Chapter 5
Chapter 5
As expected, a suspicious gaze bore down on me. Cold sweat ran down my back.
“I read it in a book.”
At times like this, the key was not to panic but to act confidently.
“There’s a book with that kind of content? What’s its title?”
“I’m sorry, but it’s been so long since I read it that I can’t remember the title.”
“Then can you go home and bring it?”
“Unfortunately, it was washed away during the last monsoon, so I don’t have it anymore.”
Calix Krauvel’s gaze sharpened.
But I had dealt with far worse bastards before, so I didn’t panic.
“Well, fine.”
Calix Krauvel placed the paper I had drawn back in front of me.
“From what I can see, you possess considerable knowledge of architecture. How about working in the Urban Development Department?”
“…What does the Urban Development Department do?”
From the name alone, it sounded like a place related to city work.
“It’s the department responsible for everything from city planning to construction and maintenance.”
Calix Krauvel added the explanation in a tone surprisingly considerate for someone who sounded so blunt.
“It would be the perfect place for someone with your architectural knowledge.”
So it was basically the same kind of work I had done when I was Han Seona.
“So why not join it and work for Belheim?”
Ding—
[1-2. Accept the lord’s proposal.]
[Reward: 5,000p]
Why did the quest appear now of all times?
And it wasn’t even a Sub Quest—it was a Main Quest.
Usually in games, you had to complete the previous main quest to unlock the next one.
But I don’t want to.
I liked architecture, and it made me happy to help people.
But since I had literally died from overwork, I didn’t want to deal with such headaches again.
I wanted to live peacefully and enjoy the healing life I had always dreamed of.
And I definitely didn’t want to work under the novel’s final boss.
[If you fail the Main Quest, you will receive a penalty and your Life will be reduced.]
Just as I was about to refuse the proposal, a warning window appeared before my eyes.
[First penalty: All currently held points will be lost.]
Those were points I had gathered with blistered feet while running around during the monsoon.
And they were all going to disappear?
This was insane—
[If your Life is reduced three times, you will die immediately. Please take caution.]
“What?!”
The terrifying word die made me shout without thinking.
Calix Krauvel frowned.
“Did you just speak informally to me?”
“What? Oh—no, I was just distracted for a moment…”
“Oh? You dared to think of something else in front of me?”
Ugh. No matter what I said, it didn’t seem like he would let it slide.
At the same time, the system warning about dying kept flashing annoyingly in front of me.
Wait.
If I had to complete the Main Quest no matter what, then all I had to do was change the conditions.
“Could I… perhaps work temporarily?”
After thinking of a suitable compromise, I cautiously suggested it.
“Temporarily?”
“Yes. It seems you need my help constructing the triangular roofs and drainage channels, so I’d like to assist with just that part.”
This way, I could complete the Main Quest while avoiding working under the lord permanently.
Honestly, my solution was pretty brilliant.
“I refuse.”
The problem was that the lord had absolutely no intention of changing his proposal.
“If I continue working under Your Grace, people will point fingers at me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m only twenty now, and I lack the experience required to become an official.”
“Everyone starts somewhere. And age has nothing to do with ability.”
I tried to persuade him, but it had no effect.
Still, that was different from the people in my previous world.
Manager Park and the others always insisted that age equaled skill, and even rookies needed experience.
“My father is unwell, so I cannot leave home for long.”
“Is that the same man who went hunting yesterday?”
…When did he investigate that?
“My personality is timid, and I’m not very fond of socializing with people…”
“For someone timid, you speak quite well.”
Ugh. Nothing I said worked.
“Stop making pointless excuses.”
As I struggled to find something else to say, Calix Krauvel spoke firmly.
“You seem to be under a serious misunderstanding. You do not have the right to refuse. If I say you will do it, then you will.”
Ha. People abusing power to control others—it was the same here as in my old world.
“What if I still refuse?”
Memories of being constantly belittled and harassed by Manager Park because I was a woman surfaced in my mind, and I snapped back without thinking.
I regretted it immediately.
But words once spoken couldn’t be taken back.
“Then I suppose I must hold your father responsible for raising his daughter poorly.”
What…?
“Is it acceptable for a lord who should protect his people to threaten their lives?”
“If you are worried about your father, then work in the Urban Development Department.”
In other words—
If Tabin died, it would be entirely my fault.
No wonder he was the final boss.
His personality was truly terrible.
He hadn’t turned evil because of demonic corruption.
He had probably always been a bad person.
“I hope you will make a wise decision.”
Threatening someone’s life while pretending to offer a choice—it was disgusting.
The quest window floating in front of me urging me to accept the proposal was equally irritating.
“I… will do it.”
I didn’t want an innocent person to die because of me, and I had to complete the Main Quest anyway.
So I reluctantly accepted his proposal.
“Good decision.”
The final boss smiled with irritating satisfaction.
[1-2. Quest Complete! You receive 5,000 points.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Newly Hatched Rookie Architect.]
The system window sparkled brightly as if mocking me.
Late afternoon, when twilight had begun to settle.
Normally, it would have been time to finish work and prepare to go home.
But the employees of the Urban Development Department had been working overtime for several days, repairing buildings and roads damaged by the monsoon.
They quickly ate sandwiches for dinner and continued working.
Then a skinny man rushed into the office in a flurry.
“Did everyone hear the news?”
“What news? Did another building collapse?”
“Maybe a road collapsed this time. Hopefully it’s in front of your house.”
“No, that’s not it. The lord personally recruited a new employee for our department!”
The employees, who had been joking around, all turned to look at him.
The Urban Development Department was an important department responsible for designing and managing buildings throughout the territory.
But because it involved a lot of rough work at construction sites, most people avoided coming here.
As a result, the department constantly suffered from a shortage of manpower, and even when they managed to hire someone, that person usually quit quickly.
And now the lord had personally recruited a newcomer.
“What? That’s good news.”
“Then why are you making such a fuss? I thought something serious happened.”
“Which family are they from? They must have graduated from the academy.”
“Not only did she not graduate from the academy—she’s a commoner who’s never even been near one!”
At those words, the office—previously as noisy as a marketplace—fell silent as if cold water had been thrown over it.
But the shocking news didn’t end there.
“And she’s a woman. A woman!”
“…A commoner and a woman? How did someone like that get in here?”
“Exactly. This isn’t work a woman can do. Did the lord send her just to organize documents?”
The office grew noisy again.
Everyone began speculating wildly about the mysterious woman personally appointed by the lord.
“You think that woman maybe flirted with the lord to get—”
Smack!
Toma Harens, the team leader of the Urban Development Department, smacked the employee who had spoken nonsense.
“Say something that actually makes sense. Do you think the lord is the kind of man who would fall for a woman’s seduction?”
“Exactly. If someone tried that, their head would probably fly off on the spot.”
Another employee snickered as he agreed with the team leader.
“Then just say it instead of hitting me!”
Smack!
“Ah! You hit me again!”
“Stop making noise and go find out what kind of woman she is.”
“What difference does it make? If she’s someone the lord personally picked, we can’t just kick her out.”
“Then we’ll make her leave on her own.”
Toma Harens tilted his lips into a crooked smile.
“She won’t last even a month. Just watch.”