Published: January 15, 2026
The scene shifted, and in the new dining hall of Fortress City Cayenne, tables were arranged and the banquet began.
After working too hard on everything from refurbishing the castle to renovating the barracks, my mind had gone blank. But where on earth were all these dishes prepared? No, I vaguely remembered hearing something about the preparations already being done, so maybe all that was left was just to cook or grill them?
With that thought, I glanced around the dining hall. The brand-new tables, which I had just made, were a little over-detailed, but they surprisingly matched the atmosphere of the dining hall well. Around the wide, large tables sat Lord Panamera, Zetros, and also Arte, Dee, Bell, Rosalie, and me.
Since the start of the fortress city's renovations, Lord Panamera had been smiling the whole time. Seeing him sitting excitedly at the brand-new table made it feel like a full-blown birthday party. I definitely wanted to prepare a cake with as many candles as his age.
In high spirits, Lord Panamera looked around happily and spoke up.
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work today. Especially, Viscount Van has done great work. I look forward to your continued efforts.”
“A month, right? I’ll do my best for a month. After that, we have a barbecue planned once I return.”
“Of course. Since you'll be coming back again in six months, let's see you off with smiles.”
“We’re not exactly sure when yet...”
As we chatted, Zetros cleared his throat and spoke.
“Lord Panamera, I believe the relationship with Lord Van is extremely important and valuable. We must not strain this relationship by making unreasonable demands. Many construction workers in this city depend on this work. I humbly suggest distributing the workload to keep everyone employed.”
Upon hearing this, Lord Panamera responded with interest.
“I see. That’s a good idea. If we use those workers, how fast can the city renovations proceed?”
Thomas, who manages the facilities, nodded and answered.
“Building one residence takes about a month. For a three-story building, around a month and a half.”
I was the first to be surprised by that.
“Wow, a month! That’s fast!”
Though it was an honest reaction, Thomas and the others gave a wry smile.
“No, I don’t think it compares to Lord Van’s building speed…”
Hearing that humbly, I suddenly felt a pang of guilt from an unexpected place.
“You process the lumber, make the foundations, erect pillars, then build the walls and ceiling, right? A month is impressive. What about the roof?”
“We either make roofs from stone tiles cut to about a palm’s thickness, or use a special kind of clay that’s hardened by firing.”
“Oh, tiles… Then the tile makers can prepare the roofing material while the building is going up, right? Don’t you build stone structures much?”
“Stone buildings are usually for castles, churches, and other large structures. Residences sometimes need to be demolished and rebuilt quickly, so wood is mostly used—easier to repair and faster to build. Recently, brick buildings are increasing, but those are usually constructed by organizations like the adventurers’ guild or trade companies. They require more time and cost, though.”
Curious, I asked more and Thomas answered everything. I was glad.
“Have you tried reinforcing wall materials strongly to build houses without pillars? It might reduce steps and speed up construction…”
“Huh? Building without pillars? That would compromise strength…”
We were getting into a deep discussion, but Lord Panamera cleared his throat sharply and made us stop.
“All the dishes are laid out now. Shall we begin?”
“Huh?”
Looking over the table at Lord Panamera’s words, it was packed with meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits—no gaps at all. Even in front of me was a glass of fruit juice, though I had no idea when it was poured.
“When did this happen!?”
“Several attendants have been coming and going this whole time.”
“I didn’t notice at all.”