Kyle said that he's taken care of everything, and that the extra help would arrive at noon. So, I head into the car park and get the carriage ready before clearing the car and motorcycles out.

This underground spot is the only area that I haven't decorated yet. Right now it's just a big oval area with a stable off to one side. There's going to be a lot of carriages tonight, and I'm going to need much more space. Not only for them, but for the drivers and attendants

I enlarge this space, adding a cafeteria and a row of bunk-rooms to one side, and greatly expanding the stable opposite that. Then I hollow out two more levels beneath it and start decorating. Keeping with the overgrown garden theme; I add giant roots to the side walls, and 'cracks' in the ceiling for 'sunlight' to filter down through.

A few glowing mushrooms help decorate the walls and further light up the space. I even add one giant one right in the middle and make it look like it's holding up the roof.

The next level is a 'basalt' column cave like the grotto behind the house. The ceiling is covered in magical glow worms, but the really stunning part is the infinity-mirror floor designed to make it look like you're walking on water.

I may have gone a bit overboard with the last level. I had thought to make an over-sized geode, but ended up with something closer to the fortress of solitude. Giant quartz crystals criss-cross the walls, and hang down from the ceiling. The floor, again, is rather stunning thanks to some glass and mirror trickery. Taking inspiration from Superman's fortress, I made it look like a bunch of irregularly shaped platforms with deep chasms in between.

*Ding**Ding**Ding* Amelia's number appears on my smartwatch.

"Hey, babe, it's almost lunch, are you going to come in and eat before the help gets here?"

"You and Apricot have to come down to the parking area. I just finished expanding it, and... Well, you've just got to see this." My voice echoes slightly.

"Alright, but then I want to eat." She hangs up and I meet the two of them at the entrance a couple minutes later.

"Oh, this isn't bad." Amelia says once I take her down to the first level. "Might not be enough room for everyone. Did this really take you all morning?"

"There's another tunnel over there." Apricot points out. "And, from that shit-eating grin of his. Whatever he did is down there."

"Oh, babe!" Amelia gasps once we move down a level. "It's like we're in an ocean cave."

My grin grows wider and point down to the last level. "Yeah, this is good, but wait until you see the final area. I may have gone a bit wild there."

"Oh, you've got to see this!" Apricot calls back after she shrank down and flew ahead.

"Uh, babe. I'm not sure how many people will be willing to use this level." She's stopped at the edge of the first, and largest 'platform', unwilling to go further.

"It's just an optical illusion." I say while walking over the 'chasm'. "See, there's not even any empty air, it's all solid glass just like the ocean above." I tap my foot on the ground making a dull thud.

"Nnn." She whimpers and backs up.

"Okay" I smile and rejoin her where it's 'safe'. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But, just imagine how people will react if we add a fog spell." I giggle maniacally, while clouding the ceiling and making it so that you'll only see the chasm after you've stepped on it.

"Hahahahah!" Apricot busts up laughing. "Oh, that is evil. You are one very, very bad man. I approve." *Ding**Ding* Seems that Temmie does too.

"And, I'm one very hungry woman who would love to escape the death pit her husband hid in the basement." Amelia backs up so she's out of the fog. "Can we please go have lunch now?"

"Sure thing babe." I walk after her, the fog billowing about in my wake.

***

A small army of helpers arrive right after we finish eating. Kyle told me he had to promise them chocolate in order to get so many to come on such short notice. He shows them around, and explains what their duties for the evening will be.

Meanwhile, I'm pulling the extra games from the basement, and setting them and several duplicates throughout the house. This only takes a few minutes though, and once everything is set up I get to cooking.

There's going to be a light sit-down dinner in the garden to kick things off, but I'm mostly making snack foods. And, those are mostly chocolate, there's other sweet, salty, and savory snacks too. But, everyone's coming for the chocolate, so that's what they're going to get. Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.

The caterers are 'helping' taste test, but I don't mind. I'm already cooking for hundreds, what's a couple dozen more? I store the hot meals in my inventory for now, but the kitchen had to be reshaped to hold rack after rack of sweets, and over a thousand bottles of various alcohols.

This will be the servants' main duty tonight, circulating trays of finger foods, and drinks. Good thing I figured out how to ferment stuff, because buying enough booze for hundreds of nobles and other notables would have used up more gold than I care to spend.

It's still a couple hours before sunset by the time I'm done with all the cooking. I've still got a couple things to deal with. The chocolate foun... waterfall being the largest. Three of the largest actually, I'm making three copies of the tree. One each for white, milk, and dark chocolate respectively.

"Okay, games are done. Food's done. Parking is done. Basement and our rooms are blocked off. F-Waterfalls are done. I still need to set the tables, and what else am I missing?" I mutter to myself.

"Music." Apricot answers me while attacking the dark chocolate waterfall.

"Thank you." I walk over and scoop a bit of chocolate off her cheek, and set music players about the house and garden to playing.

The ballroom gets dance music of course, while the rest of the house has gentle background music playing. The garden on the other hand is filled with more atmospheric tunes, even ethereal and haunting in some places.

"Okay, music and tables are good." I grow the tables and set them as I speak. "Anything... Oh, the party favors. Mrs. Haft." I call the head caterer over. "Could you gather your people. I'm going to hand out image taking Runes to the guests and they may ask you to take their pictures."

"Yes, Sir." She calls them all over, and I explain how to use the cameras. "Seems easy enough." She nods once I finish. "Is there anything else you need? The early birds will probably start arriving soon."

"Not unless you can think of something I'm missing."

"A good party needs food, drink, and entertainment. You have all three in spades." She smiles at me. "Don't worry, everything will go fine. Everybody gets like this at their first big event."

"Thank you. I think I needed to hear that." I tilt my head. "And, it looks like the first of the early birds is here, though I don't seem to recognize them." I project the image of a rather gruff looking man dressed in high quality clothing that is starting to look a little worn out.

"I don't know him, sir" The caterer shakes her head. "He may be the guest of a guest."

"Well, I should go greet him, anyways." I head down the path, Amelia and Apricot following in my wake. "Oh, he's a mage. A strong one too. He might just be a traveler that was attracted by the Mana Well, but I want you two to be careful."

"We got your back." Apricot says, while Amelia just nods and caresses Ramoth.

"Greetings friend." I call out once he turns into the yard. "Welcome to the garden. We're about to have a little party, you're welcome to join."

"You own tree?" He stops in place and speaks with an odd accent, a stilted version of Varecian, the common language of this continent, Varecia.

"I do." I nod. "I also have the polyglot skill and if you speak in your native language, then I should be able to learn it quickly."

"Huh?" Seems that his grasp of the language is less than I thought it was.

"Speak you tongue, me learn fast with skill." I gesture and talk like cave man.

"Oh? Yes, good." He nods and starts speaking in a tongue full of harsh consonants while pointing out objects around us. It only takes a minute before I get a notification from Temmie stating that Frera had been added to the Polyglot skill.

[Thank you, I've got it now.]

[Oh, thank goodness.] His harsh and guttural tones from before now sound quite cultured. [You have no idea how much I've wished I had that skill over the past few months.]

[Yeah, it's pricy. But, it does come in handy.] I smile at the foreigner. [I'm Sorrel Rumex, by the way. These are my wives Amelia and Apricot. And, as I said before, we're about to have a party, you're welcome to join in.]

[Thank you, I'd love to. The name's Thoellan, but I go by Lan.] He looks down at his clothing. [Is there perhaps some place I could freshen up?]

[Of course, Lan. Come on back to the house with us.] "His name's Lan, he's going to join us for the party." I explain to the girls.

"Hello Lan. Nice to meet you." Amelia bobs her head. Apricot waves and says. "Hi."

"Hello." He returns their greeting in Varecian.

[Come on, the first guests should be arriving soon. You can get changed in one of the bathrooms. Or, if you need fresh clothing, I happen to be quite skilled at weaving.] I thumb my lapel.

[Thanks for the offer, but I have some nicer stuff in my inventory.] He materializes an outfit in a similar style, but in much better shape. [I must say, I was rather surprised to find a Mana Well here in Larendath. Everything I've read says that this is the lowest magic country in the world.]

[Yes. Or, at least it was...] I explain about the Circle Orchard, and how the tree seems to have tapped into shards of the old dungeon here. [...It really has been a bit crazy around here since that dungeon popped up.] I finish up the tale with a chuckle. [Ah, we're here. The bathroom is just through there.]

[Thank you again, I'll be out in a moment.]

"So..." I draw out the word. "He seems interesting, much more cultured than his language sounds. Didn't speak much, but he's obviously curious about the well. I just told him the basic story about Co exciting the old shards."

"Wonder what he's doing here in Larendath." Amelia ponders.

"Dunno, but he said he's read about it before, and knew it was a low magic area." I shrug. "It's kinda strange that such a strong mage would come here though. I get the feeling that anyone with talent or ambition tends to leave the country, not the other way around."

"Just how strong is he?" She seems a bit worried.

"Strong enough that if it came down to a straight up fight, I'd be more than a little worried." I say honestly. "But, we're in the middle of my garden. So, it would, most definitely, not be a straight up fight." I let the smirk on my face relieve her worry.

I may be an idiot most of the time, but I know we're sitting on a magical gold mine here. So, I put a few security measures into place when I was growing everything. And, have added a few things here and there as the ideas struck me. I also plan to add quite a few more once I have some down time. If I ever get any, that is.

Lan comes out of the house dressed is a much nicer outfit, finger-combing his hair back while drying it with fire magic. [Thank you for that Sorrel.] He bows his head. [Haven't had a proper shower in months, even finding a good sized bath has been a pain.]

[You're welcome.] I nod back, and catching the quizzical look on Apricot's face, I smack myself lightly on the forehead. [Why didn't I...]"...think of this before." I start speaking in Varecian, and just translate my words for him. "I won't be able to translate the whole party for you, but you can carry on conversations now."

"Truly?" His eyes go wide as he speaks in Frera and a split second later we hear Varecian. "That is one useful trick. Wherever did you learn it?"

"Oh, this one is always begging me to translate old stories from my memories for her." I rub the small of Apricot's back. "You seemed surprised that I have Air Magic. Didn't you see the propaganda movie when coming in the city gate?" I cringe inwardly, wishing I had never made that stupid thing.

"No, he wouldn't have." Amelia speaks up. "I heard yesterday that the guards threatened to revolt if they had to watch it loop any longer." She laughs.

"Movie?" He seems confused.

"Playback spell inscribed into a Rune." I explain. "Similar to these image takers that I'm handing out as party gifts." I grab a camera from the table and demonstrate by take a picture of the tree. "Only with moving pictures and sound." I switch it to playback mode and show him the photo.

"That is one neat piece of enchanting." He smiles when I hand him the camera. "Are you by chance an Archmage? I thought you a skilled Nature, Air and Light Mage, but I've met a few Archmagi and they were each skilled enchanters.

"I am, and I must be getting better at hiding my Mana if you can't even feel the Earth and Fire in me." I chuckle.

"Hah! You laugh, but if not for hearing these words, I wouldn't even know even know you were casting right now." He lets slip a few laughs of his own before zeroing in on the waterfalls. "I've been meaning to ask, but what is that you have set up over there?"

"Oh, that's chocolate." I grin and guide him over to the milk chocolate waterfall. "And, the reason I'm about to be beset by a horde tonight. I just introduced it to the city, and everyone's clamoring for a taste. Help yourself, there's plenty to go around."

"You always grumble like this beforehand, but are fine once things get going." Amelia ruffles my hair.

"Oh, my." He closes his eyes in pleasure after biting into a coated strawberry. "I can see why they'd be interested." An embarrassed laugh slips from his lips.

"There's plenty of other snacks too." I gesture to the tables over by the deck supports. "I'd love to stay and chat, but the early birds are starting to arrive. I need to go and do the meet and greet thing."

"Perfectly understandable, and thank you for letting me crash your party." He smiles and tries a banana slice this time. "I'd like to continue our conversation as well. I think you've already guessed where you'll be able to find me though." He smiles and turns back to the tray of dip-ables as we walk away.

"Come on girls, let me introduce you to the Westras."

"Is that the one grandmother who broke her hip?"

"Elnore, yes."

***