“I can see why you asked Bell to design the space for you. I never realized you were so bad at interior decorating!” Zavira laughed as she looked around the barely furnished living space within my pocket dimension.


    “Yeah, yeah. What can I say? I was working with limited resources.”


    I hadn’t bought any furniture since escaping from the rift, so the only things present were the items I’d been using for decades.


    “Surely your mentor would have given you some furniture if you asked,” my best friend commented. Even after years without any contact, it was like no time had passed at all.


    “He probably would have,” I conceded. “But it isn’t necessary.”


    He’d actually offered as much after seeing how little I owned, but most of his items were Tier Ten, and I wouldn’t be able to take them with me into the dungeon.


    Borrowing furniture seemed a little weird since I didn’t think I’d ever be able to relax on something that I was expected to return. Even though I knew I could easily restore any damage, the idea of borrowing my former Master’s furniture didn’t sit well with me.


    I understood that he wanted a more informal relationship, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to see him as an equal. I was trying, though.


    I blamed growing up as a military brat, where rank and position were a big part of the culture.


    “Yep. That’s why we’re going shopping,” Bell interjected. “I think we should pick out a few different setups… give you a variety of options. That way, if you get tired of seeing the same things, you can just change up the floorplan and swap everything out so the place feels brand new. I drew up a few different options.”


    My sister-in-law handed me a notebook she’d retrieved from her ring.


    “How likely are you to have other people spend time in here?” Zavira asked when she caught a glimpse of the first floorplan. It had four large bedrooms with attached bathrooms and was marked ‘Floorplan 4-A.’


    “Ummm, aside from you two and Kai, I don’t plan to tell anyone else about the pocket dimension,” I replied.


    “That’s why this one has four rooms,” Bell said smugly. “You, me, Zavira, and the Founder. Besides, you can always just tell people that your home is only accessible via teleport… or just say it’s hidden, like in a tree or something. That’s not so weird for a Space Mage. You’re going to need a place for visitors to stay, regardless.”


    “How would people even find you?” Zavira asked. “You said messages don’t get through when you’re in here.”


    “I’m staying in the hotel on Hadier for now, but once we get this place furnished, I’ll probably live here full-time. Bell said I could use her apartment as a transition point, so I have that as an option, but I’ll probably mostly come and go from the sect’s teleportation platforms unless something about entering and exiting the space stands out.”


    It was something I’d need to test somehow. I’d probably ask Zavira if she sensed any difference later.


    Zavira made a considering noise and then nodded. “I guess if Bell or the sect can take messages for you, that could work.”


    “The lack of outside communication is a bit of a problem,” I admitted, addressing her second point. “I think I have a workaround for that, but I need to test it. I’ll also have some pretty hefty time dilation going in here, so I won’t actually be inaccessible for long periods on the outside.”


    “What kind of a workaround?” Bell asked. I could tell that the Enchanter in her was curious about my methods.


    “Nothing like you’re thinking,” I assured her. “I think if I intermittently open a micro-portal to a deserted location, it will be enough for system messages to pass through.”


    “Now that would be a handy workaround in the dungeon, even if you don’t get to physically leave,” Bell remarked.


    “It would,” Zavira agreed. “Somehow, I can’t imagine the dungeon would allow it, though.”


    “I have to agree with Zavira on that,” I said, remembering the dungeon’s ability to completely shut down uncontrolled Time magic. “The dungeon is so far beyond me, I don’t think I’ll be able to get around the restrictions, even when I reach the pinnacle. I truly wonder what kind of genius crafted that thing.”


    “Well, regardless, now that you’ve seen the place and you know what we’re working with, we should get on with the shopping!” Bell said, mostly to Zavira. Turning to me, she said, “You’re not hurting for credits, so buying a few extra room’s worth of furniture won’t hurt you. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the variety when you’re stuck in the dungeon and realize you’re tired of seeing the same boring setup.”


    “We should get some faux windows as well,” Zavira suggested. “There are several brands that are remarkably realistic. Some even allow you to upload your own landscapes so you truly feel like you’re at home – or wherever else you’d rather be.”


    “That could be cool,” Bell agreed. “Maybe swing back by Earth and record a few famous Earth locales, like the Eiffel Tower.”


    “That’s still standing?” I asked. I hadn’t realized the famous icon still stood.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “Oh, yeah. The noble who took over Europe was a native, and she was dead set on saving as much of Europe’s history as possible. There are tons of castles, cathedrals, and other famous structures still around now because of her.”


    “I should probably spend a little more time exploring my home world,” I mused.


    I’d been distracted by family during my first visit after leaving the dungeon, and I hadn’t stopped to take in the sights when I dropped Mom off after the power-leveling excursion.


    “Oh, it’s totally changed, aside from little bits and pieces that were mostly preserved,” Bell said, seemingly unbothered. “The last I heard, Earth is basically just like any other low to mid-tier world. The history there bleeds through, but the people of Earth have largely adapted. Those who didn’t have either died off or will in the next few decades.”


    I understood what she meant. Remaining in Tier One didn’t do much for one’s natural lifespan. For the most part, they’d be healthier, but they wouldn’t live beyond a century or so.


    Come to think of it, most all of the abductees from Earth who refused to leave the first or second floors of the dungeon had probably died by now.


    <hr>


    Though Kai felt confident the threat against me had passed, I still insisted we all wear [Disguise] talismans during our shopping trip. I really didn’t want to deal with any awkward tri-affinity mage attention… or worse.


    Most of our shopping was done on Aegeas since it was the Tier Nine world that Zavira was the most familiar with. The same could be said for me as well, but I’d probably spent more time exploring and wandering the uninhabited Tier Nine world I’d used to fill my garden than I had on Aegeas.


    “What about this one?” Bell asked, motioning toward a bedroom set that included a pullout sofa. It was the fifth such room design she’d pointed out.


    “It’s nice.”


    “Just nice?” she questioned. “It would be perfect for the second suite of Floorplan Two-B. The pullout could be used if you found yourself with an extra visitor but didn’t want to shift to a different floorplan.”


    The Floorplan Two series contained two-bedroom options with much larger rooms. Both bedroom suites included a small, attached sitting room/office. They were practically two hotel suites that shared a common living space.


    “It’s fine,” I said unenthusiastically. “I like it better than the last three options, but I don’t love it.”


    “If you don’t love it, then let’s move on,” Bell said with far more enthusiasm than I thought was reasonable. “We’ve probably got enough for the ‘Two series’ anyway.”


    “What about this one?” Zavira asked, pointing toward a large master suite ensemble. “The material is primed for enchantments, and there are options available if you don’t feel like doing the work yourself. But considering your background…”


    I glanced over the room display before taking a closer look at the furniture itself. It was all excellently made, and I could tell that every piece could easily handle several enchantments.


    “I like it,” I said before glancing at the price.


    It was a little higher than I thought unenchanted furniture should cost, but the quality and tier of the material probably justified the added expense. And it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford it after selling off most of the materials I’d collected from the Assassin’s rift.


    “It comes with the bedding, accessories, and wall art,” Zavira informed me after seeing my expression.


    I nodded, and Bell motioned toward the furniture, letting our sales associate know to add it to the purchase.


    “Good eye, Zavira,” Bell said brightly. “We should pick out at least one more bunk-room option before moving on. You never know when you might need to house multiple people.”


    I narrowed my eyes at my sister-in-law. “I don’t plan on having that many people over at the same time, like, ever.”


    “Yeah, but what if you want to have another family gathering like the one we did in Hawaii?” she asked sweetly.


    I barked out a laugh. “No way am I going to bring someone like Aunt Mindy to my… home.”


    I was about to say pocket realm, but considering we were in public, I thought better of it.


    Bell’s playful expression dimmed. “Your aunt Mindy is dead. You won’t have to worry about that. Your uncle Anthony is gone, too.”


    I pressed my lips into a thin line to keep from saying something I probably shouldn’t. My knee-jerk reaction was to say something snarky, but I knew that would be in very poor taste.


    I’d become more jaded than I realized.


    I should probably ask how it happened, but aside from a bit of morbid curiosity, I didn’t care enough to bother. I felt a little bad about Uncle Anthony, but the poor man had been little more than a shell the last time I saw him.


    “You should probably go visit your grandparents soon, actually,” she added with a bit more animation. “Your mom has been using Life magic to keep them healthy, but an aging body can only handle so much.”


    “I will,” I promised, though I wasn’t certain how effective any treatments I did might be.


    My grandparents were all old, and I didn’t think any of them had bothered to level very much. Time magic could do a lot, but it wouldn’t let a low-tier human extend their life indefinitely. Eventually, their bodies would resist rejuvenation efforts.


    While enchantments could be used for mild regeneration, it was a lot like using face cream before the arrival of magic. Most of what that stuff did was superficial, and not all of it worked since the formula wasn’t specifically designed for the individual.


    Real rejuvenation treatments needed active guidance, preferably by someone who actually understood what they were doing. That usually meant a Time Mage, though a Life Mage with access to the right enchanted items could do the job almost as well.


    Even then, there were limits.


    “Alright,” I said, heading in the direction of the multi-person room options. “It can’t hurt to be over-prepared, just in case I feel like hosting a family reunion one day.”


    I ended up leaving without another bunk-room setup, though I did purchase several extra mattresses. One of the room designs sparked my imagination, and I felt confident I could design and craft something better than what was being sold.


    If I never got around to it, then I’d just have a bunch of extra mattresses. It was no big loss.


    “Where to next?” Zavira asked when we finally left the massive furniture store.


    “Bedding and décor,” Bell replied. “Do you know anywhere that specializes in those? I have the names of a few stores that I found through the network, but you’re a local, so…”


    “Oh yeah, I know a few places.”


    “Let’s just grab a few varieties and move on with the bedding stuff. I’m really not all that picky as long as it’s all comfortable,” I said before reminding them, “We only have a couple more hours before my meeting with the new Epikairos Patriarch.”


    “If we’re not done by the time you need to go, you can just authorize me to make purchases on your behalf, and I’ll take care of the rest,” Bell offered. “Just don’t forget to come get me when you’re done!”


    “I don’t mind helping her finish everything,” Zavira added supportively. “I’d like to see it all in place sometime soon, though.”


    “Oh, I’ve already got Floorplan 1-C set up and furnished,” I told them with a grin. “I used the last master set we picked out that already came with everything.”


    The one-bedroom options left a lot of empty space, but I kinda liked that. After living in cramped quarters for so long, having a lot of extra space was a good thing.


    Zavira looked at me with a grin. “Well, let’s get to it then.”