“Actually, the Knight Order’s dormitory has gotten quite old. It’s about time we did some repairs.”
The dormitory was a large, three-story building, and counted as one of the landmarks of the city of Northernford.
Come to think of it, it did look quite old and worn down.
“I thought about asking the local carpenters, but the Knight Order’s dormitory doubles as an armory and is crucial to the territory’s defense, so we have to keep its internal layout a secret.”
“But carpenters really don’t like being put under strict confidentiality. When the dormitory was first built, we commissioned a noble-favored workshop from the royal capital. But if you ask a workshop from the royal capital, you have to cover their craftsmen’s travel and lodging expenses, and some of them have such high opinions of themselves that they look down on our knights as country bumpkins.”
“So the repairs have just been left undone all this time. But then, the knights heard about how Will built houses for the Dwarf Clan, and they said that if possible, they’d like Will to handle the repairs on their dormitory, too.”
I see.
That makes sense—since I’m the lord’s son, it wouldn’t be a problem even if I came across military secrets, and I’m happy the knights are relying on me.
“Understood, Father.”
“Oh, you’ll take care of it? I’m counting on you.”
This is the first job Father has entrusted to me, so I’m fired up.
It’d be boring to just patch things up where they’re broken.
While I’m at it, I’ll listen to the Knight Order’s requests and renovate as much as I can.
“Liam, Father has asked me to repair the Knight Order’s dormitory. I’d like to take this opportunity to make any improvements we can—have the knights made any requests?”
“No, just having the repairs done is plenty for us. Well, there are some who dream of having a bath, but that’s just wishful thinking.”
A bath, huh.
It’s true, after working up a sweat during training, you’d want to take a bath.
But in this world, baths are a luxury.
Right now, it seems they just wipe off their sweat with water drawn in tubs.
Alright, I’ll do what I can to build them a bath.
From the next day, I had Teo help me out, and we started fixing up the damaged parts of the dormitory.
No matter how much magical power I have, I can’t handle it all alone.
Teo was a huge help—he didn’t mind at all that the work came with strict confidentiality.
Where the wood had blackened or was dented, we replaced it with new timber, and where the stonework was chipped, we patched it up with fresh stone.
With the Production Skill, the work went quickly.
And Teo proved to be a reliable partner.
Even though it was a huge, three-story building, we managed to get the basic repairs done in less than a week.
Now, time for the bath.
First, I’ll add a bathhouse next to the first floor dining hall.
I gathered wood and stone for materials and activated my Production Skill.
Once the room was built, it was time to work on the interior.
I wanted the floor tiled, not just made of stone.
Lately, the Dwarf Clan had started firing tiles.
So I asked them for some.
They told me I didn’t have to pay, since I’d helped them so much, but I insisted and paid them properly.
I filled the gaps between the laid tiles with plaster.
The main ingredient in plaster is slaked lime, which you get by burning limestone and adding water.
I remembered seeing an explanation like that in a documentary back in my original world.
When I looked for limestone, I found some in the Great Forest, so I collected it.
Then, I fetched water from the nearby river, and finished up using the Production Skill.
Focusing on the image of the finished floor, I activated my Production Skill, concentrating on making the bathhouse a relaxing place for the knights.
Magic gathered at my fingertips, glowing, and a magic circle floated in the air.
When the warm light faded, a tiled floor appeared.
I combined two colors of tile to create the Knight Order’s crest as a design.
“Master, the floor looks amazing! And using the tiles to draw the crest is a really fresh idea.”
Teo praised me.
Yeah, having a cute apprentice is a real motivation boost.
For the bathtub, I used marble.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any marble in the shallow parts of the Great Forest, so I bought some from a merchant in Northernford.
Father told me I could buy whatever materials I needed.
Marble was expensive, but I’d gathered the other materials myself, so I had some room in the budget.
With the materials prepared, I activated the Production Skill again.
When the warm light faded, a luxurious marble bathtub appeared.
Perfect, just as I’d pictured.
Finally, I used iron I’d bought from the Dwarf Clan to make a wood-fired boiler for heating the bath.
Now, I wonder if the knights will like it.
When I sent word that the repairs were done, the knights who had been staying at local inns or with their families gathered at the dormitory.
“Oh, it’s become so beautiful.”
Seeing how both the exterior and the interior of the building had been spruced up, Liam was impressed.
“That old wreck looks completely different now.”
“Now we won’t have to worry about drafts anymore.”
“Thank you, Lord William.”
The knights expressed their thanks one after another.
I’m glad they’re happy.
“Liam, actually, there’s a little surprise. Could you take a look at the back of the first floor?”
“A surprise? There wasn’t a room back there before.”
When Liam opened the door to the newly added section at the back of the dining hall, he stood there in shock.
“Th-this is…”
“Captain, what’s wrong?”
The knights who followed behind saw what was beyond the door and were struck speechless.
Liam turned around with a face that was a mix of happiness and distress.
“Lord William, we are incredibly grateful for such a splendid bath. But isn’t it a bit of a problem if it’s more magnificent than the Margrave’s bath in the Sanctuary?”
Ah, now that you mention it, you might be right.
When I reported later, Father said he didn’t mind if the Knight Order’s dormitory bath was more impressive.
In the end, we also replaced our own bath in the Sanctuary with tiled floors and a marble tub.
I may have gone a little overboard, but if the knights’ morale is up, then it was worth it.