9 - Now They’re Appearing in This Country Too!
AFTER our eventful trip to the elemental palace, you would assume we’d be free to take it easy for a while, right?
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
I didn’t mind meeting with Marie’s father, Towen, to discuss matters related to Project Roslan. The problem was the person Towen introduced me to: the guild master of the Carpenters’ Guild in the Linus Empire, Master Warnock.
He was a strange person who wouldn’t deign to respond if you forgot to address him as “Master” and had been rather forcefully visiting every day for a few days now.
The first time we met, he ran over to me, shouting with great force, “So you’re the one who made that small tower?!”
“Yes, though Daux and Marie helped…”
“Then who thought up that method of using the suntate support beams?!”
Aren’t you getting a bit over-excited, mister? At least stop spraying me with spit while you speak! I am technically a noblewoman, so you might be accused of criminal disrespect!
“Um, me?”
Master Warnock’s eyes practically bulged out of his head when he heard that, and he grabbed me roughly by the shoulders. I had just enough time to register a moment of genuine fear before Shinki scooped me up, and Towen dragged Master Warnock away from me.
“Master Warnock, please calm down.”
“How can I possibly be calm at a time like this?! This little child has easily solved the fortification issue that our greatest minds have pondered over for years to no avail!”
I wasn’t the one who came up with this technology; engineers developed it many years ago on Earth…
“Does it matter who came up with the idea? I think what’s more important to focus on now is how you will implement this technique…” I protested weakly.
“Of course that’s what an aristocrat would say.”
Eek, it looks like this has seriously damaged his pride…
“But you, the esteemed members of the carpenters’ guild, are the only ones who have the skill to construct anything using that idea, right?”
That’s something to be proud of! Focus on that instead of seeing a random little kid as a serious rival, please!
“Well, of course. This isn’t the kind of thing you can achieve by just casting a few spells and calling it a day!”
Exactly. Magic isn’t all-powerful by any means. If you blindly use magic to stack up the materials to build a structure without any forethought, it will immediately fall over. You need to create a blueprint, prepare the foundation, and construct the building in a careful order, checking periodically to ensure it’s right. For all of this, the skill that can only be obtained through experience is invaluable. I’m certain this is no different from Earth.
“I wouldn’t dare to presume that I could make any kind of efficient use of those suntate support beams,” I said. “I don’t have the skill. That’s why I entrust the matter entirely to the expertise of the carpenters’ guild.”
With such a reputable group of professionals on hand, I’d have to be crazy not to leave it to them. An amateur like me being overcome with hubris and trying to do things beyond my skill level would only invite disaster.
“Hm, so you’re saying you’ll just hand over the technology of those suntate support beams to us?”
“Yes. Just as with the 2-dimensional drafting method, when professionals get their hands on it, they can vastly improve upon the original concept.”
Both the 2-dimensional drafting and the H-shaped support beams had been recreated based on my terrible drawings and rough explanations. The carpenters had improved the technique I’d poorly described, making it more professional and practical to actually use for drafting blueprints.
“Wait, you were the one who came up with the idea of 2-dimensional drafting as well?!”
“I made a teeny tiny request to the Kingdom of Gaché’s carpenters’ guild, and they very kindly used 2-dimensional drafting for all the blueprints for Project Shiana.”
“Good grief…! I just can’t win, can I?!”
The way he ran his hands aggressively back and forth through his hair in agitation reminded me of a typical testosterone-fueled civil engineer.
All he’s missing are the trademark “knickerbocker” style construction trousers with tabi-socks and a sweat towel draped around the neck—the defacto “uniform” worn by virtually every construction worker in Japan!
Master Warnock sheepishly apologized for his brusque and borderline rude manner. I got the impression he wasn’t a bad person but just wasn’t very good at social interactions. He didn’t seem to hold much regard for things like social status and instead cared more about a person’s reputation in their trade.
“The unique perspective of children can sometimes be so innovative that it dumbfounds even adults, wouldn’t you say?” Towen remarked with a wry chuckle. He turned to me and begged my forgiveness on Master Warnock’s behalf, to which I replied with a genuine smile that I wasn’t offended.
“What led you to come up with the idea for those suntate support beams?”
I felt guilty for lying but didn’t see any other option. “When you’re playing with blocks, you can only stack them so high before they fall over, right? I experimented with stacking blocks in various ways, and this pattern seemed the most stable.”
They seem to be buying it, but is that really a good enough explanation?
But blocks are a believable cover—what kid doesn’t play with them? And, anyway, I’m sure anyone with an architect’s heart can relate to the desire to somehow find a way to stack a round block on top of a triangular one!
“All right! Nefertima, I believe you said your name was? You shall become my apprentice!”
Both Towen and I gaped at Master Warnock’s sudden and unexpected announcement.
Apprentice? He wants me to train to become a carpenter?!
“Master Warnock, no matter how tolerant Lady Nefertima may have been up to this point, there is a limit to her patience! Please do not forget that she is an honored guest from the Kingdom of Gaché.”
“Even so! She’s a genius. If we start training her now from a young age, she could become the greatest carpenter of our time! No, there’s no doubt about it; she surely will become the greatest carpenter of all time!”
He’s getting very excited all on his own, but there is no way I’ll ever become a carpenter!
“Unfortunately, I don’t possess any magic, so I don’t think I could become a craftsman.”
Some trades, such as the culinary arts, were ideal for those with very low-level magic, but my magic was so insignificant that I couldn’t cast even a single spell.