Overpowered in Domestic Affairs with a Production Skill ~ Bringing Happiness from the Frontier Through Craftsmanship

The character name is not finalized. The character name will be fix once the official light novel is release.

“Actually, the Knights’ Barracks here have gotten quite old. We need to start the repairs soon.” The Knights’ Barracks is a large, three-story building and is counted as one of the landmarks of Northernford, the Domain Capital.

Now that he mentioned it, it did look quite old and dilapidated. “I had thought about asking the carpenters in the domain, but the Knights’ Barracks also serves as an Armory, and because it’s related to the defense of the territory, the internal structure and such must be kept secret.”

“But the carpenters dislike having strict confidentiality agreements imposed on them. When the Barracks were originally built, we actually commissioned a workshop patronized by the nobility in the Royal Capital. However, commissioning a workshop from the Royal Capital involves travel and lodging expenses for the artisans, driving up the cost. Plus, some of those highly-regarded artisans look down on our knights as country bumpkins.”

“That’s why we’ve been unable to carry out repairs. Under these circumstances, the knights heard that I built the Dwarves’ homes, and they requested that I repair their Barracks as well, if possible.”

Is that so? I see. As the Margrave‘s son, it wouldn’t be a problem for me to handle military secrets, and I’m happy that the knights are placing their expectations on me. “Understood, Father.”

“Oh, you’ll take it on? I’ll leave it to you.”

Since this was the first job Father had asked of me, I was highly motivated. Just fixing the damaged parts would be boring, wouldn’t it? I should use this opportunity to ask for the Knights’ Order‘s requests and renovate as much as possible.

“Liam, Father asked me to repair the Knights’ Barracks. I’d like to improve what we can while we’re at it. Have the knights made any requests?”

“No, just having it repaired is enough for us. Well, there are some who speak of the dream of having a Bath as well.”

A Bath, huh? It’s true, after working up a sweat during training, they would want to take a Bath. But in this world, a Bath is a Luxury Item. Currently, they seem to be washing off the sweat with water scooped from a tub. Alright, I’ll figure out a way to build them a Bath.

Starting the next day, I had Theo help me, and we began repairing the damaged parts of the Barracks. No matter how great my Mana capacity is, I can’t do everything by myself. Theo is a great help because he assists with the work, which involves strict confidentiality, without the slightest hesitation.

Parts where the wood was darkened or dented were replaced with new lumber, and chipped sections of the stonework were filled with new Stone Material. The work is fast with the Production Skill. And what’s more, Theo proved to be fully capable. Although it was a large, three-story building, we were able to complete the initial repairs in less than a week.

Now, the Bath is next. First, I’ll construct an addition for the Bathhouse next to the dining hall on the first floor. I prepared the Wood and Stone materials and activated my Production Skill. And once the room was built, it was time for the interior. I wanted the floor to be tiled, not stone.

The Dwarves have recently started firing Tiles. So, I asked them for some. They said there was no charge because I had helped them, but I couldn’t accept that. I paid them the proper price.

The gaps between the laid Tiles are filled with Plaster. The raw material for Plaster is Slaked Lime, and Slaked Lime is made by baking Limestone and adding water. I remembered this from a documentary I watched in my original world.

I searched for Limestone, found some in the Sea of Trees, and collected it. After storing some water from a nearby river, all that was left was to finish with the Production Skill. Focusing on the image of the finished floor and making it a Bathhouse where the knights could relax, I activated my Production Skill. Mana gathered at my fingertips, began to glow, and a Magic Circle floated in the air.

When the warm light faded, a tiled floor appeared. The design combined two colors of Tiles to create the Knights’ Order crest. “Master, what a beautiful floor! The idea of drawing the crest with Tiles is also brilliant!” Theo praised me. Yeah, having a cute disciple definitely boosts my motivation.

I used Marble for the finish of the Bathtub. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any Marble in the shallow parts of the Sea of Trees, so I bought it from a merchant in Northernford. Father had told me it was fine to buy any necessary materials. Marble was expensive, but since I provided the other materials myself, we were well within budget.

I gathered the materials and activated my Production Skill once again. When the warm light faded, a luxurious Marble Bathtub appeared. Yes, it was exactly as I had imagined.

Finally, I used Iron, which I had also purchased from the Dwarves, to create a Boiler that heats the Bath by burning firewood. Now, I wonder if the knights will be pleased.

When I informed them that the repairs were complete, the knights who had been staying at inns or their family homes within the domain gathered. “Oh, it’s become quite beautiful.”

Liam exclaimed in admiration upon seeing that both the exterior and interior of the building were clean and pristine. “That dilapidated place looks completely transformed.”

“Now we won’t have to worry about drafts anymore.”

“William-sama, thank you very much.”

The knights thanked me one after another. Yeah, I’m glad they were pleased. “Liam, I actually have a small surprise. Could you take a look at the back of the first floor?”

“A surprise? There shouldn’t have been a room in this area.” Liam, who opened the door to the addition at the back of the large dining hall, stood frozen in stunned silence. “T-This is…”

“Captain, what’s wrong?” The knights who followed him also lost their words when they saw what was behind the door. Liam turned around with an expression that was both delighted and troubled.

“William-sama, while we are immensely grateful that you built us such a magnificent Bath, the fact that it is more luxurious than the Bath in the Margrave‘s mansion might be a slight problem.” Ah, now that he mentioned it, that might be true.

When I reported it later, Father told me that he didn’t mind the Knights’ Barracks having a more luxurious Bath, but we ended up replacing our Bath with a tiled floor and Marble Bathtub as well. I might have gone a bit overboard, but it seems to have boosted the knights’ morale, so I suppose it worked out for the best.