Chapter 21
Chapter 21
On the way back after meeting the lord, I stopped by the Records Archive and requested the damage records from the autumn monsoon over the past ten years.
Perhaps the lord’s order had already been delivered, because the archive staff showed me the materials without asking any questions.
“The damage is worse than what I heard.”
In several districts, the damage was even greater than during the summer monsoon.
“The rainfall is less than in summer, so why?”
Sitting in one corner of the archive room and flipping through the documents, I quickly found the reason.
“It’s because the damage from the summer monsoon wasn’t repaired before the autumn monsoon began.”
It was the same principle as getting injured again on a wound that hadn’t healed—naturally the damage became worse.
“Still, Districts 1 through 3 didn’t suffer any damage during the autumn monsoon.”
That was thanks to the expensive magical protection placed over them.
Even so, I couldn’t understand why Toma Harens had installed triangular roofs here first, and the people who had commissioned it were just as strange.
This wasn’t even a place that needed triangular roofs, so why had they requested them?
“Just repairing the damage alone should reduce the autumn monsoon damage to some extent.”
Even so, cutting it down to less than half of last year’s level still seemed difficult.
“I’ll have to look for another method.”
This was the kind of problem that was more effective to examine on-site than to stare at documents all day.
After confirming that District 9 had suffered the most damage during the autumn monsoon over the past five years, I left the archive.
“Before going, I should stop by the Urban Development Department office.”
If I wanted to quickly finish the repairs on the multi-family housing in District 8, I would need support.
“What should I do about the triangular roofs?”
I had planned to make them myself, but if I wanted to solve the autumn monsoon problem, there wasn’t enough time.
“I could probably ask the Nine Workshop.”
After looking at the scaled building model they had made yesterday, it seemed quite convincing.
If they could produce something like that, they should be able to make triangular roofs as well. I should ask them.
“Even if Toma Harens was fired, promises still have to be kept!”
Lost in those thoughts, I was almost at the Urban Development Department office when someone’s loud shouting reached my ears.
“Please calm down first…”
“You expect me to calm down when you suddenly say all the work is being cut off? Huh? If it were you, would you stay calm?”
“That decision was made by the lord, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Anton Brown was desperately trying to soothe a large man.
“And I’ve been promoted to team leader now, so continuing to speak informally to me is a bit…”
“Team leader, my ass. You spent all your time groveling under Toma Harens, and now that you’ve become team leader you think you own the world?”
The large man sneered and patted Anton Brown’s shoulder.
“How long do you think someone like you can sit in that position?”
At the blatant insult, Anton Brown’s face turned bright red.
At this point, someone nearby should have stepped in to stop it, yet everyone had their mouths tightly shut and their heads lowered.
Does that mean that man is just that frightening?
Who exactly was he that everyone trembled like this?
“And who are you?”
The man noticed me standing at the door and scowled.
“What kind of bitch are you, sneaking around like a rat and eavesdropping?”
Well, that was a way to speak to someone you had just met.
“I asked what you’re doing!”
“And what kind of man are you to be shouting in someone else’s office?”
I repeated his own words back at him, and the man grabbed the back of his neck.
Anton Brown waved his hands frantically, his face pale.
The other employees also stared at me in shock.
“…Wait. Someone else’s office?”
The man’s eyes flashed sharply.
“So you’re the one who kicked out Toma Harens.”
“And you must be the master of the Oak Heart Workshop who bribed him?”
Based on the information I had heard so far, I asked a guess.
The man’s brow furrowed.
Since he didn’t deny it, it seemed I was right.
“If you came here to meet Toma Harens, go to the underground prison instead. Or maybe you’re planning to get locked up with him?”
“What?”
“If you want, I can have you arrested right now. Someone call the guards!”
I shouted loudly enough for the corridor outside the office to echo.
The man’s face twisted unpleasantly.
“You really are as crazy as they say. Damn my luck.”
He spat on the floor and quickly left.
Even if he tried to act tough, it seemed he was still afraid of the guards.
I snorted and closed the office door.
“That was impressive, Miss Aileen.”
Anton Brown spoke with genuine admiration.
“You faced Walter Hauf without fear and dealt with him calmly. That was truly impressive.”
So that man’s name was Walter Hauf.
“If I didn’t do anything wrong, there’s no reason to be afraid. More importantly, that man is the master of the Oak Heart Workshop, right?”
“That’s right. Ever since Toma Harens became team leader, he kept sending commissions to the Oak Heart Workshop. That’s how it grew into the largest workshop in Belheim.”
So that was why everything produced by the workshop had been a complete mess.
Although, to be fair, Toma Harens’s blueprints themselves were terrible.
“It seems an official notice was issued this morning cutting off all business with the Oak Heart Workshop. Walter Hauf must have seen it and stormed over in anger.”
“Instead of being grateful he wasn’t locked in prison with the former team leader, he’s acting like this. He has no shame.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Anton Brown nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Oh right, did you meet the lord?”
“Yes. Actually, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it? Just say it.”
The change in his attitude was amusing. Before, he hadn’t even listened to a word I said, and now he was completely different.
“Please send two or three workers to help with the multi-family housing repairs I’m handling.”
“You need manpower. Got it.”
Anton Brown glanced around the office and pointed to several employees.
Among them was Allen Cranter.
He stepped forward awkwardly, unable to meet my eyes and lowering his head.
“Hello?”
When I greeted him, he flinched and quietly replied, “Hello.”
“Then please take this note and go to the multi-family housing in District 8.”
I wrote the note on the spot and placed it in Allen Cranter’s hand.
“Just give the note to Tabin.”
He nodded slightly while still looking down.
I waved my hand to signal him to go quickly, but Allen Cranter looked at me.
“…Sorry.”
He spoke in a small voice.
“I’m sorry about everything until now. Toma Harens ordered me to do it. It wasn’t my will.”
“I didn’t ask.”
When I replied curtly, Allen Cranter shut his mouth.
“Whether I accept your apology or not will depend on how you work today, Mr. Cranter.”
Allen Cranter’s eyes widened.
“I’ll work hard!”
Ah, he seemed a bit too motivated.
“I’ll work hard too.”
“Me too.”
“Do you need more people?”
The other employees rushed forward to speak.
They had looked down on me before because I was a commoner and a woman, yet now they were shamelessly trying to curry favor.
It was almost funny.
In the end, they were all opportunists.
Exactly the kind of people I disliked the most.
“Then may I ask a few things?”
I clicked my tongue inwardly but smiled politely on the outside as I gave them instructions.
Just because I didn’t like them didn’t mean I had any reason to refuse free labor.
After giving various instructions to the Urban Development Department employees, I headed to District 9, which had suffered the most damage during the autumn monsoon.
The moment I passed through a dark underpass, damp, soaked ground greeted me.
“This place also has terrain where rainwater can’t drain at all.”
Thinking about it, Districts 6 and 8—the next most damaged areas—also had terrain where water easily collected.
And since there was no path for the water to escape, it naturally pooled.
The accumulated water corroded buildings and caused all sorts of problems, including foul smells.
That was also why the autumn monsoon damage had been worse than the summer monsoon.
“Then if we just create drainage channels, we can reduce the damage.”
At first glance, the solution seemed simple.
But it was far from easy.
The houses were packed together without any order, leaving little room to create drainage paths.
And no resident would like having a drainage channel dug right in front of their home.
What we lack the most is time.
There were only two months left before the autumn monsoon.
That wasn’t enough time to persuade the residents, hold meetings about where to dig drainage channels, build them, and fix any problems afterward.
“And there’s no heavy machinery like excavators here.”
There was magic, but it couldn’t fully replace the role of heavy construction equipment.
While pondering what to do and examining the wet road, I collided with a man walking from the opposite direction.