Chapter 181: Tower
I showed a few designs to the stonemason.
“Can you really carve something this intricate?” I wondered. Wouldn’t it take a lot of time? And would the windows even open?
“Yes, of course! Absolutely!” the stonemason replied enthusiastically.
“When’s the deadline?”
“If you could extend the overall deadline by a month—no, just half a month—I can deliver it.”
Half a month longer than the original deadline, huh? Is he planning to pull all-nighters?
After listening to him, I learned that this stonemason hailed from a bit further north. As a child, he had seen windows like these and thought to himself how he would do it differently, which inspired him to become a stonemason.
“So, when you became a stonemason here, you found that the windows had shutters, huh?”
Since it’s hot here, the windows are usually smaller. Letting in sunlight raises the temperature, so during the day, the shutters are kept closed and opened only at night when the sun sets.
“Yes…”
While there are some elaborate designs for shutters and iron railings to decorate the window sills, the windows themselves are quite simple. I haven’t seen many that are overly ornate.
“How about we make something like this, even if it means extending the deadline?”
If we’re going to do this, let’s go for stained glass windows.
“You’re suggesting something that will cost a lot…”
Ah, ah, I can’t hear you!
Ignoring Kiel’s voice, I continued discussing with the stonemason. The plan is to install stained glass windows and the ones he wants to create in the open hall. It might resemble a church from my original world, but since it’s a hassle, I won’t be adding any colors to the glass or any statues of saints.
Crossing the stone bridge, I entered the Castle Gate Mansion, which has gate towers on either side, leading to the courtyard—what they call the area inside the castle walls. Directly ahead is the building with the hall.
On either side are the mansions for female and male staff. It seems to be the trend now for the mansions of ladies and knights to be separate. I conveyed my rough hopes for the parts I wasn’t interested in, confirming a few things, but left the rest to Kingin, Soleil, and the craftsmen. I have no idea what’s necessary for living with a large group, unlike when I was alone.
The smithy and kitchen attached to the castle wall facing the courtyard can already be used once the doors and windows are installed. In fact, food distribution has already begun for those working in the kitchen.
Aside from the buildings that are integrated with the castle wall, the main structure will use a lot of glass. Since it’s heat-resistant glass, it should be fine even if it gets a bit hot outside, making the building bright.
I was advised to consider security and what to do if enemies attack. Unlike Japan, I’ve learned that thieves here can be quite rough. I noticed that there are narrow windows everywhere, which turned out to be arrow slits, and there are holes above the castle gate for dropping stones. Even though we’re on the sea, remnants of a more dangerous past are scattered all around.
In addition to the heat resistance, the ridiculously sturdy glass influenced by Van is more than enough for my needs. I wonder if the office of Soleil, who was tasked with security for the Castle Gate Mansion and the lord’s proxy, will also benefit from it?
It seems the foundation for the space I plan to use is already in place, so I’ll be making various adjustments from here on out. Building the Forest House is also reaching a critical stage, so things are getting busy.
“Are you sure this tower is alright?”
“It’s pretty much at the edge, isn’t it? Isn’t it a soldier’s post for keeping watch?”
“I like this one.”
The place I chose is a tower that clings to the cliff on the southeast side. Since it’s at the edge of the island, it offers a wide view of the sea. As Kiel pointed out, it was originally a facility for watching for enemies coming from the sea. It should be perfect for me to watch dragons.
“If there’s a hidden passage, it would be a good escape route using the main building as a decoy…”
I froze.
There are several towers, but I found a passage that feels like a hidden route directly accessible from the dock below the fortress. It’s a narrow, dark passage through exposed rock that’s just big enough for an adult to squeeze through. I’m getting excited!
Before letting the craftsmen in, I disguised it to truly make it a hidden passage. The islanders might know about it, but it’s still a hidden passage. Silver is already on the verge of finding out, but it’s still a hidden passage.
The plan is to install glass windows all around the walls of the lowest floor, which is closest to the sea. Regular glass would be a durability nightmare even with frames, but Van’s glass is sturdy enough to withstand the stonework of the tower. In fact, it’s stronger than the stone itself.
The glass I’ll create won’t be very wide, but it will be long. A room surrounded by windows from near the floor to the ceiling should be quite a sight, and I’m looking forward to it.
“Since we’ll have extra security glass, feel free to send some to Soleil’s office or the Castle Gate Mansion.”
“Thank you very much.”
Auro and Soleil have good taste, and Auro and Kiel have a high sense of security. Considering that the two of them have been attacked in the past, it leaves me with mixed feelings.
The lower area will be more of a place to enjoy the view of the sea than the dragons. On clear days, you can faintly see the continent where the dragons live across the inland sea, which usually has calm waves. I’ve heard that on stormy days, when the demon beasts stir in the sea, it can get quite rough, but I haven’t seen it yet.
Somewhere above the middle, there will be another room with similar glass windows. This will serve as both the dragon observation room and my bedroom. I plan to lounge around and patiently wait for dragons to fly nearby.
Before I spot one flying, I might end up heading to the dragon continent. But that’s that, and this is this.
Near the entrance connected to the main building, I should probably create a room to meet guests. After that, a dining kitchen would be nice.
In high spirits, I walked around the tower while planning. I deliberately ignored the protruding part of the tower, a dramatic toilet that drops straight into the sea. I wonder if the sea breeze would be uncomfortable?
No good, I need to check the toilet situation for the construction plan again. And the water facilities too. Ah, what should I do about the screens? While this place isn’t exactly abundant in water and it doesn’t rain much, so I hardly see any puddles, I’m planning to create a lot of waterways.