Chapter 20
Chapter 20
I didn’t know why the lord had summoned me, but there was no way it was for a good reason.
I shouldn’t have come to the office. Why did I bother coming just to go through this trouble?
Regretting it too late, I entered the lord’s office.
The last time I met him had been in the reception room, but this was his working office.
The atmosphere felt even more rigid and desolate.
“You’ve arrived.”
Cold air seemed to radiate from Calix Krauvel, who sat behind the desk.
Anyone would think he was the northern duke from a novel.
“I heard you summoned me.”
“Sit first.”
I sat in the chair he indicated. We faced each other across a long wooden desk.
“How far along is the repair of the multi-family housing?”
“The rooftop and ten out of the twelve units are finished. The shared corridor repairs remain.”
“And the triangular roof installation?”
“I plan to proceed with that as well.”
It wasn’t originally part of the plan, but since I had already created the design, it seemed wasteful not to install it.
“You’re going to build it yourself as well?”
“Most likely.”
Leaving it to a workshop would be easier, but I couldn’t trust the skill of the craftsmen here or their equipment.
It was safer to build it myself.
“Then it won’t finish on schedule.”
“The repairs will finish on time. Only the triangular roof installation will take slightly longer.”
Calix Krauvel nodded in acknowledgment.
“Have you met Anton Brown?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve heard he became the new team leader of the Urban Development Department?”
“I have.”
“Then you know it’s your turn now.”
“Th—… pardon?”
I was about to nod automatically before realizing something was strange.
“What do you mean it’s my turn?”
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. As you requested, Anton Brown has been appointed team leader. Now it’s your turn to grant my request.”
What kind of nonsense was that?
“I only recommended him. I never asked that he must be appointed.”
“We’ll consider it the same thing.”
It wasn’t the same thing at all.
“I’m asking you to do something you like anyway, so there’s no need to worry.”
Something I like?
“You’re aware that the autumn monsoon will arrive soon.”
The autumn monsoon.
Unlike the summer monsoon, it occurred between late autumn and early winter.
It usually lasted anywhere from four days to a week.
“The damage is smaller than the summer monsoon, but many residents still suffer from it. So I’d like you to devise countermeasures for the autumn monsoon.”
This was the thing I supposedly liked?
It was absurd.
More importantly, the autumn monsoon was only about two months away.
Asking for countermeasures now was unreasonable.
“You should probably discuss that with the team leader rather than me.”
I declined politely, since it wasn’t something I should personally handle.
“I already told Team Leader Anton Brown. The two of you are to work together on the autumn monsoon countermeasures.”
But the lord had no intention of backing down.
“The triangular roof you demonstrated yesterday could likely be installed on buildings in heavily damaged areas.”
“That design was created specifically for that building’s structure. It can’t simply be applied to other buildings.”
“Then redesign it so it can be applied elsewhere.”
How many buildings existed in Belheim?
Was he really asking me to redesign triangular roofs for all of them?
By myself?
“Are you—…”
For a moment, I almost asked if he had lost his mind.
But I swallowed the words.
No matter how angry I was, I needed to watch what I said.
My life was precious.
“Judging by your expression, that’s impossible.”
The lord folded his arms, instantly reading my thoughts.
“Then what would you suggest?”
Why was he asking me that?
How could anyone protect an entire city within two months—
“If you reduce the damage from the autumn monsoon, I’ll grant you one wish.”
…It would be difficult, but maybe I could try.
“You will truly grant my wish?”
When I asked to confirm, Calix Krauvel’s lips tilted slightly.
“You must have something you want to ask of me.”
“It’s not exactly that. Opportunities to make a wish to the lord aren’t common, so I’d like to secure the chance.”
If I answered “yes,” he might see through my true intentions.
So I spoke indirectly.
“Very well. If it’s within my power, I’ll grant it.”
Oh?
That only strengthened my resolve to succeed.
“To what extent must the damage be reduced?”
I needed to clarify that.
Completely preventing it would be ideal, but that was impossible unless one was a god.
“If the damage is reduced by more than half compared to last year, I’ll acknowledge it.”
At least he wasn’t completely unreasonable.
Reducing it by half would still be difficult, but it wasn’t absurd considering the reward.
“I thought it was impossible, but you seem confident you can stop it.”
“I’ll start looking for a solution now.”
First I had to confirm how severe the autumn monsoon damage actually was.
Then determine which areas were most affected and what types of damage occurred there.
“I’ll give it a try.”
[1-4. Reduce the damage from the autumn monsoon.]
The moment I spoke, the main quest window appeared before my eyes.
I wondered why it had been quiet.
So there was a quest after all.
[※ Rewards are granted according to the amount of damage reduced.]
[Reward: Up to 30,000 points]
So preventing all monsoon damage would give thirty thousand points.
Completely impossible.
Still, reducing half the damage would give fifteen thousand points.
That wasn’t bad.
“If you have nothing else to say, may I leave? I need to start searching for ways to prevent the autumn monsoon.”
Calix Krauvel chuckled lightly and waved his hand for me to go.
“By the way, if I truly reduce the monsoon damage by more than half, you will grant my wish, correct?”
Before leaving, I wanted to confirm one last time.
The lord frowned slightly.
“It’s not that I doubt you, my lord. I’m simply cautious. Then excuse me.”
Before he could change his mind, I quickly left the office.
Not long after Aileen left, Noah Roheim entered.
“Here is the background information on Miss Aileen that you requested.”
Calix reviewed the documents Noah handed him.
The papers detailed when Aileen was born, what kind of childhood she had, and what her parents were like.
“Ordinary.”
Aileen was nothing more than a common woman one could find anywhere.
Her unusual behavior only began a few days before the summer monsoon started.
It also stated that her personality—once timid and almost reclusive—changed around that same time.
Calix checked the photograph attached to the final page of the document.
In the empire, all citizens were required to visit city hall upon reaching adulthood to take a black-and-white photograph.
It was part of the identification registration system for crime prevention and public security.
The entire process—from taking the photo to registration—was free.
The photograph in the document had been taken then.
Her impression is definitely different.
If the current Aileen resembled a freshly caught fish, the woman in the photo looked like a withered weed.
“There’s no special event that explains the sudden change?”
“No. Apparently she suddenly declared she would fix the village one day.”
“Is that so?”
Tap. Tap.
The sound of fingers tapping against the desk echoed steadily.
It was a habit Calix had whenever he fell into deep thought.
Noah waited for a moment.
When the tapping stopped, he spoke.
“I heard you ordered Miss Aileen to devise countermeasures for the autumn monsoon.”
“So the news has already spread.”
“I simply ran into Miss Aileen on the way here.”
Noah smiled faintly.
“She seemed very motivated. I’m looking forward to seeing her succeed again.”
“Well.”
Calix tossed the document aside and rested his chin on his hand.
“Her actions so far have certainly been unusual, but preventing the autumn monsoon will be difficult.”
His tone carried no expectation whatsoever.
Noah blinked in surprise.
“Then why did you give Miss Aileen that order?”
“Just in case.”
Calix looked down at Aileen’s photograph again.
“I’m curious to see how much this woman can change.”