The Intercom

Some time had passed since I arrived at Gaurea Fortress, and my life here had finally begun to settle down.

I’d built a toilet, enlarged the windows, installed lighting, and even added underfloor heating yesterday.

My living conditions had improved considerably, but to be frank, there was still a lot left to be desired.

The missing piece of my ideal home was a bathroom.

If I was going to build one, I wanted a nice, spacious bathtub.

A Jacuzzi would be great, and having a sauna and a waterfall shower would be wonderful too.

Oh, and wouldn’t a hot stone spa be a nice addition?

My dreams kept growing, but there was one major problem: I simply didn’t have enough space.

Building it in my office was out of the question, and putting it in my bedroom would leave me nowhere to sleep.

Maybe I could take over the room next door?

If I remembered correctly, it was a guest room.

When I checked, I discovered that the room adjoining my bedroom was a spacious guest room measuring about fifty square meters.

“Hmm, so there are two guest rooms next to each other.”

If I could have both rooms, I could build a hundred-square-meter bathroom!

Would that be too extravagant?

Well, it should be fine. I was the Fortress Lord, after all…

Kinoshita Construction Company will never stop pushing the boundaries of what’s possible!

While I was inspecting the guest rooms, Karan-san arrived.

“Good morning, my lord. What are you doing?”

She was dressed sharply in her fitted suit again this morning, radiating her usual cool, professional aura. It was hard to believe this was the same woman who turned into a clingy little girl when she got drunk.

“There’s something I’d like to ask you. Would it be all right if I used these two rooms?”

“I don’t believe that would be a problem, but are you planning to build something else?”

“A bathroom this time.”

“A bathroom? You’re going to sacrifice two entire rooms just to build a bathroom?”

Karan-san raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“It’s going to be a little different from the bathrooms in this world.”

“Understood. My foremost duty is to help develop your abilities, my lord. Please proceed as you see fit. I’ll inform General Paimon myself.”

Karan-san really seemed to have changed somehow.

She looked the same as ever at first glance, but I felt she was much easier to approach than before.

“Thanks. Oh, and could you call Private Gustav and Private Bumps for me? I’d like them to help move the furniture out.”

“I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”

Karan-san departed with her usual brisk efficiency.

Now then, I should have a proper breakfast before tackling such a big project.

I returned to my office and rang the bell on my desk.

Huh? That was strange.

Normally, Aine would come right away, but for some reason, she wasn’t showing up this morning.

She must have been busy.

In that case, I might as well go to her.

Aine’s waiting room was right next to my office.

“Aine, are you there?”

When I opened the door, Aine looked up in surprise.

“Good morning, my lord. Is something the matter?”

“I rang the bell because I wanted to have breakfast, but…”

“I’m terribly sorry. For some reason, I couldn’t hear the bell at all…”

“Oh, shoot! Sorry, that’s my fault.”

I’d completely forgotten that I’d replaced the door with a highly airtight one because the drafts had been so bad.

Its soundproofing was excellent too, which meant the bell could no longer be heard through it.

“But this is troublesome. I won’t be able to respond when you summon me, my lord.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”

Moving the furniture out of the guest rooms would take some time.

I could install an intercom system while they worked.

With an intercom, it wouldn’t matter if Aine couldn’t hear the bell.

Installing one in my office, bedroom, and Aine’s waiting room should be enough.

After giving instructions to Gustav and Bumps when they arrived, I set about installing the intercom system.

“My lord, what are you doing?”

Setia watched me curiously as I poured mana into the wall of my office.

Purple sparks were shooting from my fingertips, making loud crackling noises, so she was probably worried.

“Some new construction work. This time, I’m installing something called an intercom.”

“An intercom? Are you running strings through the walls?”

“Well, that’s not entirely wrong.”

I explained the basic workings of an intercom to Setia.

“It’s amazing that you can talk to someone who’s far away. If we had an intercom, would I be able to speak with the Great Elder back in the valley?”

“Unfortunately, that’s beyond what I can do. My powers don’t extend quite that far.”

My Job was Construction Company, not Telephone Company.

I’d leave that sort of work to whoever got summoned after us.

Hmm?

But I had a feeling I could build a radio tower and a radio communications room.

In that case, if I used radio equipment…

Oh well, I’d better concentrate on the intercom for now.

Kinoshita Construction Company’s motto was to make steady progress, one small step at a time.

Once all the wiring was connected, the intercom system was complete.

“Let’s test it out right away. Setia, when you hear the ringing sound, pick up this receiver.”

“U-understood. W-will I be able to do it properly?”

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t require any special skills. Just hold this end against your ear and talk.”

“T-talk!? That’s the one thing I’m worst at…”

All I could do was smile wryly.

“You’ve gotten used to talking to me, haven’t you? Just help me out for a little while.”

“O-of course! I’d be delighted to help!”

I entered my bedroom and pressed the button for extension zero to call the office.

Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring.

Huh? Setia wasn’t answering.

Maybe she was confused because it was her first time using one?

Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring.

That was strange. She still wasn’t picking up.

Maybe I should hang up and explain everything again?

Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring. Click.

Oh, she answered! Finally!

“Setia, can you hear me?”

(Hah… Hah… Hah…)

“Um, I won’t know whether it’s working unless you answer me…”

(Hah… Hah… Hah… I-I can hear my lord’s voice. D-do I love him so much that I’m hearing things?)

I’d already explained that this was exactly what the device was supposed to do…

“Setia, let’s calm down for a moment. Take a deep breath.”

(Breathe… in…)

“That’s right. Now breathe out slowly.”

(Haaaaaaaah…)

“There you go. Feeling calmer?”

(Y-y-y-yes. I feel much better now.)

She still sounded nervous, but at least she was doing better than before.

“The volume’s more than adequate. There’s no interference either. I’d say it turned out pretty well.”

“Y-yes. I can hear your voice so clearly, my lord. It’s almost as though you’re standing right beside me.”

“Convenient, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes. A-actually, since I can’t see your face, i-it might even be easier for me to talk this way.”

It was such a socially awkward thing to say, but it was so typical of Setia that I found it rather adorable.

“Okay, that concludes our test.”

“Ah…”

Setia’s voice sounded disappointed.

The intercom I’d made was so sophisticated that it picked up even the slightest nuances in someone’s voice.

“Um… Would you like to talk a little longer?”

“Ah, y-yes, please!”

We talked about our respective hometowns, medicine, and what the future might hold.

I was able to talk with Setia far more than usual, and I felt as though we’d grown a little closer again.

I was really glad I’d installed the intercom.

But at that moment, I had no idea that this very intercom would set off a chain of events that would dramatically change my fate at the fortress.