Phewwwwwww!!!!!!!!!
Once again, Maia sprayed the hot tea she had been sipping all over my face.
And this time, probably because tea wasn’t enough, she added the crumbs from the cookie she was chewing on.
“……”
“……”
“……”
The central hall of the temple, which had heated up with discussions about the design plans for the priests’ residence, suddenly quieted down as if someone had poured cold water over it.
Ah, of course, in reality, I wasn’t drenched in cold water, but in hot tea…
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Among the people at a loss for words, only Maia, who was sitting next to me, continued to cough violently.
It seems like she’s turned her back on me entirely this time, as it’s already the second time.
“Here…”
Linelt, the architect’s assistant, offered me a towel with an indescribable expression.
With the dry towel in hand, I wiped my face while trying to make sense of this incomprehensible situation.
Wouldn’t spraying liquid in someone’s face like this normally only happen in comedy shows on TV?
And hasn’t something like this only happened twice—when a reckless person executes a prisoner?
Realizing this didn’t solve anything, I shook my head to clear my thoughts before I sank deeper into a rut.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
This time, it seems the cookie has lodged in her throat, as Maia, leaning forward with her head bowed, couldn’t stop coughing.
With her back still turned, I lightly pounded on her in a few places with my fist, then nodded at Martin as I indicated the design plans on the table with a tilt of my chin.
“Ah, understood. Linelt, quickly gather all the design plans back up.”
Since the precious design plans might get wet under these circumstances…
Linelt quickly understood the urgency of my unspoken request when Martin gave the assistant a swift order.
This is already the second time Maia sprayed tea…
Which means it could happen a third, a fourth…
This place lacks any concept of insurance against such risks, and there are barely any copies of anything…
These design plans, most likely, must be the only originals…
If Martin were to claim damages because the plans got wet, Artemis would undoubtedly put up a fuss to expel Maia…
Especially since I’ve already set a limit of three hamburgers a day; who knows, it might get worse…
“Hey! Hey! The design plans are tearing!”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Linelt was hastily folding the design plans, but I slapped his hand, warning him to be careful.
While doing this, I noticed he wasn’t entirely reliable, so I joined in with my own hands.
“The plans shouldn’t fold. You have to roll them like this.”
“Yes.”
“Great. Now, handle them gently.”
As the architects exchanged these brief remarks…
Bang!
Maia suddenly stood up amidst the violent coughing fits.
In the process, her legs accidentally bumped into the table…
And just like that, the bar table that held the unfolded design plans tipped over by a full 180 degrees.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Her coughing became even more intense.
Unable to bear it any longer, Maia rushed off to the restroom.
Why is she acting like this, really?
Any sense of joy I might have felt about having such a competent junior has long since vanished.
We need to maintain a calm and dignified image in front of outsiders…
In this state, there’s no way I can give Maia a passing grade…
Come to think of it, can I even grade her in the first place?
“Ah… sorry. My junior has just started work today and made a few mistakes?”
“Not a few… too many—cough!”
As Assistant Linelt tried to interject one additional remark, Martin skillfully elbowed him in the side to shut him up.
Already it was awkward…
Martin, nice job.
“Let’s clean up.”
“Yes, Priest.”
Hiding the bubbling resentment within, we flipped the table back upright and began cleaning the floor.
Just as I was about to reopen the discussion regarding the 300 gold…
Martin suddenly turned pale upon lifting up a piece of paper…
Unable to help but open my mouth wide…
A pristine white design sheet that had fallen to the floor was now thoroughly soaked in water.
Thud.
Unable to withstand the weight, the soaked paper tore from both ends, where Martin had been holding it, and fell to the floor below like the tail of a lizard being severed.
Martin gently lifted it up once more…
But every time, the wet paper disintegrated under his fingers, tearing apart in real time as if it were being boiled into noodles…
Ink eventually started to spread, filling the page with large and small black circles resembling mold…
Pointing towards the ruined plans…
“By any chance… this design plan?”
Fervently hoping it wasn’t, I inquired…
To which…
“Yes. This is the final design of the 3-story guild commissioned by Ark…
“Still, you have multiple copies, right? You’re not just carrying around one single original, are you?”
“It’s the original… and it’s the only one we’ve got.”
The premonition of impending doom wasn’t wide of the mark—it hit full-on…
“…”
“…”
Silence stretched out as none of us knew how to continue the conversation…
Martin, who lost the design plans that held his expertise…
Me, unwilling to pay for something I don’t consider my fault…
A silent reconnaissance battle has begun…
I’m definitely at a disadvantage here…
But I, the priest of Artemis, didn’t achieve this position easily…
This is the time to put our goddess’s name to good use and glide through this situation as if nothing happened…
What!
If I just list a couple of Artemis’ infamous tantrum episodes…
There’s no way the other party wouldn’t be forced to keep quiet…
Hahaha…
Our temple’s financial situation is a bit iffy…
Sorry, Martin…
If there’s any fault, it’s simply because I’m the opponent…
“Mr. Martin the Architect. Actually, to be honest, a month ago on Luna, Artemis—”
“This design… was my grandmother’s final work… Aaah… Grandma… I’m sorry for failing to keep your legacy safe!!!”
Before I could leverage Artemis’ name, Martin countered first…
Clutching his knees, Martin wept, striking the floor with his clenched fists, blaming himself…
“…”
So, wasn’t this supposed to be a modern strategy of attacking first…
Moreover, it’s your grandmother’s work…
That kind of precious asset should have been left at home, with a copy brought out instead!
This is all your fault!!
Yes. It’s not my fault at all…
None of the events that unfolded here were my fault!!
“While Artemis essentially lets her emotions dictate her actions, two months ago, there was an incident where a woman yawned, and her house was leveled as a result—”
“Uh… Grandma… I miss you so much!!”
“…Shit.”
*
Spending time calming down Martin, who was wailing loudly enough for the temple to hear, I stepped out of the hall and returned to my personal office.
I flipped open the ledger from the bookshelf and checked the recent price of high-quality design plans sold on Luna…
“Jesus… Are you serious? Even if it’s the plan created by the best architect, 30 gold? That’s like 30 million won for a piece of paper?”
With that exclamation, I flung the ledger onto the sofa…
Cradling my head with interlaced fingers, I began processing this ridiculous situation…
First, the suspicions…
“Surely, it can’t possibly be a set-up between Maia and Martin, right?”
No matter how I look at it, I feel targeted…
But soon enough, I realized there’s no time…
“Then, what should I do? If Artemis, who’s already been searching my every move, finds out about this… Ugh, it’s terrifying just to think about.”
“Besides, it’s not my fault. Maia suddenly had a fit and knocked the table over, spilling water onto the plans. It’s not my fault!”
“Moreover, the fault lies with Martin for not bringing a copy.”
I’ve reached the point of playing soliloquy in a one-person play…
Why should I have to deal with mistakes made by others? Injustice threatens to consume me…
“Responsibility”
I was reminded that a priest’s position and standing come with responsibilities…
“Alright. I momentarily lost my mind. I’m a middle manager. I need to take responsibility for the mistakes of those under me.”
As I cleared my mind and closed my eyes, I returned to the beginning of the incident…
The incident started with Maia’s impulsive actions…
Instead of why she did it…
I need to pinpoint when, where, what, how…
“Everything was fine while I was speaking. So, the moment she or the architects spoke.”
However, when Maia brought the dessert cart and looked at them, she didn’t exhibit any strange expressions…
“Then, it’s not about individuals but likely something wrong with the conversation. Got it.”
I mentally replayed every word they had spoken…
– Maybe even someone like Mr. Heracles wouldn’t easily destroy it, huh? Hah hah hah!
– Cutting the deal further to 300 gold would be a loss on my part, I believe.
– Good. Now, handle it gently.
As I reviewed all of Martin’s lines…
A common theme emerged…
That word…
Hera.
‘He-Ra’ class
‘Loss-‘he-ra’
‘Gently-‘he-ra’
“Come on. Really? Seriously? No way.”
What I imagined felt absurd…
However, considering that Maia endured long-term harassment from Hera and eventually escaped to live in a cave thanks to Hermes’ nimble help…
It starts to feel less outlandish…
“One test.”
I asked a believer to bring Maia to my office, and she returned within two minutes.
Upon entering the office, Maia stood nervously, fidgeting her hands and refusing to sit down.
“Maia-san?”
“I’m so sorry. I’ve made a grave mistake.”
As she acknowledged the error while bowing her head…
Perfect…
One test…
“Uhhhehehe! I want some la-bbokki!”
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Maia widened her eyes and couldn’t resist the urge to vomit, erupting in a hacking fit.
Even when she talked with me, she seemed fine, but when her eyes darted to me confused…
“Cough! Cough! A… Ark-san? What… what is going on here?”
“I’m not a doctor, so I can’t provide a precise diagnosis, but Maia-san experiences these symptoms when hearing the name of the goddess of home.”
I informed her briefly about what I had deduced…
Though Maia found it difficult to believe herself, the context fell perfectly into place, leaving her speechless.
It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t trust it…
The most convincing method exists…
“Hera!”
“Cough! Cough! A…! This… it’s true, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Maia-san. We still don’t know if this is a psychological issue or some other factor, but we should visit Apollo for a consultation if we find the time.”
“Thank you very much. But how about the design plans? I heard the legacy was lost.”
Her awe of me was overshadowed by the concern about the compensation she faced…
Though worried, she nervously paced…
I calmed her with a V sign…
“Don’t worry. I’ve already thought of everything. If things go well, not only the design plans might be recreated, but we might also build Maia-san’s accommodation for free.”
“Really? There’s such a way?”
“Heheh. You’ll find out soon.”
Plans should be dealt with using plans…
