"So you're my client?"
"That's right."
"Please state your requirements."
Leon cleared his throat and began laying out his vision to the workshop master, who stood there silent and expressionless:
"This plot of land. I want it built into a base of operations."
"The main building should be a castle estate, the whole thing done in classic Orario style, with grey-white as the dominant color, and the exterior walls decorated with fine relief carvings. The core design philosophy is the fusion of architecture and nature. The whole estate should be half-concealed by greenery and woodland, a semi-hidden design that perfectly blocks any view from outside."
"The grounds need to include the following elements: a lawn, a forest, stone lanterns, a domed stone pavilion, a stone fountain, winding cobblestone paths, and a pond water feature. The tree varieties should be diverse, and ideally you'd transplant in some old, mature trees."
"As for functional buildings: I need a sunken circular library with high ceilings, the style combining a sense of mystery with a magical atmosphere, and the reading area accented with greenery."
"The bathhouse should use marble as the primary material, again continuing the classic Orario style."
"On top of that, the workshops for alchemy, pharmacy, tailoring, smithing, and cooking, plus functional spaces like a magic research lab, a meditation room, and a prayer room, all have to be complete. If I've left anything out, please help fill in the gaps."
"Lastly, both above ground and below, I need a wide drill ground and training ground respectively. The area has to be large, and most importantly, the structure has to be solid and sturdy."
"For the rest, things like various storerooms, an ice cellar, a basement and so on, please plan those in as well, with the emphasis on being practical and durable."
"As for the other details, you're the professional. A professional job should be left to a professional."
"Oh, right, they probably have plenty of specific ideas too." Leon turned and ushered the ladies beside him to the front. "I'll leave the rest of the time to them."
And so the "workshop master" found himself facing a row of eager gazes.
"..."
Rose stepped forward with a smile:
"Hello. We've also got... well, a teeny tiny bit extra to ask for."
"Everyone here needs their own private suite, with the dressing room and equipment room being top priority. And of course... depending on each person's tastes and specialties, every suite should have a teeny tiny bit of variation."
"..."
Facing the ladies' steady stream of detailed demands, the young "workshop master" architectural master stayed expressionless throughout, methodically recording each suggestion on file.
As a "tool guy" generated by the power of the contract, "he" only needed to handle building the house exactly to the client's specifications. But for the clients, Leon and the others, there was a great deal more to consider.
For instance...
How to balance beauty against practicality?
Or for instance...
How to strike the perfect spatial design that accounted for both convenience and privacy?
"..."
...
It wasn't until the sky had gone fully dark that the ladies reluctantly wrapped up their discussion.
"Mr. Workshop Master, that's all the requirements for now. If we think of anything else later, we'll get in touch with you. Does that work?"
The "tool guy" remained expressionless:
"The client is my faith. The client's needs are my mission."
At those words, everyone visibly relaxed.
"Excellent. He really is an architectural master summoned by contract!"
Looking at the whole chattering crowd, Leon gave the workshop master a nod:
"Then let's get started. The wages count from today."
"Oh, and one question. How long is the whole project expected to take? I mean everything, exterior and interior fully ready, up to the standard where we can just 'grab our bags and move in.'"
"Fifteen days."
Leon's breath caught for a second. He opened his mouth but couldn't, for the moment, find the right words to describe such absurd efficiency.
After a pause, he ended up giving a thumbs-up and forcing two words out through his teeth:
"Badass!"
The workshop master's face still showed nothing. He only nodded calmly:
"In that case, I'll begin immediately."
...
What came next was a firsthand demonstration of the sheer might of a "cheat."
The workshop master did something with some kind of tool, and in an instant the entire "Plot No. 666" was completely shrouded and sealed off beneath a thick layer of "Mist Lock." No matter what method anyone used, the outside world could no longer catch any glimpse of what lay within.
Even more astonishing, in the forest park bordering the western edge of the plot, the occasional passerby and the idle gods of mischief who happened by seemed utterly unaware of the mist, walking on by exactly as usual, as though... the area covered by the "Mist Lock" had simply vanished from outside awareness entirely.
This kind of power...
Leon and the others felt a chill run down their spines.
"Holy shit, cognition erasure? Even gods might not be able to sense it?"
Leon stared, slack-jawed, at the passersby who noticed nothing at all, his scalp prickling...
"This 'Mist Lock' is more broken than a certain goddess's charm brainwashing."
He clicked his tongue, then settled back down.
He'd been worried that this workshop master's outrageously shocking construction methods would land them in serious trouble. If the guy made a huge scene, they'd never have any peace afterward. But now, with this "Mist Lock," he could finally put his heart back where it belonged.
"Master! This 'Mist Lock' function looks pretty great, actually. Hm... when you're doing the magic circle enchantment on the castle at the end, please be sure to add a similar system. I know that without the 'contract's blessing' the effect will be diminished, but as long as it has illusion, early-warning, and faint cognitive-interference functions, that's enough."
"The client's needs are my faith."
Leon: "...."
Seeing that the workshop master had no intention of conversing and had simply buried himself in his rapid work, Leon and the others exchanged glances for a moment, then tactfully left the wide stretch of land that was about to become a construction site.
"Leon, this contract power... isn't it a bit insane?"
Laurier kept glancing back at the mist-veiled plot as she walked, unable to keep from murmuring in awe.
Leon raised his index finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture:
"Keep it low-key, low-key. We just need to quietly get rich without making noise..."
With that, he reached out and ruffled Laurier's blond hair hard, until she looked like a small animal with its fur all puffed up, only withdrawing his "evil claws" under her puffed-cheeked glare.
"Come on, cheer up~"
Leon gave a mysterious smile, then suddenly whipped a scroll out of the inner pocket of his nylon coat:
"Look. The 'Contract Scroll' didn't disappear after being used."
"Hehe!"
"Huh?"
Jeanne didn't quite catch on, her little face a touch blank.
Rose's eyes lit up, though. She quickly grabbed Leon's hand and pressed for an answer in a lowered voice:
"You mean... this 'architectural master' contract can be reused?"
Leon's brow lifted, his smile smug:
"That's my Rose. Right. The contract really can be used to summon again."
At that, Irisviel suddenly spoke up softly:
"But what's the price?"
Leon: "..."
Come on, Iri. Where'd you pick up that whole news-formula routine?
He grumbled inwardly, then silently cracked a grin:
"As expected of a noble young lady from the Einzbern house, a prestigious lineage of mages well-versed in alchemy. You put your finger right on the key point!"
After first praising Iri's sharpness, he shifted his tone:
"Ahem, the price, well..."
He rubbed his nose and looked at the scroll in his hand with a slight pang of distress, explaining helplessly:
"Each new summon, the hiring fee multiplies tenfold, unless there's a gap of at least three years before summoning again. Otherwise, with consecutive summons, every single summon will multiply the architectural master's pay tenfold over the last one."
Everyone: "..."
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