Floryn stared at Henry's extended hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking it firmly. Her grip was surprisingly strong for someone who looked so delicate. "Wonderful!"
"I'll have the materials delivered by tomorrow morning. That should give you time to prepare the site properly."
"Tomorrow?" Henry blinked. "That's fast."
"My family's warehouse is just outside the village. Most of what you need is already in stock." Floryn's smile turned slightly mischievous. "Besides, I'm very excited to see what a real architect can do.x
"The suspense would kill me if I had to wait any longer."
[Quest Accepted: Build Your First Structure]
[Bonus Objective Added: Impress the locals with quality craftsmanship]
[Reward: System Points, Experience, and potential reputation boost]
The system messages flashed across Henry's vision, but he was already thinking ahead. Tomorrow morning meant he had the rest of today to prepare the site properly.
Clear the debris, level the ground, mark out the foundation lines. All the prep work that separated a decent building from a disaster waiting to happen.
"I should get started then," Henry said, rolling up his sleeves. "Even with materials coming tomorrow, there's a lot of groundwork to do."
"Can I help?" Floryn asked eagerly. "I meant what I said about wanting to learn. I promise I'm a quick study."
Henry looked at her expensive dress and clean appearance, then at the muddy plot of land filled with rocks and rotting wood. "You're going to get dirty."
"I have other dresses," Floryn said with a shrug that suggested she had quite a few other dresses. "Come on, teach me something useful."
...
...
For the next several hours, Henry worked with Floryn to prepare the building site. He showed her how to clear debris properly, explaining why it was important to remove every piece of the old failed structure. Rotting wood could attract insects and moisture, and leaving it buried would create weak spots in the foundation.
Floryn listened intently to everything he said, asking intelligent questions that showed she was actually thinking about the concepts rather than just memorizing instructions. When Henry demonstrated how to level the ground using simple tools and string lines, she picked up the technique almost immediately.
"You're a natural at this," Henry said, genuinely impressed as Floryn helped him mark out the foundation corners with wooden stakes.
"I've always been good with spatial reasoning," Floryn admitted, checking the angles of the stakes with a critical eye. "It's one of the reasons I took up archery."
"You have to calculate distance, wind, trajectory, all in a split second."
"You're an archer?"
"Among other things." Floryn brushed some dirt off her dress, which was indeed quite muddy now. "I've done some adventuring."
"Nothing too dangerous, mostly escort missions and monster subjugation around the outer territories. But I've seen a lot of different places, different building styles. That's what got me interested in architecture in the first place."
Henry filed that information away. An elf archer with adventuring experience who wanted to learn architecture. Floryn was becoming more interesting by the minute.
By the time the sun started to set, the site was completely prepared. The ground was level, the foundation corners were marked with precision, and Henry had even dug shallow trenches where the foundation stones would go. It wasn't glamorous work, but it was essential.
...
...
The next morning arrived with Floryn keeping her promise. A wagon rolled up to the building site at dawn, loaded with materials that made Henry's architect heart sing.
The lumber was properly cut and dried, the stones were uniform and solid, and everything was organized efficiently. Whoever managed Floryn's family warehouse knew what they were doing.
"This is perfect," Henry said, running his hand over one of the support beams. "I was expecting to have to work with green wood and cracked stones."
"My family doesn't believe in cutting corners," Floryn said proudly. "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing properly."
[Construction Mode Activated]
[Blueprint: Simple Wooden House]
[Materials Verified: All required materials present]
[Tool generation authorized. Begin construction?]
"Yes," Henry said quietly, and something magical happened.
A hammer appeared in his hand. Not gradually, not with a flash of light, just suddenly there as if it had always been there.
It felt perfectly balanced, the weight exactly right for his grip. When he looked around, he saw other tools had materialized near the material piles. Saws, chisels, measuring tools, all gleaming and perfect.
"Those weren't there before," Floryn said, her eyes wide.
"System tools," Henry explained, testing the hammer with a few practice swings.
"They're temporary, but they'll make the work go faster." He looked at Floryn. "Ready to build something amazing?"
What followed was three days of intense work that drew more attention than Henry had expected. He started with the foundation, laying each stone with precision that made the system's guidance seem like second nature. Floryn helped, learning quickly how to mix mortar and place stones so they interlocked properly.
The foundation alone made people stop and stare. It was level, solid, and built to last centuries rather than years. Word spread quickly through the village that something unusual was happening at the eastern edge.
By the second day, when Henry and Floryn were raising the support frame, a small crowd had gathered to watch. The frame went up straight and true, each joint fitted perfectly, each beam placed to distribute weight exactly where it needed to go. It was basic engineering, the kind of thing Henry had learned in his first year of architecture school, but here it might as well have been sorcery.
"Look at those joints," someone in the crowd whispered. "They fit together like puzzle pieces."
"And not a single crooked beam," another voice added with wonder.
Henry tried to ignore the audience and focus on the work, but it was hard not to feel a swell of professional pride. This was what he was good at. This was what he had spent his entire adult life perfecting. The fact that he had died and been reincarnated into a medieval fantasy world didn't change the fundamental truth that he was damn good at building things.
Floryn proved to be an excellent assistant. She had strong arms from years of archery, steady hands, and the kind of focus that came from training in precision sports.
When Henry needed someone to hold a beam steady while he secured it, she was there. When he needed tools passed quickly, she anticipated what he would need next.
"You're wasted as just an adventurer," Henry said on the third day as they worked on the roof framing. "You could be a professional builder if you wanted."
"Maybe I want to be both," Floryn said, balancing on a beam with the kind of casual confidence that suggested she was very comfortable with heights. "An adventuring architect."
"I could travel to different places, learn their building techniques, maybe even help construct defenses against monster attacks."
"That's not a terrible idea, actually." Henry had to admit the concept had merit.
Towns on the frontier probably desperately needed both defense structures and people who could fight. "You'd need more training though. Both in combat and construction."
"Then it's a good thing I just found myself an excellent teacher, isn't it?" Floryn grinned at him from her perch on the beam. "That is, if you'd consider taking me on as your assistant."
"Official assistant, I mean. I can help with projects, and in exchange you teach me everything you know about architecture."
[New Quest Available: Take Floryn as Your Assistant]
[Benefits: Regular help with construction, improved relationships, access to Floryn's network]
[Note: She has useful skills and resources. This is a good deal.]
Even the system thought it was a good idea. Henry looked at Floryn, who was watching him hopefully, and realized he had already made his decision.
"Alright, but I have high standards. If you're going to be my assistant, you need to be serious about learning. No half measures."
"Deal!" Floryn's face lit up with genuine joy. "You won't regret this, Henry. I promise I'll work harder than anyone."
On the evening of the third day, they placed the final roof tile. The house stood complete, solid, and beautiful in its simplicity. It had proper windows, a door that actually hung straight, and a roof that would keep out rain for decades.