episode_0064

“What in the world is this…”

How many floors is this exactly?

1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor…

It’s a whopping 12-story building.

Isn’t this too low to be called a building?

You have to consider that this is a fantasy world.

Here, there’s no electricity technology or water pumps.

As a result, pulling up water and energy to the upper floors is all within the realm of magic engineering.

It’s not just expensive, it’s ridiculously expensive.

And inefficient too.

That’s why the setting was that only Pentenburg could afford such extravagance.

What on earth happened in the workshop…

“Wow! This is the place called Basel’s Watchtower!”

“Watchtower? A military facility?”

“No, it’s a magic stone workshop.”

“Why is the name like that?”

Voices coming from right next to me.

Seems like tourists from the north.

It seems like this place has already become a landmark in Basel.

There are even people who come specifically to visit the workshop.

Perhaps that’s why there are cafes and restaurants on the first floor of the building.

I thought about going in to take a look, but there were too many people inside, so I gave up.

“Wow. It’s amazing. Other workshops won’t be able to imitate this and spend money like this. It will function as a unique landmark for a while.”

“Do you have an interest in buildings?”

“Yes?”

“You seem to exude sophistication just by looking at you! I work in a place like this…”

Suddenly, a man approaches me and hands me a business card.

He’s holding it while carrying a child and supporting his hip, so he doesn’t have a free hand.

Instead, the child takes the card and shows it to me.

“If you need anything, please contact us anytime!”

“…”

Handing me just one business card, the man disappears like the wind.

The card reads as follows:

– Quick, quick, spacetime architect! Anything quick, quick!

– We have successfully constructed 32 buildings in the free city of Pentenburg!

– We are the only ones with experience in constructing a 50-story high-rise building! Even higher floors are possible if you have enough funds!

Seems like a building design that I’ve seen somewhere before.

It’s probably the work of the company that made those dull concrete blocks that are abundant in Pentenburg.

“They must have made a lot of money.”

In Pentenburg, in order to maximize capacity in the limited space of the plateau, they erected dozens of these extravagant buildings.

If it were a flat city like Basel, there wouldn’t have been a need to go to such lengths.

Still, amidst the mundane buildings, having one skyscraper standing tall does give it a majestic look.

Basel is already quite a popular tourist destination.

And now, it seems like it has become a landmark in Basel.

“I hope they didn’t overdo it.”

I can’t help but worry a little.

If something unsightly happens to the exclusive architect who will take care of my magic stones in the future, it will be troublesome.

I hope there won’t be any bankruptcy due to the backlash of building construction.

“Next customer, please. Place your magic stones on the scale here and fill out the application form for processing.”

“Please take a number and wait in the waiting area.”

“This is the reception area exclusively for Master Tay, the magic stone craftsman. For consultations and estimates from other artisans, please use this reception area.”

“Wow.”

The moment we entered the building.

Mi-jeong let out a short exclamation.

Even though she was unimpressed by the neat and beautiful natural scenery of Elvengard.

But it seems she never imagined such a spacious and open lounge view indoors, as she couldn’t close her mouth.

“Should I also take a number?”

I don’t want to cause a commotion like last time by striding through the waiting line.

I don’t want to cause trouble at Tayne’s workshop, so I want to avoid that.

“VIP counter?”

As I pondered.

I spotted an empty counter.

No one seemed to be around, so I have a feeling it’s meant for someone specific.

Without hesitation, I approach that counter…

“Welcome. Are you here to entrust your magic stone processing?”

“Yes.”

“Please follow me inside. Come this way.”

The employee who recognized me from before stands up energetically to greet me.

And naturally pushes a wall to reveal a hidden corridor.

After a short walk, we arrive at a cozy and spacious waiting room.

“I’ll call Master Tay. Please wait a moment. Would you like some coffee or tea…”

“It’s fine. We can wait by ourselves, so you can go.”

“Yes, then…”

The employee bows and leaves the waiting room, indicating for us to wait.

Looking around the waiting room, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

The interior was very flashy.

It wasn’t quite as extravagant as a palace, but it was still clean and luxurious.

It gave off a sophisticated vibe in many ways.

Ding!

It had been about 5 minutes since I started waiting.

Soon, I heard the sound of the elevator stopping.

“Investor-nim!”

As soon as the door opened, Tae ran out with a bright smile.

And then, he hugged me tightly around the waist.

Tae looked just like he used to.

In his shabby work clothes, worn goggles, and even some tools hanging from his waist, everything was the same.

“Have you grown a bit?”

It seemed like he wasn’t exactly the same as before.

He seemed to have grown a bit.

In less than a month, he had grown a lot.

Must be a growth spurt.

“What’s up?”

“Hehehe!”

Ignoring Mijung’s helpless expression, Tae continued to bury his face in my chest and pat me lightly.

I felt a little relieved.

Tae was still the same.

I was worried he might suddenly show up in designer clothes, sunglasses, and a haughty attitude, but he didn’t.

“Oh, uh. Oops?!”

As I reached out to touch Tae’s head.

Tae quickly stepped back.

Then, blushing slightly, he said, “I was too busy to do my hair…”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m not okay!”

“By the way, did the workshop get a lot fancier?”

“Hehe. Yeah? It’s all thanks to the investors! I used all the money I saved up for the past two weeks to build this building, and I didn’t have a penny left!”

“What…?”

Wait a minute.

What does that mean?

He built this luxurious building with the money he saved up in just two weeks?

Without even taking out a bank loan…?

“You managed to raise the money to build this building in just two weeks?”

“Hehe. Actually, I didn’t plan to build such an expensive building from the beginning. There were a lot of craftsmen who wanted to join our workshop, and there were so many apprentices who wanted to learn from me that I couldn’t handle it. So I tried to buy another plot of land nearby. But all the workshops in the area united and refused to sell the land. They kept saying they wouldn’t sell even if I offered ten times the market price! There was no way to expand sideways, so I had to go up. That’s how I ended up building this building. Hehe.”

There were circumstances.

At first, he built it with tears in his eyes, but once it was built, it became a landmark and brought unexpected tourism revenue.

You could say he was lucky.

Of course, luck alone wouldn’t have been enough to hold onto it without vision and resources.

“Isn’t this building mostly built with your money? The workshop must owe you a lot of debt.”

“99 percent of it is my money! That’s why I have to participate in the management of this workshop until all the debt is paid off!”

“How long is the repayment period?”

“I can never pay it off! I’ll only pay back the interest, and I’ll never get back the principal in my lifetime! It’s practically my workshop for life!”

“…”

The workshop had incurred a huge debt.

No wonder all the employees called out to Tae even when he wasn’t around.

It was only natural for a boss to be treated that way.

“So? What are your aspirations as the leader of this giant workshop?”

“I don’t have grand aspirations… I just dream of making the top-quality gems as common as the mid-range gems that people treat. The top-quality gems are expensive, and the quality varies greatly depending on the craftsman. Skilled craftsmen always have long waiting and working times. With the resurgence of dungeon conquests, the top-quality gem market is growing, so I’m working hard to excel in it!”

His dream was big.

But coming from Tae, who handled 90% of the top-quality gems in the area, his words didn’t seem empty at all.

If anyone could do it, it would be Tae.

“It seems like you can do it easily. You even have apprentices, right?”

“Yes! My goal is to open a specialized academy for top-quality gems in the future!”

Building such a huge building, managing hundreds of employees, and having such a dream.

To me, he looked like a kid excitedly laying out his future plans.

To me, he still looked like the same Tae I first met.

The only difference was that he had grown a bit and now exuded confidence in his attitude.

“That was a long chat. Here’s the gem you’ll be working on this time.”

“How many this time?”

“Just one. Unfortunately.”

“This time, it can’t be the same as last time with that black mana stone, right… Uwaaa! It’s another black mana stone!”

Tae, who opened the box, burst into tears in fear.

While a confident expression is good, sometimes it’s nice to see this side of him.

“You’re not confident about this?”

“If you’re not confident, then there’s no one who is. You’re the only one who has processed a black mana stone.”

“But that was only once!”

“Other people don’t even have that one experience, so there’s that.”

“Uwaaa…”

In front of other people, he may be a professional who only presents flawless mana stones, but in front of me, he becomes a clumsy and young kid.

I roughed up Tae’s head to give him some strength, knowing well that the result will turn out well despite all the fuss.

I know Tae’s skills the best.

“And this.”

I take out the mana stone I received from Elvengard.

Tae’s eyes fill with curiosity once again.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a newly acquired mana stone. I want to get some feedback on it. Can you quantify its performance for me?”

“Wow! It’s so clean! But the processing method is unique. Is it made by the Dwarves?”

His eye for detail is truly remarkable.

He immediately recognizes that it was crafted by an Elf.

After examining the mana stone for a while, Tae carefully puts it back in the box.

“Alright. I’ll leave the evaluation to the experts. You should receive the results within 10 minutes. But is this for a gift?”

“Yes.”

“For whom? It’s not for a woman, is it? Who would give such a gift to a woman…”

“It’s for a woman.”

“…”

Tae’s smile disappears.

His expression becomes awkward.

What’s wrong?

It’s a gift for Cornelia.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”

“Your demeanor seems off. Is there something bothering you?”

“It’s nothing! I’ll finish processing the mana stone by tomorrow, so come back in the afternoon tomorrow! I’m busy now!”

“Hey…”

Tae hurriedly pushes me out, and I had to leave immediately.

He must be really busy.

Is this the life of a popular artisan?

I’m in awe.

“…Rascal.”

“What? Why.”

Mijung pokes my waist sharply.

Suddenly…?

‘Why did I do that.’

After chasing away the investor.

I need to resume work quickly, but my sluggish body doesn’t seem to listen.

I feel like such a fool.

I shouldn’t have done that to the investor.

“Sigh…”

My heart is troubled.

I feel drained of energy.

I just want to continue resting like this today.

“Sigh… Giving a mana stone to a woman…”

My mind is too cluttered to focus on work.

A mana stone for a woman.

Not just any mana stone, but a meticulously crafted one that exudes luxury.

“It must be an engagement gift…”

If you’re giving such a luxurious mana stone to a woman, it can only be for an engagement.

Among the Injuk, especially the nobles, it’s common for men to give mana stones to women as engagement gifts.

‘And it’s not even ours, it’s from the Elves…’

Dwarven mana stones are known for their cost-effectiveness.

Not only in terms of cost-effectiveness but also in terms of absolute performance, Dwarven mana stones outshine those of other races.

Yet, for some reason, the inferior and unnecessarily expensive Elven mana stones enjoy popularity.

Perhaps it’s due to their well-crafted brand image.

Despite being far behind in all aspects compared to Dwarven mana stones, Elven mana stones are preferred over them even as luxury items.

The investor chose an Elven mana stone instead of a Dwarven one.

At this point, it became clear.

That it was not a mana stone for actual use, but a mana stone for an engagement gift.

“Ugh… I hate this…”

I didn’t have high expectations.

There’s a significant age gap between me and the investor.

And we live in different worlds.

But why is it that at the first sign of an engagement, this wave of melancholy washes over me?

Even though I know I have no right to feel this way, I can’t help but feel a growing resentment towards this unknown woman.

“I liked her first…”

Although initially it was for different reasons, now it’s different.

I’ve grown a lot too.

Dwarves grow rapidly as they achieve success in their respective fields.

As evidence, I had been stagnant in my growth for a while, but recently I’ve started growing rapidly.

It’s almost there now.

The investor couldn’t wait for that time…

“I really hate this…”

I lie back and cover my eyes.

Tears are about to fall any moment now.

I just hate this situation.

I look so pitiful and miserable that I hate it.

It feels like being eliminated from a race I didn’t even participate in.

“······I could be a laughingstock.”

But I quickly regained my composure.

I’m not ready to give up just yet.

The fact that the investor’s engagement is not confirmed, and even if it is true, the other party could still reject it.

Of course, rejecting an engagement with a fine man like the investor would be foolish······.

Not everyone in the world recognizes the value of the investor.

If you’re a noble with a high nose, you might treat the investor like a mere commoner.

So, there might still be a chance.

“I need to······ improve my skills more······.”

I’m still lacking.

Even when I received the Black Magic Stone this time, I couldn’t help but mutter weakly.

No matter what Magic Stone I receive, I need to confidently dive into my work.

I must be able to produce the best results without any regrets.

Furthermore, as my skills improve, dwarves have a way of growing······.

I will become so great that the investor won’t be able to ignore me anymore.

In a short time······.