Chapter 61: Searching for a Workshop

A week had passed since the first round of testing the spider silk solution, and by then, the abdomen of a Vite Spider had arrived. With it in hand, I resumed the experiment, mixing the silk liquids once more.

The results were clear: Solution A could be mixed without issue, but Solution B, if combined, would no longer form threads. That conclusion marked the end of the silk solution tests. Considering factors like the difficulty of collection and the reward for the task, the adventurer guild request for a designated collection was decided—Ambush Spiders would be our target.

With that decision made, the conditions for establishing a workshop were finally in place. Today, I brought Rugena along to the administrative building to get a guided introduction to potential workshop sites.

Crossing the bridge over the inner moat surrounding the administrative building, we entered the compound through a sturdy stone gate. Straight ahead stood a three-story brick building, its structure solid and imposing under the soft morning sun.

Inside, the building was alive with movement. Officials and citizens hustled past each other, carrying documents, exchanging hurried greetings, or simply rushing to wherever they needed to be. Watching the organized chaos, I could finally understand what my mother had meant when she described the place as “incredibly busy.”

We maneuvered around the crowded first-floor tax office, carefully avoiding the crush of people lining up to pay or submit forms, and ascended the stairs to the second floor, where the Business Department was located.

“Hello, Hendrika,” I greeted.

“Oh! Arthur, it’s been a while!” she replied, her eyes lighting up with recognition.

Hendrika was stationed at the reception for the Business Department. The Business and Employment Departments were side by side, so I had chatted with her a few times while my mother conducted interviews at Employment.

“It’s been a while. Today, we have some business in the Business Department. Could you read this first?” I handed her a letter of authorization written by Vessel-san, granting me, his disciple, full authority to act on his behalf in business matters.

Technically, I was still in training, so my title was “disciple,” but that seemed acceptable… at least, I hoped it did.

“—Ve—ssel?!”

Hendrika’s hand flew to her mouth, eyes darting around as if afraid someone might overhear.

“What… what does this mean?!” she whispered, astonished.

“Please calm down, and keep your voice down too,” I urged, holding up my hand to gently block her as she leaned over the counter toward me.

“Oh… s-sorry,” she murmured, taking a deep breath to regain composure.

Once she calmed, I explained the official reason in a straightforward way: I had become Vessel-san’s disciple through my mother’s connections and was now assisting with his business.

“Vessel-san… running a business?” she asked, her tone laced with curiosity and perhaps disbelief.

Her reaction gave me a subtle clue as to how he was viewed by others.

“Yes, he’s quite busy, so I was entrusted to act in his stead. And today, I’ve come to request a workshop introduction.”

I quickly moved on to describe the requirements, diverting her attention from any further suspicions. My ideal workshop was one that could handle everything from silk spinning to tailoring, though it didn’t need to have all equipment immediately. What I needed most was enough space for multiple looms.

“Hmm… let’s see which workshops are available…” Hendrika began flipping through stacks of documents, searching for vacant workshops that met the criteria.

“There are three that might suit your needs,” she finally said, placing three sheets of paper before me. Each listed the location, previous use, number of floors, and rooms—but only in text, not diagrams. Visualizing the space wasn’t easy.

“Could we tour all three?” I asked.

“Of course. I can bring the keys if you want,” she replied.

“Yes, please,” I said.

Hendrika handed off the reception duties to another staff member and returned with the keys and documents for all three workshops. Together, we exited the administrative building and boarded a patrol carriage from the plaza in front, heading toward the Central Square in the southern district.

“First stop, here,” Hendrika said as we approached the first site.

“—Wow… it’s huge,” I muttered, craning my neck.

The three-story building was tucked slightly back from the main square. Its footprint seemed comparable to the main house I grew up in.

“This was previously a clothing store. The first floor was the shop, the second floor the tailoring workshop,” Hendrika explained. The third floor housed offices and the manager’s residence, and while not visible from the front, the back held accommodations for employees and a warehouse.

“If you set up looms on the first floor, it could function as a textile workshop,” she added. Four looms could fit comfortably, though the retail space would be gone. The main drawback was the high rent, a consequence of the building’s size and central location in the southern district.

“…Understood. Let’s move to the next one,” I said after inspecting the building.

The second workshop required a longer journey: back to Central Square, another carriage ride to the southern main gate, then a thirty-minute walk along the outer wall. The building resembled an L-shaped two-story house like Helvendorp’s, with the open part of the second floor forming an unusually spacious balcony.

“This was a textile and dyeing workshop,” Hendrika explained. Half of the second floor had been used as drying space. Water-intensive dyeing work required careful planning, so the building was constructed near the outer wall with proper intake and drainage systems.

“There’s no room for tailoring, but the garden is large enough to add extensions,” she added.

While promising, my attention was drawn to the overgrown weeds and neglected walls. It made me wonder, How long has this place been abandoned?

“Well… it’ll need repairs anyway, so it might be considered a bonus,” I mused.

“Exactly. Rent is cheaper, too,” Hendrika said. The low valuation at the time of contract meant that even if I repaired and improved the building, rent would remain low.

However, the dyeing equipment was tempting but also troublesome—specialized workers would be required, along with materials and tools, which I preferred to avoid.

“Let’s put this one on hold,” I decided.

The final workshop was near the eastern outer wall of the southern district. The plot was immense, with multiple identical buildings evenly spaced across it.

“—?! This one is perfect!” Rugena declared, surveying the grounds.

“Huh?” I blinked. She had decided immediately just by looking. Hendrika even nodded in agreement.

“What do you mean, perfect?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t understand, it’s for adults,” Rugena said with a mysterious grin.

The site was indeed the largest. Near the entrance stood a warehouse and single-story building, while six two-story buildings lined the back, spaced apart. The scale was impressive but subtle—nothing screamed ‘perfect.’

“What makes this place so good?” I asked.

“Smell it,” Rugena said.

Focusing, I detected a faint, sweet scent.

“Sweet… flowers?”

“No, it’s the scent of Reveril,” she said.

Hendrika clarified: “This was a Reveril research facility until six months ago.”

Reveril is a local liqueur made from a pear-like fruit called Lilrant, a specialty of Ravenstadt. Rugena had previously been given small casks as a reward.

This facility had been used for ongoing research even after sales began ten years ago. Today, the production had moved north to a new village for exclusive cultivation and brewing, off-limits to outsiders.

“Alright, Hendrika, please show me around,” I said, ignoring Rugena’s childish reasoning.

The single-story building had five private rooms for researchers, plus a shared meeting room and dining area. The warehouse held a large underground cask storage. The six remaining buildings were reinforced for brewing research, with brick floors capable of supporting heavy equipment.

“Last building, how do you feel?” Hendrika asked.

“Hmm… I need a moment to think,” I said, taking Rugena aside.

After discussing estimated renovation and expansion costs for each property and factoring in initial investment and maintenance expenses, the choice became clear.

“…What a mess,” I muttered.

“Of course, I trust your judgment,” Rugena said with a smug grin.

Unable to argue with logic, I returned to Hendrika.

“We’ll take this one,” I said.

“Not the second one?” she asked.

“No. For a new workshop, minimizing initial costs made the most sense.”

The final property was farther from the city center, with low land value and aging infrastructure. Its rent was the cheapest of the three. Additionally, a military training ground across the street ensured safety—a unique advantage.

“Understood. I’ll proceed with the contract explanation,” Hendrika said.

Setting up this workshop would be a challenge, but the thought of the work ahead already made my chest tingle with excitement.