powered Interior’ system is a recent innovation from the Magic Council,” Peter said proudly. “It’s not just expensive; its rarity makes it nearly impossible for ordinary people to acquire.”

In Laurent’s mind, the term “ordinary people” was replaced with “minor nobility.”

True commoners didn’t even have access to such “Magically Powered Interiors,” nor would they often witness magic.

“What exactly is it?” The term "Magically Powered Interior" gave Laurent a jolt, reminding him of smart home systems from his previous life.

“Firstly, all ceilings are imbued with a voice-controlled version of Light Magic, which provides soft, natural lighting indoors, similar to outdoor light.”

“Second, all floors and walls are embedded with Cleaning Magic. Activating the central control system once a day keeps every room spotless.”

“Most importantly, the kitchen is equipped with Water Magic, making it convenient to use water. And as for the wastewater, we’ve set up a separate-world teleportation array that disposes of all waste through a small teleportation array.”

Laurent was slightly stunned by this otherworldly sanitation system.

While it wasn’t a perfect plumbing system, the use of magic provided a remarkably effective substitute.

The so-called "otherworld teleportation array," while technically a teleportation array, was really just a simple little spell, originally developed by alchemists to deal with failed, unknown concoctions.

The process, supposedly, involved dumping failed potions into some unexplored world.

“There’s also the restroom, which has a similar setup—Water Magic at the top, teleportation array at the bottom.”

“The shower area will have a temperature-controlled array combined with Water Magic.”

“Although these spells don’t consume much energy individually, considering your requirements—a regular kitchen and a restroom on the first floor, four bedrooms on the second floor each with a restroom, and temperature control and a bathtub in the restrooms, plus adding temperature control to all Water Magic fixtures...”

“There’s also a pet storage room nearby that needs to be fitted with Cleaning, Illumination, and Fresh Air Magic,” Peter counted on his fingers, then sighed. “And a pet-dedicated kitchen with more features than a standard kitchen.”

“Plus a freezer.”

“When all’s said and done, the crystal consumption for this is nearly equivalent to that of the teleportation array.”

Peter finished speaking, expectantly watching Laurent, hoping he’d realize how excessive his demands were and then give them up.

“Not a problem. Let’s proceed as you described. Consumption isn’t an issue, don’t worry about that,” Laurent said, unashamedly extravagant.

Lancelot had just given Laurent a crystal card loaded with 50,000 gold coins—an account used for large transactions.

Those 50,000 gold coins were from Stephanie, as payment for purchasing a Liuli Flame Hound, specifically Little One.

Lancelot had to reassure Laurent that Stephanie bore no ill will and wouldn’t harm Little One before he felt at ease.

Having money in hand made Laurent much more confident.

“If possible, reinforce the walls a bit more, and it’d be best to set up a large temperature-control array indoors,” Laurent added. “By the way, I wanted to ask, is there any transparent building material available?”

Laurent gestured towards the window area, looking at the old butler expectantly. He wasn’t sure if glass existed in this world.

After all, when glass was first invented, it was regarded as a priceless treasure.

If glass existed here, it would probably only be seen in upper-class circles as a rare commodity.

Yet, in reality, it was simply a product of melted sand, costing very little to produce.

“Transparent material?”

“Yes, I want to use transparent materials for the windows, so that even without Illumination Magic, the rooms wouldn’t be too dark during the day.”

Peter thought for a moment and shook his head. “No, I haven’t heard of any such material. If you insist, large chunks of transparent crystal can do the trick, but that would be far too expensive.”

Laurent nodded, saying nothing more, but mentally noted to find a way to manufacture glass in the future.

“For your pet storage area, I’ve initially planned 100 rooms, covering an entire side of the property. Each room is spacious, and you can organize them as you see fit,” Peter continued.

“We’ll build these storage rooms for now, and if more are needed, we can always expand.”

With this plan in place, the side of Laurent’s property along the main road would be fully occupied.

Surrounding the property with proper walls, replacing the existing fence, and equipping them with a multitude of defensive measures by Lancelot, would create a large "backyard."

Laurent was quite satisfied with his layout, ignoring the craftsmen's hesitant expressions.

The mainstream aesthetic of this world was akin to a medieval Byzantine style, often seen in churches, castles, and academies.

Laurent's design for a courtyard or compound-style layout was rarely seen.

In the common perception, castles were the ultimate expression of status, and few would lavish magical facilities on a simple two-story building like this.

However, Laurent didn’t care about others’ opinions. To him, the most important thing was comfort for himself and his family. What others thought was of little consequence.

As for the large portion of land currently unoccupied by buildings, Laurent didn’t intend to waste it either.

He planned to divert a branch from the Holy Shield River to flow through, segmenting the backyard into several sections. Different areas would be suitable for different pet beasts, with a few beautiful bridges to enhance the scenery.

Though he currently only had the Liuli Flame Hounds, he wanted to leave room for future pet beasts.

In Laurent’s vision, his pet store would be like a beautiful zoo where various pet beasts could coexist.

Guests at the pet store would wander through the grounds like a garden, interacting with the pets and eventually taking home the one that was meant for them.

However, at the current stage, Laurent didn’t plan to open the backyard to the public. Right now, it was more like a residential garden, not yet complete.

But whenever Laurent thought of this bright future, he felt brimming with energy.