NOVEL WEB Chapter 259: Fixer
He crossed the room slowly, his shoes clicking against marble. He stopped in front of the three of them and gave them each a look. Not just a boss glance. A CFO glare.
"All right," Lux said, folding his arms. "Time for job descriptions."
He pointed to Lyra first.
"You're my Head Housekeeper now. That includes laundry, interior maintenance, supply chain oversight—" he made a sweeping hand motion "—and since I'm not hiring a separate cook, you're also the Chef. I don't need gourmet. I need edible. Occasionally sexy. Naomi likes light things. Rava doesn't eat anything too spicy. Sira…" he hesitated, then grimaced, "...just eats to flex dominance. You'll figure it out."
Lyra smiled, strings dancing between her fingers. "I'll create a rotating meal plan based on preference, blood sugar levels, and health indicators."
"That's exactly the energy I'm looking for," Lux replied flatly. "Welcome to the position."
He turned to Fenrir.
"You're Security. Primary. I want full surveillance, at least three layers of detection wards, and I want the wine cellar sealed tighter than a virgin's mind in a temple city. If anyone touches my aged vintages without clearance, I want them cursed with flatulence and stock crashes."
Fenrir grinned. "I'll sink runes into the foundation. No light gets in unless I say so."
"Good." Lux raised an eyebrow. "Use the eastern perimeter for your command post. The natural leyline there will give you extra juice."
Fenrir gave a single nod before vanishing into smoke and ember sparks, a deep growl rumbling faintly through the walls as he went.
Then Lux faced Veyra.
"You're the Gardener. You already know that. But I don't want a 'nice' garden. I want lethal. Beautiful, but dangerous. I want thorns laced with forget-me-not. Flowers that double as sensors. If any angel or demon tries to fly in through the rose bushes, I want him pollen-choked and shat out by the vines."
Veyra didn't answer right away. She just blinked slowly, then smiled faintly. "I'll start with the perimeter. The soil's good. Greedy."
She melted into the floor like ink soaking into parchment, disappearing into the roots.
Lux exhaled slowly, shoulders easing. The air shifted. The house wasn't empty anymore. It was his.
And Lyra?
She clapped her hands. Dozens of puppets blinked into existence—male and female, dressed in immaculate maid and butler uniforms, all eerily human. Their eyes glowed faintly, but otherwise? They moved with grace, coordination, and unsettling silence.
One took the broom and began sweeping. Another started polishing the windows. A third rolled a serving tray out of nowhere and brought Lux an espresso.
Lux sipped. "You really don't waste time."
"I deploy efficiently," Lyra said, walking past him. "Also, this kitchen is offensive. Expect smoke and screaming shortly. I'm cleansing the cookware."
As if on cue, a metallic crash echoed from the direction of the pantry. One of the puppets had already thrown out three pots. Another was scrubbing the stove like it was removing a demonic sigil.
Lux huffed and muttered, "And now for the part I don't look forward to."
He walked to the center of the living room and rolled his neck. "Summon…" he said grimly. "Fixer."
[Summon – FIXER CLASS]
[Summoning: Accepted]
[Material Availability: MAXIMUM]
[Warning: Fixer-Class Demons are prone to aesthetic overreach. Monitor closely.]
A tear opened in the air like fabric being unzipped. Out came a shape that should not have fit through such a narrow opening.
Long, glistening tentacles slapped against the floor one by one, followed by a squat, muscular demon with bulging tool belts strapped across his waist, goggles perched on his oversized eyes, and fingers that dripped molten glue from his knuckles.
[Summon Successful!]
[Name: Kratzik, The Fixer of Broken Things]
[Level: 89]
[Specialities: Renovation, Magical Engineering, Structural Enhancement]
[Skills:
Tentacle Surveyor (Scans and assesses any space within a 500-meter radius in seconds)
Greed-Grafted Construction (Uses Greed-coded blueprints and mana-efficient methods)
Aesthetic Override (Automatically "fixes" ugly design decisions. Sometimes unasked)
Glue of Eternity (Binds structures permanently; immune to decay, time, and complaining mortals)]
[Status: LOYAL SERVANT – Bound to Lux Vaelthorn]
He blinked at Lux.
"You called, Master."
Lux pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. I need you to fix a few things."
Kratzik's tentacles immediately stretched toward the ceiling like rubbery tape measures. One coiled around the chandelier, another pried open a wall panel with the delicacy of a hungry squid.
"List the required work," Kratzik said cheerfully, tentacles already slapping rhythmically across the walls like he was playing the mansion like a xylophone.
Lux sighed. "All bedrooms. Soundproof them. Full barrier layer, enchantment included. Kitchen needs a serious upgrade—something more infernal, less mortal. The pool needs expansion, including an underwater lounge. Glass walls, cocktail shelf. Got it?"
"Mm." The tentacles retracted, then burst outward again like spring-loaded death noodles, shooting through the hallways at speed. Doors flew open. Cabinets rattled.
A distant scream suggested a servant didn't like being interrupted.
From a nearby corridor, the sound of shattering glass.
Lyra didn't flinch. "I'm putting a kill switch on him if he touches my knives."
Lux muttered, "Add it to your bonus evaluation."
About a minute later, the tentacles snapped back into place and re-coiled around Kratzik's shoulders. His goggles clicked shut and open again.
"Time required. Twelve hours," Kratzik reported. "Also…" He squinted up. "The chandeliers need to be fixed. Someone messed them up. The resonance is off. Looks like someone tried to destroy them. Makes the lighting look… moody."
Lux looked up. The chandeliers were casting glimmering little heart shapes across the floor, delicate reflections like dream fragments. But yes, some broken.
Naomi liked them. She'd pointed them out once.
Lux exhaled. Not the finest thing he'd ever seen, but…
"Fix them," he said finally. "But keep the hearts."
"Noted." Kratzik said.
Lux walked over to the nearest table, popped open his dimensional inventory, and pulled out a matte black box inscribed with shimmering gold glyphs.
The Greed Toolkit. One-of-a-kind.
Inside was enchanted crystal wrenches, coils of mana-thread, infernal cement in sleek silver tubes. Tools that vibrated at frequencies no mortal contractor could survive.