Chapter 56 - 55: Blueprint Finalization (2)
Then Benjamin began adding the hidden features.
Internal access routes.
Emergency passages.
Security corridors concealed within the design itself.
To an outsider, the structures would appear completely separate. To the people living inside them, however, they functioned as a single interconnected complex capable of providing both privacy and security.
The longer Iris studied the design, the more she liked it.
The bodyguards could remain nearby.
The family could stay protected.
Nobody would appear privileged.
Nobody would attract unnecessary attention.
The solution felt so obvious in hindsight that it was almost irritating nobody had suggested it earlier.
For the first time all afternoon, genuine excitement returned to the discussion. The Garden Villa blueprint was no longer just an idea. It was beginning to resemble something that could actually be built.
Unfortunately, designing the layout turned out to be the easy part.
Once Henry and Benjamin started comparing structural estimates, new problems began appearing.
At first, neither of them seemed particularly concerned. A measurement would appear slightly unusual. A support estimate would come back larger than expected. Certain dimensions felt subtly wrong despite looking correct on paper.
Individually, the inconsistencies seemed harmless.
Together, they became difficult to ignore.
Eventually Benjamin stopped typing and stared at the screen.
His eyes narrowed.
Then he recalculated.
A few seconds later he recalculated again.
Henry noticed immediately. "Something wrong?"
"The numbers aren’t behaving." That answer drew a frown.
Benjamin wasn’t the sort of person who blamed mathematics. If he said something looked wrong, there was usually a reason.
Several minutes passed while both men reviewed the figures in silence. Iris understood almost none of the calculations appearing on the screen, but she understood their expressions well enough. The longer they examined the blueprint, the more thoughtful they became.
Eventually Henry leaned back in his chair. "I think I know what we’re missing."
Benjamin nodded. "So do I."
Iris looked between them. "What?"
Neither answered immediately.
Instead, Henry gestured toward the territory beyond the walls. "Eldilon."
Iris blinked. "What about it?"
"The environment." Benjamin adjusted several assumptions within the calculations. New results appeared almost instantly.
This time, everything made sense.
He exhaled. "That explains it."
The answer turned out to be surprisingly simple.
Without realizing it, they had been designing the blueprint using Aurelion as their reference point.
The problem was that Eldilon clearly wasn’t Aurelion.
Everything here seemed denser. Stronger. Heavier.
The monsters were stronger.
The materials were stronger.
Even the people themselves appeared capable of far more than what would have been considered normal back home.
Looking back, the signs had always existed.
Nobody had simply considered how those differences might affect construction.
Once the mistake was identified, several adjustments followed. None of them were dramatic, but all of them were practical.
The most significant change involved height.
The original concept had allowed for the possibility of three floors. After reviewing the revised calculations, that option quietly disappeared. Two floors would be safer, easier to maintain, and considerably more practical for future residents.
Nobody objected.
The modification was approved almost immediately.
From there, the planning continued.
Hours passed as the blueprint gradually evolved from a rough concept into something far more refined.
The afternoon slowly slipped toward evening while Henry focused on the overall structure and Benjamin concentrated on long term functionality. Every adjustment served a purpose. Storage spaces were incorporated into the design. Maintenance access routes were added wherever future repairs might become necessary. Utility corridors were carefully positioned, and several expansion points were included to ensure residents could modify their homes later without creating structural problems.
Nobody was trying to create a luxury residence.
The goal was practicality.
They wanted a home that people could live in comfortably for years rather than something impressive that would become inconvenient six months later.
Naturally, Iris eventually steered the conversation back toward plants.
Again.
She felt absolutely no guilt about it.
If every villa was already receiving its own garden plot, then it only made sense to consider the supporting systems from the beginning rather than forcing residents to improvise later. Water collection systems were discussed first, followed by simple irrigation routes that could distribute water throughout the gardens without requiring excessive effort. Composting areas were added shortly afterward, and before long they were discussing the possibility of future greenhouse expansions.
The more they talked about it, the more practical the entire concept became.
What had started as a simple request for garden space gradually evolved into a collection of features that could meaningfully improve food production throughout the settlement.
Even Henry eventually nodded in approval.
"I’ll admit it," he said. "The gardens are becoming one of the strongest parts of this design."
Iris immediately sat a little straighter.
Receiving praise from Henry during project discussions was rare enough to qualify as a special occasion.
"I’ll remember you said that."
"I’m sure you will."
"Forever."
Henry sighed.
Benjamin quietly continued working while pretending not to laugh.
The blueprint continued to improve over the next hour.
By that point, most major decisions had already been made. The remaining work consisted primarily of refinement, checking details, and making sure the different systems worked together as intended.
While reviewing the customization menu once more, Iris noticed a section she hadn’t examined earlier.
Curiosity immediately won.
She opened it.
Several lines of information appeared.
At first, nothing seemed particularly unusual.
Then she reached the final section.
Her eyes widened.
She sat upright so quickly that her chair nearly tipped backward. "Wait."
Henry looked over. "What?"
"I think I found something."
Benjamin paused in the middle of a calculation.
"What kind of something?"
"The useful kind."
That answer immediately captured everyone’s attention.
Iris leaned closer to the menu and carefully reread the information. Then she read it again to make absolutely certain she wasn’t misunderstanding the description.
A grin slowly appeared on her face.
"The framework can be modified later."
Nobody responded.
For a moment, both Henry and Benjamin simply stared at her.
Then Benjamin frowned. "What framework?"
"The blueprint." She pointed toward the floating text.
"The core structure remains fixed, but exterior modifications can be made after construction."
Silence settled over the table once again.
This time, however, it was the productive kind.
The implications became obvious almost immediately.
Future residents wouldn’t be trapped inside a single unchanging design.
They could expand, customize or even upgrade.
Additional rooms could be added later. Exterior features could be adjusted. Layouts could evolve alongside the needs of the people living there.
The more they considered the possibilities, the more valuable the blueprint became.
Instead of creating a housing model that would eventually become outdated, they were creating a foundation capable of adapting over time.
For a growing settlement like Velaris, that flexibility was worth far more than any decorative feature they could have added.
For the first time that day, the finish line finally came into view.
The sun had already begun descending toward the horizon when they started the final review.
By then, the constant debates had largely faded away.
Nobody had much left to argue about.
The blueprint existed. The design was complete.
Three interconnected villas disguised as ordinary neighboring homes.
Private garden plots. Integrated utility systems. Expansion flexibility. Everything they wanted.... More importantly, everything they needed.
Iris slowly opened the final menu.
A new notification appeared before her.
A new notification appeared in front of Iris.
[Custom Blueprint Registration Available.]
[Would you like to purchase this custom blueprint for 1,000 Gold?
Building Slot Required: 1
YES | NO]
Iris stared at the message for several seconds.
Then she blinked. "A thousand gold."
The conversation stopped.
Benjamin looked up immediately. "What?"
Iris reread the notification.
"It costs one thousand gold to register the blueprint. It also requires one building slot."
Caleb nearly choked.
"A thousand gold?"
"That’s your concern?" Benjamin asked. "We only have a limited number of building slots."
"It’s both my concern," Caleb replied.
Henry leaned back in his chair. "One slot isn’t unreasonable."
"No," Benjamin agreed. "Especially if this becomes our standard residential blueprint."
The discussion resumed almost immediately.
Nobody liked the price.
A thousand gold was still a thousand gold.
For a newly established territory, that wasn’t a small expense.
On the other hand, they weren’t paying for a single house.
They were paying for a blueprint.
A design that could potentially be used dozens of times.
Maybe hundreds.
Every future residence built from the template would benefit from the work they had spent the entire day completing.
Viewed that way, the cost became much easier to justify.
Painful.
But reasonable.
Eventually the discussion wound down.
No better alternative appeared.
No serious objections remained.
Henry folded his arms. "I think it’s worth it."
Benjamin nodded. "So do I."
Caleb grimaced. "I hate that you’re both right."
That settled it.
Iris looked at the confirmation button one final time.
Then she selected YES.
The registration process completed almost instantly.
A second notification appeared.
[Blueprint Registered Successfully.]
[Custom Residence Blueprint: Garden Villa]
[Status: Available For Construction]
A smile slowly spread across Iris’s face. "It worked."
Several heads turned toward her.
Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "Registered?"
She nodded.
"The Garden Villa blueprint is officially available for construction."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Caleb grinned. "Well." He leaned back in his chair. "We officially own expensive paperwork."
That earned several laughs.
Yet beneath the humor, everyone understood what had just happened.
The blueprint was more than a design.
It was the first piece of infrastructure Velaris had truly created for itself.
The first building model.
The first step toward transforming a temporary settlement into a permanent village.