Chapter 5

As expected, a suspicious gaze bore into me. Cold sweat ran down my back.

“I read it in a book.”

At times like this, I couldn’t panic. I had to stay confident.

“A book like that exists? What’s the title?”

“I’m sorry, but I read it so long ago that I don’t remember the title.”

“Then can you go home and bring it?”

“Unfortunately, it was washed away during the last monsoon, so I don’t have it anymore.”

Calix Kraubel’s eyes sharpened.

But compared to the kind of people I used to deal with, this was nothing.

“Fine.”

Placing the paper I had drawn back in front of me, he said,

“You seem to have considerable knowledge in architecture. How about working in the Urban Planning Department?”

“…What does the Urban Planning Department do?”

From the name, it sounded like it had something to do with cities.

“It is the department responsible for everything from city design to construction and maintenance.”

Despite his blunt tone, Calix gave a surprisingly detailed explanation.

“It’s the perfect place for someone with your knowledge.”

So it was basically the same kind of work I used to do as Han Seon-ah.

“In that case, how about joining and working for Belheim?”

Ding—

[1-2. Accept the lord’s proposal.]
[Reward: 5,000p]

Why did a quest have to appear right now?

And not even a subquest, but a main quest.

Normally, in games, you had to complete the previous quest to unlock the next one.

‘But I don’t want to do it.’

I liked architecture, and I was happy to help people.

But I had literally worked myself to death before. I didn’t want to live like that again.

I wanted a peaceful, healing life this time.

And I definitely didn’t want to work under the final boss of the novel.

[If you fail a main quest, you will receive a penalty, and your life will decrease.]

Just as I was about to refuse, a warning window appeared.

[First penalty: All your points will be lost.]

The points I had earned by running around nonstop during the monsoon… all gone?

Are you kidding me—

[If your life decreases three times, you will die immediately. Please be careful.]

“What?!”

I shouted without thinking.

The lord frowned.

“Did you just speak informally to me?”

“What? Ah, no, I was just distracted for a moment…”

“Oh? You dare think about something else in front of me?”

No matter what I said, it didn’t seem like he’d let it go easily.

At the same time, the system’s warning about death kept bothering me.

Wait. If I absolutely had to accept the main quest, then I could just change the conditions, right?

“…Would it be possible to work temporarily?”

I carefully made my suggestion.

“Temporarily?”

“Yes. It seems you need help with the triangular roofs and drainage systems, so I’d like to assist only with that.”

That way, I could complete the main quest without having to work under him permanently.

Honestly, it was a pretty smart solution.

“I refuse.”

The problem was, he had no intention of negotiating.

“If I continue working under you, people will talk.”

“Why?”

“I’m only twenty, and I lack the experience to be in a management position.”

“Everyone starts somewhere. And age has nothing to do with skill.”

No matter how I tried to persuade him, nothing worked.

Still, this was different from my old workplace.

Manager Park and others always insisted that age equaled skill and that even newcomers needed experience.

“My father is unwell, so I can’t be away for long.”

“Is that the same father who went hunting yesterday?”

…How did he even find that out?

“I’m shy and not very good at socializing—”

“You speak quite well for someone shy.”

This wasn’t working at all.

“Enough with the useless excuses.”

As I struggled to find the right words, Calix spoke firmly.

“You seem to be under a misunderstanding. You don’t have the right to refuse. If I say you will do it, then you will.”

Unbelievable. Abuse of power really was the same everywhere.

“…What if I still don’t want to?”

The memories of being mistreated by Manager Park made me snap back before I could stop myself.

Too late to take it back now.

“Then I will hold your father responsible for raising his daughter improperly.”

…What?

“Is it right for a lord who should protect his people to threaten their lives?”

“If you’re worried about your father, then work in the Urban Planning Department.”

In other words, if Tabin died, it would be my fault.

As expected of the final boss. What a terrible personality.

“I hope you make a wise decision.”

Threatening someone’s life and still pretending I had a choice—ridiculous.

The quest window floating in front of me was just as annoying.

“…I’ll do it.”

I had no choice.

I didn’t want someone innocent to die because of me.

And I had to complete the main quest.

“Good choice.”

The final boss smiled in satisfaction.

[1-2. Quest Complete! Reward: 5,000 points.]
[Achievement unlocked: Rookie Architect.]

The system window sparkled brightly, almost mockingly.

***

Late afternoon, as darkness began to fall.

Normally, this would be the time to wrap up work and prepare to go home.

But due to the monsoon damage, the staff of the Urban Planning Department had been working overtime for days.

They had barely eaten dinner—just sandwiches—and continued working.

Then, a thin man rushed into the office.

“Did you all hear the news?”

“What news? Did another building collapse?”

“Maybe a road this time. Hopefully the one in front of your house.”

“No, that’s not it! The lord personally hired a new recruit for our department!”

Everyone turned to look at him.

The Urban Planning Department was responsible for designing and maintaining all buildings in the territory.

But since the job involved a lot of hard fieldwork, people avoided it.

They were always understaffed, and even when they hired someone, they usually quit quickly.

So the fact that the lord personally recruited someone—

“That’s good news, isn’t it?”

“Then why are you making such a fuss? I thought something serious happened.”

“What family are they from? They must have graduated from the academy, right?”

“They’re not even from an academy—they’re a commoner who’s never even been near one!”

The office fell silent.

And that wasn’t the end.

“And it’s a woman. A woman!”

“…A commoner and a woman? How did someone like that get in here?”

“Exactly. This isn’t work a woman can do. Maybe she was sent to handle paperwork.”

The room buzzed with speculation.

“Maybe she seduced the lord—ugh!”

Thwack!

The team leader, Toma Harens, smacked the employee on the head.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Do you think the lord would fall for something like that?”

“Yeah, he’d probably cut your head off on the spot.”

Another employee laughed.

“Then just say it, why hit me?!”

Smack!

“Ow! You hit me again!”

“Stop making noise and go find out what kind of woman she is.”

“What difference does it make? If the lord brought her in, we can’t just kick her out.”

“Then we make her leave on her own.”

Toma Harens smirked.

“Just watch. She won’t last a month.”