episode_0063

63. Apartment Completion

The apartment had been successfully constructed.

Once the wooden formwork reinforced with steel bars was removed, sturdy and well-dried concrete was revealed.

Of course, the bare concrete floors and walls couldn’t be used as they were, but as soon as the wooden paneling was added, the interior would be complete.

That said, despite being a 15-story high-rise, there were no elevators.

On top of that, there wasn’t even a proper heating system like ondol, so freezing to death in winter was a real possibility…

“As long as we have medieval bridges and burning passion, we’ll be fine.”

Truthfully, that was only half a joke.

Adel would sell civilian heaters at the general store she was building, so it wouldn’t be much of an issue.

The only other complaint would be the lack of windows, perhaps?

“I never dreamed windows would be this expensive.”

Glass windows were exorbitantly costly in medieval times.

The technology to produce or process glass cleanly was simply lacking…

Unless you were in a place overflowing with money, like the Grace mansion or the imperial palace, wooden shutters were the norm.

Slapping expensive luxuries like glass onto an apartment for commoners was impossible.

Anyway, even assuming dwarves existed, they were blacksmiths, not glass artisans.

More than feeling joy, I stretched and muttered to myself, relieved that one troublesome task was finally complete.

“Finally, the long and arduous apartment project is over.”

“Good work.”

“Great job!”

The two adorable dwarf sisters beside me—Brook and Eitri—who had worked even harder than I had on-site, offered their congratulations.

The cute dwarves raised their fists toward me, and I bumped my massive fist against theirs, marking the end of construction.

From now on, it would be the tailors and carpenters’ turn. There was nothing more for us to do.

As Brook, Eitri, and I celebrated, a woman stepped in.

Aris, wearing glasses and looking sharp, smiled brightly and congratulated us.

“Congratulations, sir!”

“Yeah. Finally done.”

“…You don’t look happy.”

My unusually indifferent reaction seemed to puzzle her.

From Aris’ perspective, this was a historic moment—the first multi-family housing complex ever built.

And on top of that, this wasn’t something thrown together quickly; it was constructed after much hardship. Naturally, she’d expect enthusiasm.

I answered honestly to her questioning look.

“Well, if it collapsed, who knows how many people would die?

Knowing that hundreds of lives depended solely on my calculations doesn’t exactly fill me with cheer.”

Adding to that, I had already tried stupidly using Roman concrete once before, which only made me more cautious.

Besides, architecture wasn’t my specialty. I had meticulously calculated the pillar placements and load-bearing, but anxiety still gnawed at me.

Even though it wasn’t my field, the fear of missing something—knowing that a single mistake could lead to a disaster like the Sampoong Department Store collapse—wasn’t pleasant.

Yeah… This was why I hesitated so much in the beginning.

Whether it was making stoves, hot air balloons, or pianos, I agonized over every step.

Because I never knew what kind of catastrophe my mistake could bring.

Still, if I had stayed arrogant… especially during wartime…

No—let’s stay positive.

Seeing me like this, Aris adjusted her glasses and offered some comfort.

“Sir. Your invention of ‘concrete,’ this new material, will bring tremendous change and innovation to the empire.”

“…Probably.”

It was a technology that wasn’t supposed to exist for another thousand years.

Having unleashed an invention a millennium ahead of its time, massive change was inevitable.

Aris studied me, stepped closer, and met my gaze.

Eyes as clear as cool ocean waves… Or a cloudless blue sky.

She hugged me tightly and whispered reassuringly.

“Being too optimistic isn’t great, but being overly pessimistic is worse than arrogance.

So, have some confidence. Or, if you’re too anxious…”

She pulled back slightly and stared straight into my eyes before answering.

“Lean on me.”

As if hypnotized, I nodded reflexively while staring into her sky-blue eyes.

Brook and Eitri beside us loudly protested.

“Hey! We—the Huldera sisters—helped the most!”

“I agree…!”

While watching the three women argue, someone draped an arm over my shoulder.

The familiar, soft-feeling arm could only belong to Adel.

When our eyes met, she grinned mischievously.

“Oh? You recognize it’s me just from your shoulder being touched? What a pervert.”

“…….”

How could I not?

Three weeks ago, she ordered, “Come to my room at 11 tonight!” and had been tormenting me daily since.

In the middle of it all, whenever she reached her climax, those sharp nails raked down my back…

Did she sense my thoughts?

Adel smiled sheepishly and patted my back.

“Still hung up on that? I gave you potion, so no scars. What’s the big deal?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

As we whispered among ourselves, Aris arched an eyebrow.

Then, as if noticing something, she stared at Adel and asked,

“…Adel, are you putting something on your skin?”

“Huh? No, why?”

“Somehow, your skin looks radiant.”

“Ahaha…”

Well, since she sucks my energy dry every night, no surprise there.

Come to think of it, Vivienne was the same—maybe the Grace family has some energy-absorption ability?

At the moment I entertained this rational suspicion, Mr. Antre clapped loudly, grabbing our attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen. It’s time to wrap things up.”

“Right. We should start accepting tenants soon.”

The final touches meant covering the floors and walls entirely in wood and doing final inspections.

At the same time, we needed to decide on tenant selection criteria.

Adel stepped forward, waving papyrus documents in hand.

Seeing this, Aris narrowed her eyes.

“I’ve already prepared the selection.”

“You’re not just favoring the wealthy, are you?

This building was made for the people. If the rich take over, serious problems could—”

“Do you really see me as that much of a miser?”

Adel wagged a finger disapprovingly.

Notably, the land where these five apartment buildings stood originally belonged to Adel.

Though she sold it cheaply, she remained a major shareholder with significant stakes in the project.

“A true businessperson looks ahead, not just at immediate gains.

Sure, selecting only the wealthy to drive up prices would earn quick money now.”

“But…”

“Instead, I’ll prioritize families—especially those with many children.”

Her answer caught me off guard.

I hadn’t expected Adel, who earned her wealth through moneylending, to show such sentimentality.

Seeing our dumbfounded faces, Adel scoffed and elaborated.

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t make this choice out of morality.

Firstly, families with kids are more likely to stay long-term, ensuring steady rent.

Secondly, the general store nearby is almost finished. More children mean more sales of furniture, utensils, and groceries.

Thirdly, when those kids grow up and move out, they won’t hesitate to live in new apartments.

This is an investment for future customers—residential needs near factories.”

In other words, unlike short-term stock flipping, this was a long-term investment.

But Aris, still skeptical, scrutinized Adel with half-lidded eyes.

“…Is that really the only reason?”

“Of course! Besides, aren’t these our dear elder sister’s precious citizens?

If they’re drained dry and wither away, she’d suffer losses.”

“…I’ll take your word for it.”

Unlike me, Aris didn’t seem convinced by Adel’s sincerity.

A business-minded schemer and a public servant were bound to clash repeatedly.

Lost in thought, I nervously scratched my cheek—until Adel leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“Though some don’t dry up, no matter how much I suck them dry.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Looks like I’m in for another rough night.

────────────────────

About two weeks had passed since then.

Erika had left to form an alliance and wage war roughly two months ago.

By now, it had been about eight months since she forcefully employed me.

“The apartment is a success…”

A lot happened in those two weeks.

We inspected the apartments for defects and confirmed there were none.

Following Adel’s advice, Aris selected tenants—prioritizing families with children.

They were overjoyed, though only because securing housing in overpopulated Prezia was a miracle.

Having lived their entire lives in standalone homes, adjusting to this entirely new structure would take time.

A survey was conducted immediately after move-in, and the results?

A staggering 723 out of 750 households loved it!

“Considering different tastes across eras, I feared they’d struggle to adapt… Thank goodness.”

Farmers, accustomed to dirt floors in their homes, now lived in apartments requiring shoes off and walking on pristine wooden floors.

Families with hygiene knowledge were immensely satisfied…

“And the factory played a huge role.”

Where there are jobs, people gather.

The factory offered stable, decent wages without farming—a major draw.

Naturally, residents were thrilled to live close to it.

Adding to this, Adel’s general store was also receiving rave reviews.

“They acted like money replicated itself.”

I wiped the newly crafted item with an oil-soaked cloth, reminiscing.

Adel had been so ecstatic she even sweetly offered interest-free loans.

As if feeling guilty for clawing my back nightly, she even trimmed her nails short.

Everything was going suspiciously well.

Unnervingly so.

“Hey! Get out here, now!”

Of course, smooth sailing never lasts.

Brook rushed in with urgency, dragging me to Aris’ usual meeting room.

Aris, Adel, the trio (Kansonmi), Brook and Eitri… even high-ranking officials I didn’t know—all wore grave expressions.

Though she held the least seniority, Aris—acting as Erika’s proxy—sat at the head of the table and spoke solemnly.

“This is an emergency meeting.”

“Something serious enough to involve me?”

At my question, she nodded.

Though I did participate in wartime alongside Erika, my focus was supposed to be development.

I wasn’t a headache-inducing strategist like Grandfather Lucarion, nor a general.

If I was summoned anyway…

Aris’ next words confirmed my suspicions.

“We’ve received a distress letter from Her Majesty.”

Shocking news—the Grace army (no, the allied forces) were on the verge of defeat.