Where The Lightning Of Judgment Struck

Kotone’s Class 1-19 had been assigned a territory about as large as Monaka’s class.

Thanks to that, even if two houses were being built at the same time, neither side got in the other’s way at all.

As they worked, the Celestial Carpenters occasionally glanced my way and laughed.

“Look at that brat—he’s really planning to throw down with us.”

“A house one guy can build is basically a shack, tops.”

“He’s doing the impossible just to look good in front of Lady Kotone.”

But their expressions soon froze.

“L-Look… at that foundation…!”

“That brat is laying a real base!? Don’t tell me he’s actually building a proper house!”

“And at an insane speed!”

“Hey, he’s alone—why is his work progressing faster than ours!?”

“Quit staring and move! Hurry up!”

Once the foundation was done, I took a short breather.

Right on cue, Monaka and Kotone sidled up close to me.

“Great work, Leo-kun! Let me wipe your sweat!”

“Thank you for your efforts, Master! I have brought you water!”

Monaka dabbed my face with a white handkerchief.

Kotone cradled a wooden cup of water in both hands, brought it to my lips, and let me drink in steady gulps.

The Celestial Carpenters watching that scene were so shocked they dropped the lumber they were carrying with a clatter.

“N-No way… Why is Lady Kotone taking care of him…?”

“And she looks so happy doing it…!?”

“Hey, isn’t that Saint Monaka-sama beside her!?”

“A Saint and a Miko—elite young ladies—why are they fussing over some kid!?”

“Who the hell is that kid!?”

“Damn it, I’m so jealouuuus!”

Full-grown men stomped their feet, abandoning their work to throw tantrums.

While all that was going on, my house was finished.

Kotone looked at the completed house with an expression so blissful she seemed ready to ascend to heaven.

“F-Fwaaa…! M-Marvelous…!”

And Monaka was just as delighted, as if it were her own accomplishment.

With her hands clasped like she was praying, she bounced up and down in excitement.

“Wow! Amazing, amazing! It’s so incredible! To build a house this splendid… Leo-kun, you’re too amazing!”

The Celestial Carpenters pinched their cheeks as if begging it to be a dream.

“No way…! That can’t be real…!”

“A student brat building a house that fine all by himself…”

“And the lumber, the design, the exterior—perfect…”

“We couldn’t build something like that even standing on our heads…”

But it still wasn’t over.

After catching my breath, I asked Kotone,

“The fence can wait until last, but you don’t need a gate, right?”

Still half-dazed, Kotone answered.

“Y-Yes… A Miko’s residence is… not allowed to have an ordinary gate…”

A Saint’s and a Miko’s home had no conventional gate.

Apparently, it was meant to symbolize compassion: “We reject no one who comes.”

For the record, when I built Monaka’s fence, I also didn’t add a gate for the same reason.

“Then I’ll give you a special service since we’re skipping a normal gate.”

I set aside the Kinohi lumber meant for the fence and began crafting with the surplus.

It wasn’t particularly difficult.

First, I lined the planters I’d brought on the ground, laying stones underneath to create space.

I filled the planters with water and floated the Hanezu flowers I’d picked.

Then I shoved firewood under the planters and lit it.

Since the planters had Fire Resistance, they wouldn’t catch flame.

While waiting for it to boil, I worked on something else.

From the leftover Gisu lumber, I carved four pieces into a distinctive shape.

The moment Kotone saw those parts, her eyes went wide.

“Master… could that be…?”

“Yeah. Exactly what you think.”

Right then, the planters began to bubble.

Peering in, Monaka let out a bright, delighted cry.

“So pretty…! The water’s turned such a vivid vermilion!”

“Good. This side’s ready too.”

I submerged the carved Gisu lumber into the planters filled with Hanezu dye.

“Um, Leo-kun… what exactly are you doing?” Monaka asked.

“It’s a technique called plant dyeing—extracting pigment from plants to dye other materials.”

After waiting a bit, I lifted the pieces out, and the wood had been dyed a magnificent vermilion.

Now all that was left was assembling it—

Just as a Saint lived in a sacred hall, a Miko lived in a shrine building.

And a shrine had a distinctive gate called a torii.

Kotone was so stunned her jaw looked like it might fall off, and she couldn’t find any words.

As if to make up for her silence, the Celestial Carpenters started shouting.

“This brat—he even made a torii! He’s totally getting cocky!”

“Hey, kid! The moment you build a torii, that building is treated as a temple!”

“Only us Celestial Carpenters are allowed to build temples—don’t you know that!?”

“The gods will be furious! And even if the gods forgive it, we won’t!”

“If a kid like this builds a proper temple, it’ll ruin our business!

Hey, boys—smash this fake temple to pieces!”

“Zansu! Building a temple without qualifications is delinquency that doesn’t even fear the gods, zansu! We’ll destroy it and make him reflect, zansu!”

At some point, the vice principal had taken the lead, shouldering a huge wooden mallet like a carpenter’s tool.

The vice principal and the Celestial Carpenters charged toward the house I built, roaring as they came.

But suddenly, the cloudy sky began to flash—

…BOOOOM—CRAAAASHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

A tremendous bolt of lightning poured down from the heavens, striking the oncoming men as if passing judgment.