The first meeting took place at Spin's family home. Since the building Tricia purchased was nearby, they could head over to inspect the place itself right away if they had trouble picturing the ideas.
"Based on what we discussed last time, I've drafted a first exterior design and a simple floor plan." Spin said.
As Spin spread out the large sheet of paper, Tricia's heart started to race.
"You mentioned you weren't particularly attached to the original exterior, so it hasn't changed much from the original look... but, well, I made a big change right here." Spin noted.
Knowing the tight budget, it seemed Spin had given this a lot of thought.
"Oh! The windows are bigger! That's great! Luke is going to love that." Tricia said.
The windows added to each room were tall and narrow, and there was a small balcony that hadn't been there before.
"Right? It's a waste not to take advantage of such a great view." Tricia said.
"Exactly. Although..." Spin muttered.
"It looks like it's going to cost a fortune..." Tricia worried.
"…Yes." Spin admitted.
But once she saw the sketch, she couldn't imagine it any other way.
"If we want to set this apart from a normal inn, having something like this would be a great touch." Tricia remarked.
"You do see them in fancy inns, sure. I've never stayed in one myself as it's out of my reach, but I remember thinking how nice they were when I went in for repairs once." Spin explained.
Tricia crossed her arms and closed her eyes, imagining the building as it could be.
"Approved!" Tricia shouted.
"Huh!? You're deciding already!?" Spin stammered.
Spin seemed surprised that Tricia had reached a decision so early in the process. He looked down at his notebook, already filled with a mountain of ideas and wishes.
"We have to figure out the budget plans, right? I figured I'd start by locking in the high-cost items." Tricia said.
"…Understood!" Spin replied.
Spin looked genuinely happy that his suggestion had been accepted.
"I really want to preserve that space on the first floor. I'm thinking of making it a free-use space for tenants, for the time being." Tricia stated.
"…Please, don't hold back on my account. That building is Tricia-san's property now." Spin insisted.1
He wore an expression of full sincerity. Tricia realized just how seriously Spin was taking this project.
"Come now, don't be so gloomy! ...If we don't mess with the first floor too much, can we keep the costs down?" Tricia asked.
"Haha! Well, that is true." Spin laughed.
As the owner and manager, Tricia had been unsure on the number of rooms. Deciding that too many would be hard to manage, she had already discarded the idea of building rooms on the first floor.
(If nothing clicks, there's no need to rush a decision.)
Just as they were deep in their meeting, they heard a knock at the door.
"How are things going? Is it going to be a nice house?" The grandmother asked.
"Hey! Grandma! I told you not to come in here!" Spin protested.
Spin's grandmother entered, carrying a tea set that smelled delicious.
"They aren't just friends, they're customers!" She scolded.
"Then all the more reason to provide proper hospitality." She added.
Spin's grandmother lived in his family home. His parents were long gone, and it was his grandmother who had raised him.
"Thank you very much! I'll gladly accept." Tricia offered.
"I'm so sorry... I told my grandson to be mindful... Spin! You should be offering them refills! ...Forgive me for the simple welcome." She apologized.
She was someone whose spine remained straight and sharp despite her age, and Tricia secretly thought she was very cool. Spin's grandmother was the only person who knew what that building had been like back in its heyday. Her own father had run that very inn, after all.
"Would you mind coming to see it once it's finished?" Tricia invited.
"Oh, my! What a wonderful invitation! Thank you. I would love to come." She smiled.
The way she smiled, looking so delighted, was just like Spin.
"I'm sorry... for making you deal with my grandmother..." Spin whispered.
Spin looked embarrassed, but Tricia could also tell that he was pleased.
"If we open up the first floor, should we build a separate entrance for the second floor?" Tricia asked.
The building had a staircase right by the entrance. Beside it was a counter that looked like it had been built-in. It was likely used as a front desk back in the day.
(I don't mind getting rid of this.)
Tricia intended to build something like a large main door at the top of the stairs. She wanted to partition the space so that no matter what the first floor became in the future, it wouldn't interfere.
(Two entrances... I hadn't thought of that.)
"If we have multiple entrances, the number of keys will increase, won't it?" Tricia questioned.
The first-floor entrance, the entrance to the second-floor living space, and the separate one if they added it. Plus the keys for each room.
"That's true. One option is to make the key for the first and second floors the same, and recently with Magic tools, there are these types that open when you press a series of numbers... It's not the traditional type where you rotate a dial, but the kind where you press the numbers. It's quite convenient." Spin explained.
"Huh!?" Tricia gasped.
(A PIN code...)
"Do you know who the developer is?" Tricia inquired.
"Uh, let me see... I believe it was those famous..." Spin mused.
"Crouch Workshop?" Tricia suggested.
"Yes, exactly! They're the ones who invented the outdoor restroom for Magic tools, too!" Spin confirmed.
(They're still alive.)
Knowing that the Magester who seemed to have come from the same world was still active, Tricia felt a quiet thrill of excitement.
"You wouldn't happen to know where Crouch Workshop is located, would you?" Tricia asked.
"That's the thing! Even at the exhibitions, they only seem to send agents. You certainly are well-informed." Spin noted.
Tricia gave a slight smile, as the reason she was well-informed wasn't because she was trying to build the ideal boarding house.
"I'd love to go someday... the exhibition in the Royal Capital!" Tricia declared.
"…Indeed!" Spin agreed.
It was the moment Tricia's next goal was set.
(Once the boarding house business is on track, I'm going to the Royal Capital to check out the exhibition!)
And she resolved that, next time, she would finally meet that Magester.
"Anyway, about the number of rooms..." Spin brought them back.
Fun things were still waiting for her.
(I was dumped, so it's time for a comeback! Would saying that sound like a sour-grapes excuse?)
The first meeting with Spin ended up continuing well into the night.
Summary:
Tricia and Spin hold their first architectural planning meeting at his home to discuss the renovation of her building. They settle on design details including larger windows, balconies, and a multi-entrance layout, while uncovering potential leads on advanced technology from a group called Crouch Workshop. The meeting concludes with Tricia feeling invigorated and setting a new goal to visit the Royal Capital, leaving the specific details of the room count to be finalized later.
Trivia:
Spin's grandmother is the only living person with memory of the building when it functioned as an inn.
The building originally featured a built-in counter that likely served as a front desk.
Spin has never stayed in a high-end inn himself due to financial limitations.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ The suffix -san is a standard Japanese honorific used for polite, respectful address; preserving it here highlights the professional distance and mutual respect between the architect and the property owner.
Notes:
• Tricia - Light‑haired, obsidian‑eyed C‑rank adventurer and orphan, she wears a silver chest tag. Once a lone healer‑strategist with foresight, instant‑heal scars, “Reset” item skill and basic wind magic, she now runs a boarding house in Edinbia for low‑rank adventurers. Pragmatic, anxious about finances, secretly despises her old party, yet builds passive‑income dreams.
• Spin - Young architect with short brown hair and a practical coat, works at Valentia Workshop. He is sincere and diligent, raised by his grandmother. Serves as Tricia’s consultant and material sourcer, verifies tax figures for the boarding house with the Merchant’s Guild, and plans to meet her for business arrangements.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• K - A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N's protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.
• Luke - A silver-haired, blue-eyed S-rank adventurer, noble Marquis's son, and mercenary captain who serves as Tricia’s protective, wealthy childhood friend and manager. While dryly teasing, pragmatic, and blunt about her budget and business ideas, this ocean-loving man devotedly guards her passive income empire with overwhelming combat power, financial advice, and a jealous streak.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.