“Don’t worry. I’ve already thought of everything. If things go well, not only might we get the memorial design plans, but Maia’s residence might also be built for free.”
“Huh? Is there such a way? What is it?”
“Heheh. You’ll know soon.”
Design plans must be handled by design plans.
I shoved the items on the desk aside with my arm and spread out a fairly large piece of parchment.
I rummaged through the writing utensil box in the top drawer but closed it empty-handed as I couldn’t find what I wanted.
“Did I throw away the compass and ruler for no reason?”
I recalled the time I accidentally pricked myself with the sharp point of the compass and decided to throw it away since I didn’t use it regularly.
They say that when excrement is used in medicine, it’s hard to find.
No, in this case, it’s more accurate to say that I’m repairing the barn door after the cow has been stolen.
“Guess there’s no choice. If you have no teeth, use your gums. Maia, could you give me any thin book from the bookshelf?”
“Ah, yes.”
Maia handed me a book thinner than the tip of a pinky finger.
I used this book as a ruler while meticulously constructing an architectural style vivid in my mind.
Though I don’t know detailed architectural terms, someone as renowned as Martin would surely catch the core points.
After completing the rough sketch, I stood up from the chair and rolled up the parchment.
“Maia, let’s go.”
“Are you really going to negotiate with just… that rectangular drawing?”
Maia glanced doubtfully at the parchment in my hand.
She tried to peek at what I was drawing from the side, but her expression clearly showed that she couldn’t understand what kind of architectural design it was.
“Yes. Trust me. This is a new paradigm that will redefine the architectural style of this world.”
“I… I know it’s not good to keep asking, but I know that architecture is one of the most difficult professional fields because it’s about building spaces where people live. Surely…”
“Ah~ Of course, I’ll have to do the precise drawing again. What I’m negotiating with Martin is the idea.”
“Idea? The memorial plans were lost less than an hour ago, and you’ve already come up with a building idea in this short time? How…?”
Her face was a mix of seriousness and astonishment, clearly unable to believe it.
I opened the office door, turned my head slightly while showing her my back, and smiled.
“Ancestors’ wisdom.”
While muttering this, I moved toward the central hall.
When we returned to the central hall, we saw the architect Martin leaning against the wall near the window, half-lying down with his mouth open.
His assistant Linelt looked perplexed about what to do and kept scratching his head.
Looking at the gloomy expressions of those two, it was like watching a funeral.
“Martin.”
“……”
“Martin!”
“……”
He didn’t respond when I called.
He just blankly stared at the ceiling with dead eyes, not even blinking when a fly landed on his eyebrows and rubbed its legs together.
This was serious.
Of course, the sense of loss from not protecting his grandmother’s legacy can’t be put into words.
It would have been better if he vented his anger and frustration at me or Maia,
but since actions against a god or priest would constitute sacrilege, he had no choice but to be this powerless.
“Architect Martin. Your current state would please your grandmother greatly, if she were to see it.”
“…!”
Martin stirred.
His eyes that had been fixed on the ceiling slowly turned and locked onto me.
His gaze mixed strong defiance and hostility, as if daring me to bring up his grandmother.
“Seeing you in such an unsightly state makes me understand why you didn’t copy your grandmother’s work but kept the original with you.”
“…”
“Surely, you wanted to always keep her beliefs and values close in your possession.”
“That’s what your assistant turned into foam.”
His answer came from his low voice, seeming very respectful but extremely rude at the same time.
What good does using honorifics do?
It simply determined all responsibility was on Maia.
Maia, with a slave status but a godly bloodline, criticizing a god is the same as an ancient loyalist jeopardizing his own life.
Of course, along with their tragic endings.
But Martin is quite lucky.
Maia appears to deeply regret her mistake,
as she just wrinkled her brow slightly and her expression was full of evident regret.
I adjusted my clothing while calming my mind.
Because I desired a trade, not a confrontation.
“Phew… Seeing you disregard your life like this is somewhat comforting.”
“What is comforting about it, Priest?”
“Onko-chi-shin.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“I’ll compensate for your grandmother’s lost memorial plans.”
I handed him the blueprint I had drawn.
Martin, who had a zombie-like stare, began to regain some energy as he realized the drawing on the parchment was an architectural blueprint.
His eyes darted around like a child discovering an interesting problem.
“Never seen this style before… Where did you get it? Did you learn it from another city of gods?”
“I drew it myself.”
“Huh? Could it be… this blueprint is…?”
“I’ll give you this blueprint in lieu of the compensation. In exchange, please build the priest’s residence according to it. Of course, free of charge.”
“Ho? So you’re offering to settle the loss of my blueprint and the residential construction cost with sharing this architectural blueprint, Ark sir?”
“Yes.”
“Do you really think this blueprint is worth that much, Priest sir?”
“Of course. If you’re a true architect, you’ll recognize its value.”
Naturally, if you don’t recognize the value of my blueprint, you’re not an architect – a cheap provocation Martin readily took.
His sparkling eyes were full of confidence,
and with this, a hint of arrogance came through as he thought about mastering all building types and architectural blueprints.
However, the apprentice Linelt crossed his arms, disrupting the rhythm.
“It’s absurd. A single mistake in buildings can lead to fatal disasters. Haven’t you seen countless people die from ceilings collapsing due to one misaligned pillar?”
“Linelt, you’re overstepping.”
“It’s clearly a mess. It’s not worth even looking at. It might be a wicked scheme trying to casually overlook a chaotic blueprint!”
It becomes apparent now that Linelt takes life risks by defending Martin.
A mess, you say?
You’ve caught my attention.
“If you look closely, you’ll understand. Take a look together.”
With his slightly excited Linelt calmed down, Martin turned back to me.
“What is this architectural style called?”
“Ondol.”
“Ondol… Ondol…”
“It’s a great water room containing the wisdom of my ancestors, so examine it thoroughly.”
The housing structure in this world is similar to that of the Middle Ages.
It is largely divided into wooden and stone buildings,
and considering Artemis’s inclination towards living in harmony with nature,
it is necessary to focus on wooden buildings.
All buildings except the temple are wooden,
and my residence is no exception.
Does that mean only wood is used?
Not necessarily.
Even a child knows wood is vulnerable to fire.
Therefore, the walls with fireplaces are finished with stone.
Thus, homes are heated through fireplaces to survive the cold winters.
Of course, my accommodation follows this method too, and in the early days, I remember weeping quite a bit because smoke from the chimney came into the room instead of going out.
What makes me uncomfortable is that firewood must be left in the room for the fireplace to function properly.
What do you think if you had a pile of logs next to your bed?
It’s quite irritating and uncomfortable.
I started with the idea of eliminating this discomfort and easily found a relatively suitable architectural style,
which proudly borrows the wisdom of our ancestors.
“So… divide the square exactly into eight parts, making six smaller houses, one shared kitchen, and one bathroom. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It’s like having small houses inside a large one.”
Indeed, Martin grasped the structure of modern studio apartments just through experience and intuition as a world builder who only knows detached houses.
However, Martin’s gaze kept lingering down, seemingly unsure about one particular part,
frowning and unfrowning repeatedly as he muttered incomprehensibly.
“What on earth is this bottom part? Foundations need to be sturdy. Why create an air passage here?”
“That’s the key. It’s a structure where heat from the hearth travels beneath the floor.”
“……”
“How about it? Will you accept my offer?”
I rolled up the parchment spread on the table again.
Then, holding it up again, I asked him whether he would agree to the deal.
At this point, Linelt interjected again with exaggerated gestures.
“You shouldn’t accept it. Boring holes in the floor is unheard-of nonsense! Heat will escape through the stones rather than warming them!”
“……”
“We’ll have to cover all costs ourselves. Surely, such a chaotic construction would tarnish your reputation, sir!”
“……”
“Besides, it’s about the priest’s residence. If there’s any issue with the building, all responsibility will come back to you!”
“……”
Linelt firmly opposed from the very beginning, offering quite pragmatic advice.
Yes, you’re right.
This won’t be regarded as construction by those who strictly believe floors need to be sturdy.
The more safety-focused an architect is, the more conservative their judgment will be.
If I had the time and money, I’d love to build one myself to show its effectiveness,
but unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury.
“Mr. Martin.”
“Yes, Priest sir.”
“Are you an architect who clings to past glories and fails to look towards a better future?”
“Holding this parchment seems to be your way of saying this can take us to the future.”
“Any first step is always unfamiliar and frightening. I assume your initial steps as an architect were probably the same.”
“…!”
Martin swallowed hard.
Swallowing that saliva together with his worries, he chose to move forward without hesitation.
That day, they began constructing the unfamiliar ondol-style residence.
