Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 385

As soon as they began working, the new officials found themselves swept up in Claudio’s excitement.

After all, a completely new kind of planning—something no one had ever tried or even imagined before—was taking shape simply by everyone pitching in and getting their hands dirty.

Whenever someone pointed something out, the plan evolved—boards were rearranged or added, refining it further.

“What is this…?” Rodolphe, who had heard a bit about his own family’s approach to development, was especially confused.

He had always believed that drawing up complex plans was intellectual work reserved for experienced people like his father and professional civil servants, with those below them merely carrying out orders.

But now, these new officials were participating in what might be the world’s first visual, bottom-up method of project management.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

“Somehow… I managed to do it…”

“I wonder if this is okay…”

Several hours of hard work and discussion followed.

Halfway through, they gave up trying to keep the pieces organized on the table. After clearing away the chairs, they spread the wooden boards across the floor instead. 

The new officials stood there, staring in awe.

When they finally finished arranging everything, the sheer amount of work laid out before them was staggering. But what truly amazed them was that they had managed to put together a plan involving such a massive scope of work—in less than half a day.

Rodolphe and the clergy, who had always assumed plans of this scale took a month to prepare, were stunned by the speed and efficiency.

“Can we really handle all this…?” Shion voiced his doubts.

But by then, the sun had already set, and the writing on the boards was hard to make out in the dim light.

“For now, let’s continue tomorrow,” Claudio suggested, and the rest—exhausted from the unfamiliar intellectual labor—agreed without protest.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

“Ah… dinner’s already over, huh…” Usually, Sara would join the artisans and their families for hot soup when the workshop closed for the night. But when she returned, the meal had already been cleared away.

The workshop was quiet, and the only light still on flickered faintly from the office.

Parting ways with Shion, who said he was going to eat with his family, Sara muttered to herself as she headed toward the office. “Dinner with the family, huh…”

Was Kenji still working?

She opened the office door—and was immediately greeted by the smell of warm soup.

“You’re late. I’ve got some leftover soup if you want.”

Following Kenji’s gaze, she looked over to a small corner of the room. There sat a thin metal barrel, a narrow pipe running into the wall, and a tiny flame flickering inside. A deep saucepan sat on top, releasing a delicious aroma.

“I had an acquaintance make this for me. The workshop’s made of brick, but a fire would still be dangerous. It’s designed to heat small things and vent the smoke out safely.” Kenji explained casually, still fiddling with the metal barrel. 

But what really mattered was that they’d be able to eat hot soup tonight.

“The bread’s… stale. Oh well. Should I make some tea too?”

Sara blinked in surprise as Kenji began laying out bread, bowls, spoons, and cups for two at the small table in his office.

“Huh? Two servings? Didn’t you already eat?”

“I was too busy with work. Anyway, let’s eat together.” He poured the soup into their bowls without making eye contact, speaking quickly. 

“Yeah, I’m starving—feels like my stomach’s touching my back!”

Sara couldn’t stop the smile forming on her lips as she sat down with him, still smiling.