Chapter 37: Diligent Evance and the Finished Necklace
EVANCE had arrived alone in the imperial capital. He lived in a certain old man’s house as his apprentice.
At first he tried to enroll at a school of architecture to study, but he wasn’t allowed to have an interpreter, so he had been at a loss on what to do. “Unfortunately, there isn’t much else we can do.” The schools’ employees only had responses along these lines for him and they struggled to conceal their prejudice against him since he was from the southlands. Evance himself didn’t notice their attitude, but his interpreter, Herman, did as he translated next to him.
Herman was disappointed about losing a job he thought would last a long time, and on his first day no less. Worse though, he felt extremely sympathetic for the large, good-natured young man as he dispiritedly hung his head. Which was why Herman appealed to the president of his company about Evance’s dismal situation.
“Boss, isn’t there anything we can do to help him?”
The president of the firm summoned Evance to him that same day after listening to Herman.
“I can’t ignore your plight because you’re here on Lady Bertine’s introduction. Marquess du Jeanne and I have had a long friendship, ever since he helped me start my company, so I’ll do what I can for you out of my debt to him.”
Hope blossomed on Evance’s face.
“Evance, I’ll introduce you to a famous architect, one who contracted our translation services in the past. I’ll draft a letter of introduction for you, but it’s up to you to entreat him with the resolve you arrived here with. Though he’s currently retired, this architect is famous all around the world, not just in the Empire, so it’s your responsibility to make a strong impression.”
“Thank you so much, president! I’ll do everything in my power to convince him to take me on as a student!”
And so, Evance visited the home of Eckhart Beck with Herman accompanying him.
“I would like to study to make my dream houses a reality. But the school of architecture wouldn’t accept me if I needed an interpreter. So, please, sir, I beg you to allow me to study under you.”
He pleaded with Eckhart through Herman. Eckhart was a small man in his sixties. A pair of reading glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, over his upturned eyes. He peered at the large young man sitting in the chair across from his.
“Hmmm. Tell me, what kind of house do you want to build?”
“Here, let me show you.”
Evance placed his sketchbook on top of the table then turned to the page with his favorite design. Eckhart Beck took the sketchbook in his hands and flipped through the pages, studying Evance’s designs. All of the houses were strange to say the least. A house that resembled an egg standing upright on a plate. Another that took after a mushroom. He wanted to ask Evance if these houses were designed for fairies to live in.
Eckhart couldn’t contain his chuckles. But he gave Evance his full consideration, scrutinizing every design until he reached the end of the sketchbook.
“It’s a darn good thing you didn’t receive admission to the school of architecture,” he said. “If you had, these ideas would have been stamped out of you, never to see the light of day. Because that school is designed to churn out architects ready to draw and build in the mainstream styles. They would have rejected all of your designs.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, indeed. Now, you listen to me, young man. Buildings are for people to use. So the most important thing is whether or not a structure is safe. The buildings you want to create lack that essential factor. Typhoons, heavy rains. Your buildings must be strong enough to withstand either of those phenomena, so you must take safety into consideration when designing. The appearance of a building comes after you can guarantee its safety. Henceforth, you will live in my home and learn the fundamentals of how to build a safe structure first.”
Evance stood up in a rush without thinking. “You’ll teach me then?”
“Yes. Your way of thinking intrigues me. I retired a long time ago from teaching, but I find myself interested in the idea of bringing your houses to life. This challenge is perfect as my last architectural project. Yes, yes, intriguing indeed. I envy you for being able to dream up these ideas.”
Favored tremendously by fortune, thus Evance became the elderly architect’s apprentice. The famous architect possessed a wealth of practical experience. He hadn’t lost his passion for architecture either, so Evance’s fated encounter with this man would prove enormously beneficial for his future.