Chapter 17
Chapter 17
On a dark night when even the moonlight was dim,
Anton Brown pressed himself tightly against the wall of the multi-family housing and looked around.
No one’s here.
After confirming again, he clicked his tongue quietly and climbed over the wall.
“Ha, seriously. What kind of mess is this just because I ended up with the wrong team leader? Damn it.”
Muttering a curse under his breath, he recalled why he had come here.
Early that morning, the scaled building model and triangular roof model secretly ordered from the Oak Heart Workshop had arrived.
Toma Harens immediately began the test.
The result was disastrous.
Not long after water was sprayed using a specially made sprinkler, the roof collapsed with a dull thud.
Naturally, the interior of the building model filled with water as if a flood had occurred.
Seeing that, Toma Harens’s face twisted instantly.
The employees noticed his expression and kept silent.
“To produce such a useless piece of work… It seems the Oak Heart Workshop’s skill has declined.”
Anyone could tell the design itself was flawed, yet Toma Harens blamed the workshop.
If that had been the end of it, it would have been better.
But Toma Harens secretly summoned Anton Brown and gave him instructions.
“Bring me the triangular roof Aileen made. If you can’t bring it, destroy it. If there’s a blueprint, steal that too.”
It was a clear violation of the rules.
A crime, even.
But it was the team leader’s order.
Anton Brown had no choice but to nod.
“Just because he’s the team leader…”
A curse slipped out with every step he took.
Arriving at the house Aileen used as a temporary warehouse, he grabbed the door handle.
Naturally, it was locked.
But that posed no problem for Anton Brown.
He took out a small tool from his pocket and easily unlocked the mechanism.
Click.
With a dull sound, the front door opened.
Anton Brown held his breath and stepped inside.
The house was dark.
The air was damp.
The smell of mold and wet wood stung his nose.
“Why hasn’t this place been repaired—ugh.”
Grumbling as he walked forward, Anton Brown slammed his shin hard into a pile of lumber.
Pain shot up to his waist, twisting his face grotesquely.
“Damn it, who left this wood here?”
His voice rose unconsciously.
Startled, he quickly looked around.
There was no sign of anyone.
Of course—this was an empty house.
“Damn team leader. How far does he intend to ruin a man’s life?”
Still muttering quietly just in case, he took out a candle and matches.
He didn’t want to light a flame if possible.
But it was too dark to see even a step ahead.
He might trip over something again.
Lighting the smallest candle, he looked around.
Soon he spotted an object covered with cloth in the corner of the room.
He roughly pulled the cloth away.
The triangular roof model Aileen had built was revealed.
“Too heavy to carry.”
Then breaking it would be easier.
“I should take the blueprint too…”
“What are you searching for so diligently?”
Anton Brown froze when he heard the familiar voice behind him.
“Should I help you find it?”
When someone grabbed his shoulder, he jumped in shock and staggered backward.
His foot tangled, and just as he was about to fall, someone grabbed his arm firmly.
It was Tabin.
“Ahhh!”
Seeing his face through the faint candlelight, Anton Brown screamed louder than if he had seen a ghost.
“Wow, that’s loud. Did you swallow a train whistle or something?”
From the opposite side, Aileen appeared while covering her ears.
Tabin held Anton Brown’s arm tightly so he couldn’t escape.
His grip was so strong Anton Brown couldn’t move at all.
“You didn’t come here this late just because you missed me, did you? You must have had some strange scheme.”
Taking the candle from Anton Brown’s hand, Aileen smiled gently.
“We should talk for a bit.”
But the look in her eyes was cold.
Realizing he had been caught, cold sweat ran down Anton Brown’s back.
After leaving the multi-family housing, we hurried along.
But we ultimately missed the last stagecoach.
We could walk to the city gate.
But at that hour, there were no more stagecoaches heading toward the Hunter’s Village.
We briefly considered renting an expensive carriage.
But eventually we returned to the multi-family housing.
Since we had to come back tomorrow anyway, we decided to stay the night and begin work early in the morning.
I never expected to run into something like this.
With my arms crossed, I looked down at Anton Brown, who was kneeling in front of me.
Tabin glared at him fiercely in case he tried anything foolish.
“……”
Perhaps frightened by that gaze—or perhaps struck by belated guilt—Anton Brown kept his head lowered without saying anything.
“You should honestly tell us who ordered you to do this.”
I already had a good idea who it was.
But you never knew.
“If you don’t confess, you’ll end up taking the blame for everything that happened here.”
That prospect clearly frightened him.
Anton Brown flinched.
“Especially if the lord finds out that you tried to destroy the triangular roof he’s interested in… Do you think you’ll be safe?”
“I-it was all Team Leader Toma Harens’s order!”
That was the final blow.
Anton Brown confessed everything.
I thought he was fiercely loyal to Toma Harens since he was always flattering him.
But apparently not.
He was just a typical sycophant.
“That bastard.”
After hearing the entire story, Tabin muttered angrily.
“Tomorrow morning we’ll go straight to the lord and tell him everything. Let him teach that team leader a lesson.”
“Hm… I’m not so sure.”
That would punish Toma Harens and Anton Brown.
But it still wouldn’t satisfy my anger.
“Let’s pretend we didn’t see this.”
“Are you serious? You’re just going to let it go?”
“I’m not letting it go. I’m just burying it for now. Think of it as taking one step back to move ten steps forward.”
Tabin still looked worried.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make him regret what he did today.”
I planned to make him cry so hard he’d never attempt something like this again.
But for that, I needed an accomplice.
“Sir Anton Brown, there’s something you absolutely must do for me.”
When I smiled at him, his body trembled like a leaf in the wind.
“Here are the triangular roof blueprints you asked for, Team Leader. And I destroyed the triangular roof that woman made.”
“Haha, good. I knew you could do it.”
Toma Harens laughed heartily and patted Anton Brown on the shoulder.
He was so pleased that he even granted him a day off despite the busy period.
Anton Brown bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
For a moment, his expression looked strange.
But Toma Harens was too focused on the blueprint to notice.
After Anton Brown left, Toma Harens handed the blueprint to the employees.
“Build the triangular roof model according to this.”
Not only did he push his responsibilities onto them, but he also threatened them not to fail.
That part was familiar.
The problem was the blueprint itself.
The drawing contained many unfamiliar terms.
“Team Leader… we’re not sure what this means…”
“Tch. That’s why you’re still low-level employees.”
Toma Harens snapped irritably and told them to figure it out themselves.
Unable to ask further questions, the employees struggled with the drawings.
They worked all night.
Only the next morning did they finally complete the triangular roof model.
“You people are always so slow.”
Without thanking the exhausted employees, Toma Harens grabbed the model and headed for the open field behind the annex.
Aileen had already arrived.
Seeing nothing beside her, Toma Harens sneered.
“Where’s the triangular roof you made?”
“Are you genuinely asking?”
Aileen replied coldly.
Toma Harens shrugged.
At that moment, Calix Krauvel and Noah Roheim appeared.
A servant pushed a cart carrying the scaled building models produced by the Nine Workshop.
The servants placed the models on tables prepared in advance.
“Let’s begin immediately.”
“Wait a moment.”
Aileen suddenly raised her hand.
“There’s something I need to say before we start.”