After Yamato received the list with noteworthy things from Satomi, he sent a copy of it to Lucy to do research on each individual mentioned. Since by now it was already getting late, he suggested for Satomi to get some rest in a room which she would be free to use however she wanted. Having slept in her carriage for the last couple of days, she was beyond grateful for the opportunity to sleep in an actual bed. For once he was grateful for Yuki's decision to build this place to such an enormous scale, as having so many spare rooms just continuously proved incredibly useful.
In the evening, after Yamato fell asleep, Yuki grabbed a body pillow, which she had prepared beforehand, and carefully removed herself from the tight cuddle in which they usually remained during the night. She then proceeded to replace herself with the body pillow, and quietly leave the room. Now in front of a little office area, she found both Amael and Marneras as expected still working on the pile of papers she left them with earlier.
"Milady, what a surprise, how may we be of service?"
"Chop chop, I need you two outside for a little all-nighter."
"But we haven't finished what you assigned to us earlier yet…"
"Yeah, I will take these back, since you take so long for them anyway. Now get moving, I am on a really tight schedule if I wanna get this done in one night. That's why I'm getting you two on board in the first place."
"Count on us, Milady!"
"Glad to be of service."
With both of them having agreed, though that was optional, they left the Cube and sealed the entire area off with anti-sound and camouflaging magic.
"So, what exactly is it you want us to do, Milady? Has it something to do with the inspiration you spoke of previously?"
"Urgh, don't remind me. That plan is on hold for the foreseeable future… This is something I've been stalling on for quite some time now. But now I feel like getting it done, and I don't wanna do halfsies."
"May we learn the details?"
"Here, knock yourself out."
She threw a large roll of paper at them, containing a blueprint. As they skimmed over it, they realized they would not get any sleep tonight.
"Uhm… So, you want us to… Build that tonight? That doesn't seem physically possible to me, starting with the stability of it…", Marneras said while Amael silently agreed.
"The material allows for the extravagant design, so don't worry about it. All I need you to do is build these support structures, actually. The rest I can do on my own, and then we should just finish in time for me to sneak back into bed so I get to wake up together with my boo~…"
"I-I see… Well, we will do our best, Milady!"
"We most certainly will!"
"Yeah, you will. Or else."
Meanwhile, a knock against Yamato's door woke him up. Though, now that he was awake he realized it was no knock at all, it was someone hanging onto the door handle to open the door, because they were too small to open it otherwise. After the third attempt, the door slowly crept open, and little steps got closer to his bed. There was also a sniffing noise, which all in all only left one conclusion.
"Pheobe?"
"Pheobe's scared… She had a nightmare…"
"Oh… Do you want to sleep here tonight then?"
"Y-yes, please…"
"Alright, I'm sure Yuki won't—…"
It was then when he realized Yuki was not in the bed. But instead a body pillow with a note stuck on it. Though it was dark, he could make out what was written on it.
"Boo, go back to sleep please, preparing surprise for tomorrow, will be back when you wake up again, your boo…"
"Hm? Who's boo?"
"Ah, nothing. I just read something out loud. Seems like Yuki will come back late, but never mind that. What kind of nightmare was it? The one with the smoothie?"
"Yes… Pheobe was in the kitchen cutting food stuff like a grown up, and when she was almost done, someone threw an orange into her blue smoothie, and then ran away before Pheobe could catch them…! But the orange already dissolved in Pheobe's smoothie, and it was ruined…"
"It dissolved on its own, huh… That smoothie must have been… Really good, before it was sabotaged…"
"Pheobe thought so too, but she didn't even get to try it…"
"Aw, I'm sorry. How about we make a smoothie tomorrow, and I promise to make sure no one throws any oranges in them?"
"Okay… Night…"
"Good night, Pheobe…"
Pheobe tucked herself in under the blanket, grabbing Yamato's hand underneath and as always fell asleep almost right away. Though for a moment, he thought about pulling his hand away since she was asleep already anyway, he decided against it after a small movement resulted in her tightening her grip around his fingers.
Meanwhile Yuki's project was still under construction, and was only finished when the first sunlight hit the Cube. Which was still just in time for her to return to bed, and assume her most natural position. Though upon her arrival she found her spot partially occupied by Phoebe, there was still enough space for her if she squeezed really tightly against Yamato, and laid on top of his arm which was extended towards Pheobe across the bed. She did notice her pillow replacement had been moved aside, suggesting Yamato woke up during her absence, which was a shame but ultimately whatever, she thought. After going through with her "just press against him as close as possible"-plan, Yamato woke up to Yuki's face being even closer than it usually was, quite literally pressed against his.
"Morning, boo~ Miss me lots?"
"Sure… Want to tell me what surprise you were preparing?"
"Wouldn't be much of a surprise if I just told you now, would it? Besides, you'll soon see it anyway… It's kinda hard to miss."
"If you say so…"
"You have permission to be amazed when you see it. And I want suitable reward~!"
"Well, depends on what it is… Just tell me what you want now and I'll decide then…"
"I'm gonna leave it up to you how you believe my work should be rewarded. But generally speaking you should round up when you're torn between amazing rewards and super amazing rewards."
"I'll keep it in mind… Have you been out the entire night?"
"I was as fast as I could!"
"Wasn't criticizing you, boo. I'm sure you worked hard and gave it your all."
He did not fully wake up yet, nor did he feel like getting out of bed already, he did however feel the need to perform the action of petting her head.
"Is that my reward?"
"No, you get that just because…"
"Mhm, yay~"
After an hour of lazing around, even Pheobe woke up, somehow more willing to get out of bed then both of them.
"Pheobe's hungry… Are we gonna make a smoothie now?"
"Ah, right, that… Yeah, we can make a smoothie. Why don't we all go to the kitchen together?"
"Pheobe already knows where the kitchen is, because misses maid showed her, so she's gonna be first!"
As she jumped out of bed and to the door, she only needed two jumps to reach and pull on the door knob and open the door. Though she was already exhausted by then and just sat down in the doorway and looked over at Yamato and Yuki, seemingly expecting to be picked up. Which, of course she was. Yamato's tendency for spoiling seemed to go beyond just Yuki, though she decided that this was still tolerable.
Yamato, when he first read about it by chance during his school life, was surprised to find a mixer amongst the things already invented in this world. Though these ones was much less efficient and relied on hand crank mechanisms and gears. After they successfully made a smoothie out of blue berries and dyed strawberries, so the final product would remain blue, Pheobe was satisfied with the result and drank it along side her breakfast which consisted of only a sandwich with mainly tomatoes and salad in it. Apparently, given infinite options, this was what she chose to eat every day. After that, their family mood was interrupted by Lucy and Satomi, who both rushed into the still somewhat messy kitchen Yamato and Yuki were cleaning up while Pheobe fell back asleep at the table.
"Sir, it appears the Naru Empire has advanced much further than we had suggested, and have already reached the imperial capital!"
"Yamato, please! If they attack so recklessly, I am sure many of my people will be sacrificed for this temporary military success… So please…"
"Sir, that is secondary! If they gain foot in the capital, it could complicate the takeover immensely."
Yamato, whose fingers had blueberry juice all over them, was about to wash them to focus on them when Yuki grabbed them and licked them clean, which took him slightly off guard and made him wonder why she chose to do that only after Satomi and Lucy entered. But he chose to let her do that, pampering as he is.
"I'm afraid Lucy is right, Satomi… However, that doesn't necessarily mean your people will die. I already told you to leave it to me, so I ask you to trust me. Can you do that?"
"I—… I'm sorry… I just burst inside without thinking…"
"Mmh!"
Yuki hummed to get everyone's attention even though they had been trying to ignore her while she was all over Yamato. She let go after deeming his fingers clean, and spoke proudly.
"Worry not, Satomi, for I have both a solution for this problem, as well as an amplifier for your trust in our capabilities!"
"Really?"
"But of course! If you follow me outside~!"
Her dramatic voice woke Pheobe up, who saw everyone leave after Yuki and just followed them. As they left the Cube, Yuki turned around and faced them. As expected, a crowd had already gathered around the Cube. Though Satomi did not yet see a reason for all this commotion.
"Ahem, if you may turn around please~!"
As they turned their back to Yuki and directed their attention towards Cube, it became apparent what the people were staring at. What had once been a mere cube, 150 meters wide and 120 meters tall, was no longer just a cube, though technically it had always been a rectangle. What now stood before them was a massive tower, from what Yamato could tell about 1.8 kilometers tall, with the cube serving merely as foundation, alongside four massive supportive beams leaning against the main tower. Everything, just like the Cube, made out of pure divinium and with that, nearly indestructible and colored in the typical black-grey. The tip was pyramid shaped, though there was a purple crystal at its pointy peak, that supported the presumable highlight of the structure. A sphere, about 30 meters in diameter, slowly rotating in the air and being seemingly repulsed by the crystal at the top of the main tower, like a magnet of sorts. And above that sphere, a ring rotating in the opposite direction, reminding of a halo which Yamato assumed was the inspiration here.
"Gasp in awe, as this is my architectural apex structure, unrivaled in all regards!"
As everyone gazed upon the tower in awe, Yuki began broadcasting her voice.
"Dear citizen, what you see in the center of the town, formerly known as Cube, has transcended into its true purpose, The Absolute Citadel! It serves as symbol of our growth, as well as our inevitable secured position in the future of this world! The Absolute Empire shall expand under the reign of our Absolute Empire, and bring everlasting prosperity and happiness to all of you!"