INBE 11

Chapter 11

“Ah, come to think of it, I need to do the main quest.”

Only after leaving the annex did the main quest come to mind.

There’s no way they’d give a penalty just because I failed, right?

Feeling uneasy, I quickly checked the quest window.

[1-3. Earn recognition from the head of the Urban Development Department team.]
[Reward: 5,000p]

“What? It’s the same.”

Then does that mean I didn’t fail?

Well, if I had failed, a system window would’ve popped up like when you succeed.

“But why isn’t this considered a failure?”

I didn’t just fail to get recognized by Toma Harens—I got kicked out.

Could it be that there’s no time limit, so it won’t count as a failure unless I give up?

“Man, I don’t get the criteria.”

Just like the surprise quest yesterday, I couldn’t figure out what the conditions for success were.

“I can just leave it for now, right?”

But usually, don’t you have to complete the previous main quest to unlock the next stage?

If that’s the case, then I’d have to either complete or give up this quest…

“Ugh, whatever. My head hurts. I’ll think about it later.”

I was already irritated to the point of my head boiling because of Toma Harens, and thinking about this on top of that made it feel like my brain would explode.

It’s not like I’d find an answer just by worrying about it.

I’ll just ask when the system window shows up next time.

“More importantly, where should I go now?”

If I went home at this hour, Tabin would definitely worry.

Didn’t he keep asking yesterday if something had happened when I came back late?

“Maybe I should go check out that triangular roof the team leader made.”

Yesterday, I only glanced at it while passing by, and it was dark so I couldn’t see it properly.

Just how well did he make it to be so confident after copying someone else’s technique? I should see it for myself.

Belheim was largely divided into 10 districts, with District 1 being where the lord’s castle and annex were located.

The place where I saw the triangular roof was District 3, where wealthy merchants lived.

“It’s clean.”

Maybe because of that, the buildings looked luxurious, and the streets were spotless. There wasn’t a single piece of trash in sight.

“There’s no sign of monsoon damage here either.”

Around the city gates and in the districts where commoners lived, people were still suffering from flood damage.

But from the lord’s castle to District 3, there wasn’t a trace of damage.

It was probably related to magic as well.

“But why install the triangular roofs here?”

Shouldn’t they install them first in the areas with the most damage?

As questions kept piling up one after another, I arrived in front of a building with a triangular roof installed.

“What is this?”

He boasted so confidently that he made it far better than mine, but this is a complete mess.

The triangular roof was too small for the size of the building, and the slope was too gentle, making it easy for rainwater to collect.

At this rate, not only would there be leaks, but there was even a risk of water flowing backward.

“Don’t tell me they made the others like this too?”

I thought that, as a team leader, he wouldn’t be that incompetent—but I was wrong.

The triangular roofs installed on other buildings were all just as terrible.

“And he dared to look down on me with this level of skill?”

It was absurd, but at the same time, I could understand.

Compared to modern times, the construction technology of this era was severely lacking.

Concepts that were basic to me would naturally feel unfamiliar to them.

Just like I couldn’t understand the team leader, he probably couldn’t understand me either.

“This area is protected by magic, so it might be fine even if it’s installed carelessly… but if they do this in other areas, it’ll be a disaster…”

This wouldn’t prevent monsoon damage—it would actually amplify it.

There was a very high chance that the damage would become even worse than before.

“What should I do?”

Should I tell the lord about this, or not?

‘If I tell him, my plan to look incompetent and get fired will go out the window, right?’

But it also didn’t make sense to stay silent while knowing people would be put in danger.

My conscience wouldn’t allow it either.

“Please, I’m begging you!”

Just as my thoughts were leaning more and more toward telling the lord, I heard a desperate voice.

“If this continues, our house will completely collapse!”

When I turned to look, a boy who looked about ten years old was pleading with some men.

“Ugh, seriously. I’m busy to death, so don’t bother me!”

One of them let out an annoyed sigh and kicked the boy.

“Ah!”

The boy’s body lifted into the air and flew right in front of me.

“Are you okay, kid?”

Startled, I quickly supported him. There were scrape marks from being dragged on the ground, but fortunately, he didn’t seem seriously hurt.

“Waaah!”

The boy burst into tears and clung to me.

“Are you okay now?”

I waited until he stopped crying before asking.

The boy wiped his wet eyes with his sleeve and nodded.

“Who were those men?”

“They’re carpenters from the Orc Heart Workshop.”

Orc Heart.

The largest carpentry workshop in Belheim—the same place that had rudely asked me to teach them how to make triangular roofs before.

“During the last monsoon, the ceiling broke and water poured in. The walls and floor are all soaked, and it creaks every time we walk. There are a lot of holes too.”

“Then you need to fix it quickly. If you leave it like this, more problems will come.”

“My parents already asked the workshop, but they just said their schedules are full and told us to wait.”

The boy’s eyes began to moisten again.

“So I tried asking them myself. If this keeps up, I think the house will completely collapse… sniff…”

Unable to finish his sentence, the boy shed large tears like falling beads.

‘That’s pitiful.’

I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t know after hearing everything.

More than anything, home repairs were my specialty. I had completely fixed up Tabin’s house too.

“Where’s your house?”

The boy, who had stopped crying, looked at me with wary eyes.

“…Why do you want to know where my house is?”

“To help. I’m a carpenter too.”

“You are, noona?”

The boy asked again as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Carpentry is something men do.”

“That’s a misconception. Women can do it too. And I’m quite good at it.”

The boy still looked doubtful, but he seemed a little less wary than before.

“So guide me to your house. I’ll help with what I can.”

After hesitating for a moment, the boy nodded.

“Please come this way.”

The boy’s house was an old multi-family wooden building where several households were stacked together in a single low structure.

“Haha…”

The moment I stepped inside, a hollow laugh escaped me.

The corridor ceiling was covered with spreading stains from water seepage, and the wallpaper was peeling weakly.

The floor was damp, unable to dry after absorbing moisture, and made squishing sounds with every step.

The problem was that this wasn’t just one building.

Even the building across the street, visible through the window, had stained walls, and rainwater was still pooled in the alley.

‘This isn’t something that can be solved by fixing just one house.’

If the entire area wasn’t addressed, the same problem would repeat.

But such a large-scale task wasn’t something I could handle alone.

Above all, it would require permission from the administrator in charge of this district—and ultimately, the lord.

“What are you looking at like that?”

“Hm? It’s nothing. Is this your house?”

“Yes. Please come in.”

Following the boy inside, I held my forehead.

The condition inside was even worse than outside.

One of the pillars was completely bent, and the wood was so soft that it sank even when pressed by hand.

It was such a mess that I couldn’t even tell where to begin fixing it.

“Can it be fixed?”

The boy carefully asked while watching my expression. The faint hope in his eyes felt a bit burdensome.

“It can be fixed… but more importantly, we need to solve the root problem.”

“The root problem?”

“Yeah. If we don’t solve that, no matter how much we fix it, the water will leak again.”

The boy’s face stiffened.

“Then what should we do?”

“I think it’d be best to talk with your parents about that…”

I looked around the house, where I couldn’t sense anyone else, and asked:

“When do your parents come back?”

“Late in the evening. They work at the Arcana mine.”

Arcana.

A magical stone used to create magic tools or cast spells—Belheim was a place where Arcana was abundantly produced.

It was said in books that more than half of the workers living here worked in the Arcana mines.

“Then when do they rest?”

“Tomorrow.”

At least they rest on weekends.

“Then I’ll come back tomorrow with the tools for repairs. But…”

I bent my knees to match the boy’s eye level.

“Can you call your parents and the other adults living in this building?”

“Why the other adults?”

“Like I said earlier, this isn’t something that can be solved by fixing just your house. We may need to fix the other houses too, so I want to ask them.”

“You really will fix it, right?”

The boy asked with lingering doubt, and I smiled as I gently patted his head.

“Of course. I’ll come back tomorrow, so wait for me.”