Chapter : 05

At the same time, in front of the fortress.

Bang, crash!

With a loud noise, the fortress collapsed completely.

Vero Anzen, who received the 【Young Architect Award】 for designing over 100 buildings.

He was now trembling under the cold gaze of Grand Duke Raphael Kairozen.

“Why.”

“Th, that is… I, I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? Building a fortress without proper understanding of demons? The fortress atmosphere not harmonizing with this place at all? Or building the fortress at a height that demons could easily jump over? Or perhaps… embezzling construction material costs?”

As sharp words continued, Vero Anzen standing before the debris trembled.

“A, all of that…?”

As Vero Anzen sniffled, Tein, Raphael’s aide standing beside him, spoke mockingly.

“You’re disqualified just from embezzling materials, but listen. Lord Raphael wants a design that’s simple yet splendid, modern yet elegant. You got the design wrong from the start.”

“…”

“Why can’t you do it? It’s easy, isn’t it? Simple yet splendid.”

Young architect Vero Anzen wanted to say something.

So what exactly is that supposed to mean?

How could that be easy?

But after receiving the Grand Duke’s cold stare, he could only freeze up.

Then, Raphael slowly reached out and lightly tapped the debris of the fortress Vero Anzen had designed.

Soon, a bluish light flowed from Raphael’s fingertips.

The energy flickering in Raphael’s hand.

It was the powerful force that people called the ‘light of death,’ capable of annihilating everything.

‘They say just brushing against that light means instant death.’

With a soft sound, Vero Anzen gulped as he watched the fortress completely disintegrate into thin air.

Su, surely that light came right up to his face…

Vero Anzen stiffened his body and barely managed to mumble.

“Pl, please spare me…”

But Raphael answered indifferently.

“Don’t worry, you won’t die. It’s perfectly controllable.”

Aide Tein shrugged as if it was nothing.

“Right. You can assume Lord Raphael’s ability never becomes uncontrollable.”

But Vero Anzen’s mind was filled only with the fact that the ‘light of death’ had grazed past his hair.

“Hi, hiccup. Hiccup…”

After hiccupping for a while, Vero Anzen collapsed to the ground with a thud.

“Well then, farewell. Oh, and the embezzlement case will go to trial, so make sure to receive your punishment properly.”

With those final words, Raphael left as coldly as the winter wind blowing through The North.

His aide hurriedly followed behind Raphael.

“Phew, what will you do now? That guy is definitely a terrible embezzler, but is there even an architect who could impress Lord Raphael? You’ve already rejected over ten people. Such a damn perfectionist control freak…”

“Really? Say more.”

“…is what I’ve never once thought. Please don’t kill me.”

“I see. I won’t kill you, I’ll just annihilate your existence.”

“Eek.”

But it was right then, as they were exchanging their emotionless conversation.

The sound of someone chattering reached Raphael’s ears as he stood askew, coming from the fortress entrance.

It was a bright and cheerful voice rarely heard in The North.

“My goodness. The entire castle has collapsed! This is really a big problem.”

It was Serenthia.

Raphael wasn’t particularly surprised to hear Serenthia’s words.

She was someone who came up from the comfortable Southern Region.

So she wouldn’t be able to endure it, and would surely be disappointed by The North’s inconvenient situation and say she’s returning to the south soon…

“I want to lend a hand in building too!”

…What?

“That… Your Grace the Grand Duchess…?”

“Why? I’m an architect. I graduated from the Architecture Academy and even have an architect’s license!”

“It’s not that I doubt you…”

“I’m actually a genius architect. I can read clients’ minds. That means I can design ‘buildings that are simple yet splendid.’”

He stopped walking.

The boldness that could force Melorsi, the head maid with over 30 years of experience, into silence.

That was…

The shamelessness of that woman who had asked him ‘May I call you honey?’

***

“Hello? I’m architect Serenthia Rosemary.”

Inside the study where he would normally hold ‘architect meetings.’

Raphael sat facing the prospective Grand Duchess, Serenthia, and asked cynically.

“I’m sure your profession was different yesterday. Did you change jobs?”

“It’s a side job.”

“…”

“Ah!”

Serenthia seemed to finally notice her own suspiciousness. She rolled her eyes with a worried expression.

“…Is there perhaps a clause prohibiting side jobs for the position of Grand Duchess?”

No, she seemed completely unaware of her own suspiciousness.

With a not-very-expectant expression, Raphael said.

“Then let’s start with your personal details. You said you’re an architect. What buildings have you constructed? Do you have urban planning experience? Portfolio?”

“Ah, I have none of those!”

“How cheerful.”

Her eyes sparkled.

“Yes, thank you for the compliment!”

That was absolutely not a compliment.

But true to his personality of working rather than wasting time on useless arguments, he didn’t point it out and asked the next question.

“So what do you have to say. I don’t hire architects without portfolios.”

“What if I don’t have a portfolio but can prove my ability?”

“…What?”

“I heard that Lord Raphael hires people regardless of experience or position if they can prove their ability!”

The woman’s words were not wrong. It was an expression within the lines he had drawn.

‘Certainly there’s no procedural flaw.’

So rejecting her for being the Grand Duchess would be the real procedural flaw.

Because Raphael had indeed told Tein that he would ‘hire someone if they had ability even without a portfolio.’

Since Raphael didn’t want to say useless things, he leisurely picked up an hourglass.

“I’ll give you exactly ten minutes to appeal your talent as an architect. When ten minutes pass, all the sand will have fallen. Begin.”

“Y, yes!”

“So, how do you plan to prove this ability of yours?”

“Please give me a pen and paper.”

Despite this clearly being a situation to be nervous about, Serenthia’s eyes sparkled.

***

Meanwhile, despite speaking so confidently, I was inwardly swallowing my bewilderment.

Because…

“To boldly reveal you have no portfolio! You, I guarantee it. You have **top 1%** judgment!”

Squirrel grandpa, you said you were a divine beast…

‘I can understand briefly speaking formally because I’m the Grand Duchess then suddenly switching back to casual speech with such vigor!’

He clearly said to me when coming here, ‘Make a contract with me. I’ll help you leap forward to become a ‘great architect’ by demonstrating my abilities!’

So we even completed the contract…!

‘What? Was his ability just spouting nonsense, no, was it flattery?’

Moreover, his flattering tone strangely resembled the soulless artificial intelligence I saw in my previous life…

‘So he wasn’t just a squirrel, but a squirrel GPT?’

But has anyone ever helped me in my life? I’d be grateful if they just didn’t get in my way!

Since this guy chose to be a squirrel GPT, I have no choice but to break through with my own skills alone.

…Just as I resolved this and firmly gripped my pen!

Squirrel whispered solemnly.