Over the past few days, I had been overseeing the investigation in the church district during the day, but now that the underground survey was complete and the excavation work had begun, I decided to step back from the site.

I might resume once the demolition of the underground passages begins, but for now, all that’s left is digging holes.

There’s no real need for me to be there, so, as usual, I’m sticking close to Seriana and spending my time in Liesel’s office.

It’s now January, deep into winter, and perhaps because things are gradually getting busy again, Seriana has been working since the morning.

Normally, when I’m not out hunting during this season, I’d be lazing around on the sofa I’m currently sitting on—but today’s different!

“Sera, I’ll leave the documents here.”

Fiora said this as she placed several file folders in front of me and sat down on the opposite sofa.

“Mm. Thanks!”

The files had a noticeable presence, and their contents were all documents related to magic tools for various facilities.

I’d borrowed materials from Fiora before, but I was still uncertain about the design, so I decided to borrow new documents.

The previous ones mostly featured items meant to be installed outdoors.

Since the memorial monument would be built outside, I figured that would be fine, but… how should I put it… all of them had a similarly grim and imposing design.

Maybe that’s just unavoidable when building something outdoors that still functions as a magic tool.

Well… in this world, the only large structures that would deliberately install such things outside are basically public institutions anyway.

That’s why I asked Fiora to prepare different documents today.

This mansion is the same, but large buildings generally have a system for managing magic tools throughout the entire interior, including a power source.

They’re often built with exteriors that blend into the building well, and I thought I could draw some inspiration from that.

I’m not sure how the church area will eventually develop, but it probably won’t become a place where soldiers are stationed. I have a feeling going in this direction is the right call.

“…There sure are a lot of options.”

As I flipped through the documents, I noticed that unlike the outdoor types, these featured a rich variety—some disguised as pillars, others as shelves, or installed behind walls or under staircases.

Even though there were only simple illustrations and brief descriptions, it still got the point across well.

“There are a lot more options indoors. Still, the memorial monument is going to be built outside, right? Are you sure it’s okay to use indoor designs for reference?”

“Hm? No… not exactly, but there are just more design options here. It’s good for inspiration.”

In my previous life, even without the internet, you could look up architecture from other places in travel magazines and such, but over here, unless you go yourself, there’s no way to check things out.

That’s why documents like these, packed with various examples, are incredibly useful.

Fiora nodded softly with a quiet “I see,” then, perhaps reminded of her own work, opened another file and began writing something.

Judging from the movement of her pen, it looked more like she was drawing diagrams than writing text.

Well then—can’t let myself fall behind! Time to get back to sketching—er, designing.

◇

Night had fallen, and now I was in Seriana’s bedroom.

Same as always.

It was already late, so both Teresa and Fiora had retired to their rooms, leaving only Seriana and me here.

Seriana sat on the sofa, reading a book.

She had been working through a pile of unread books since the rainy season… and while she had made some progress, I heard she had merchants bring in more books during the winter, so that pile will likely grow again.

Including the books she’s finished, they’ll soon outgrow the shelves.

There’s a library in the main building of the mansion, but at this rate, the south wing might need one too.

The books are just ordinary stories, and not an overwhelming number, but I think opening the collection to guests staying at the mansion wouldn’t be a bad idea.

But first, she’s going to have to work hard to shrink that mountain.

Now then… while Seriana reads, I’m continuing the design for the memorial monument that I’ve been working on since earlier today.

After going through all those documents earlier, I’ve gained a better understanding of the typical design standards in this world, and thanks to that, I’ve started to form a clearer image of what I want it to look like.

Well, if my concept ends up straying too far from conventional taste, I’m sure an expert will make adjustments before construction begins.

What I have in mind is a simple design: a rectangular pillar standing atop a pedestal, with a plaque attached to it.

It’s not flashy or overly stylized, and I think this plan will work just fine.

I also intend to keep the height to about three meters, so maintenance shouldn’t be too much trouble.

When I consulted Fiora, she said that adding the functions I envisioned wouldn’t be too difficult, and she even offered to handle the final design once I make my decision—so it’s almost certain that the final version will be based on my concept.

Apparently, the production process will take some time, but she said it should be done within six months at the latest.

The unveiling will be after all the work in the church district is completed, so it’s still a ways off, but it should be finished in time for the memorial festival.

All the more reason to hurry up and finish the design.

With a firm “Hmph!” to psych myself up, I dove back into the design work once more.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera ・Blessing・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Blessing of Mira】【Wind’s Garment】
Blessed Item・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】+1【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】【Monkey’s Arm】・8 cards

Seriana・【Area Identification】・【】・0 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards