"How did you pay for this?"

"Pay?" Ah yes. Money. I think that is one of the conditions.

"Castles ain't cheap, else everyone would have one."

"A few very pleasant and cooperative dragons agreed to give me their hoard."

Fran pauses.

"Repeat that."

"Dragons. They gave me their money."

"That, has never happened in the history of the world. What did you actually do. Step by step."

"Oh. I went to a dragon's cave, I said hi. They would normally breath fire at me, and I would slap that fire away. If they are hostile, I would give them a good tight slap, and that would normally make them play nice. Most of them actually say they will give me their hoard, if I just say goodbye."

"You extort the dragons."

"Don't call it extort. I went and said Hi. They breath fire at me, so the hoard is just, their way of making up for their initial rudeness."

"And you are extorting me too, by forcing me to sign the contract."

Oh she's just trying to find excuses to weasel out of the deal. "You signed the contract willingly I recall. You were "in the zone", as they say."

Fran sighs. She recalls being sucked into discussions that what she did is unlike herself, but never one with such bad circumstances.

"Anyway, dragons gave me coin. So I have this palace here. They still send me coin every now and then, they only ask me to visit other places. They say its vacation money. Which is so nice of them."

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A cold sweat, down Fran's forehead. "Yea.... I see...."

The palace is almost done, the druids and artisans are making their finishing touches. I mean, a huge pile of gold is a beautiful motivator to work quickly, though I recall the gold is not a great way to commission art. Whatever, I should start and arts and performance patronage programme. The ladies of the harem want entertainment, and I, the OPMC, will provide. 

Fran sits on a chair. 

"We're not jumping back."

"Ah, if you can wait till tomorrow, then yes, we don't have to. I used too much of my portal earlier this morning to haul the materials around. 

A large airship looms overhead, and it starts to land, slowly. It releases some hot air, and it descends. There is a special clearing for airships, after all almost all the materials are imported from elsewhere. There is no local industry whatsoever. 

Woekers stream out, carrying out its cargo. Statues, furniture, bedding. Things the architect and interior designer purchased on ny behalf. Some screaming going along, as the architect and the shipper disputes over some things. 

I wonder whether I should intervene. 

I look at Fran, she looks bored. "How much does it cost to build this?"

"The architect estimates it at about 1.7million gold. Even after reduction of transport costs by using portals to transport most of the marbles, and structural materials."

Her jaw drops. 

"Not much. One dragon has ten times as much. They hoard all the gold in the world anyway."

"You and I live in very different worlds, don't think we will get along well."

Oh, she's trying this to release herself, even after I told her about how the contract is divinely sealed.

"I mean, I am poor, and you are rich beyond imagine. I think there is no happiness in that."

"Maybe. But I will try. Will you not give it a try, first?" I ain't letting you go so easily. 

I stand and gesture at the palace.

"A palace. You sure you want to give up the chance to be the mistress and lady of a palace?"

"Uh..." Fran did have fantasies when she is young that a dashing man would sweep her off her feet and she would live happily ever after in some fairytale. But this, this does not quite line up to that expectation. 

I flash a smile. It's my 100000gigawatt charm smile.

Ita blinding, and she faints. 

Oops. I forgot it does that. I snap a finger and she wakes up.

"Where am I?"

"Your future palace."

"Oh." She faints again. 

I think I need to find another harem member. Fran's really reluctant and I don't want this to ruin the grand opening of my beautiful palace. 

There has not been a palace this beautiful built in the past 100 years. 

I wonder who should I invite. Should I invite the hero?