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All the listings in the documents I had, had ‘FOR SALE’ written in large letters. There was no way that could be a mistake, and they even had their original price listed alongside the current discounted one to make it easier to see.

“Yes, all the properties I’ll show you today are up for sale. I made sure the prices were lowered to an affordable amount, so don’t worry about that.”

“This is more than just a mere discount…”

They were lowered to close to a tenth of their original price… Was it really a good idea to sell them at a price like that? It was not really an issue for me, but it still got me worried. Betts seemingly noticed my thoughts and forced a smile as he explained the reason behind that.

“The truth is that no matter which one you choose, the governor will pay the difference with the original price. He said it was his way of showing his gratitude to you, after your great efforts during the battle from back then. So don’t concern yourself with the price.”

The governor is so generous! From what I saw in the listings, most of them were in the range of a hundred gold coins, though that also meant that normally they would cost ten times more. Hundred gold coins was also the amount the governor had given me, so I could only think he was going a bit too far.

“Wow… That’s amazing!”

“If you think about it, it all makes sense. Lapis is really strong, enough to defeat a monster like that in an instant, so the governor would obviously want to keep you close. Considering that, one house isn’t such an expensive price to pay. It’s not like the governor is doing this out of pure generosity, so no need to feel reserved about it.”

“Well, yeah…that’s true.”

It made sense, though I had not thought about that until Ciel mentioned it. Though even if those were his true intentions, this was a nice and comfortable city, so I had never thought about leaving it.

“Lapis, this is the first one you can check out.”

The first house he showed us was a detached house in the center of the city. It was beside a large commercial district, so it was probably the most convenient one out of all the listings as far as grocery shopping and transportation went.

It had two rooms, split between the first and second floor, so it was possible to use the first floor as a living room and kitchen, while the second floor was for the bedroom. The toilet and bathroom were separated, of course. The toilet discharges and water from the bathroom were washed down to the sewers underground, where countless slimes that fed off of that were released. Those slimes posed no harm to living beings, so there was no danger of them attempting to go up and come out of the toilet to attack people.

The rooms were slightly bigger than those rented by Ciel and Karin, so I could easily think of it as having twice as much space as before. There were windows on both floors, all facing the same side as the door, though the view was non-existent since the house was located on a large street.

“What do you think? The adventurer’s guild is close-by, and you can easily do all your shopping nearby.”

“It does look like a convenient place.”

“The Golden Wheat Pavilion is also pretty close. Wouldn’t it be okay?”

“It is a good house. But the price is a bit…”

It cost two hundred gold coins. I had around ten gold coins from my savings, and the reward money, but it was still over my budget. I also was not satisfied with the number of rooms, I wanted at least three.

“We can let you borrow some money if you want?”

“No no, no need for that. We’re dealing with such large amounts of money already that increasing the discount wouldn’t matter too much.”

Betts offered to add another discount on top after the two girls offered to lend me money. I was glad for their offers, but I still wanted to avoid making a rash decision. Borrowing something, money or otherwise, always brought an unsettling feeling for me.

“This is the first house we’ve seen, so maybe it would be better if I decide after seeing the others?”

“Of course. Let’s go to the next one then.”

The next house was a bit further away. There was a considerable distance between it and the center of the city and was located in a quiet neighborhood. It looked like a very nice place to live in. I valued the calmness of my environment more than the convenience of living, so I felt more attracted to this one. On top of that, the price was a hundred gold coins, so it was just within the range of my budget. I decided to write this down on my mental list and then we went to the next house.

After that, we continued looking at different houses. Our current one would make them five. As the distance between them and the first house we saw increased, the living space became larger, prices lower, and fewer people living nearby. The last one we visited was a detached house in the suburbs. It was still within the city walls, but there was a considerable distance between it and the center of the city, as well as the main gates. Because of that, there were only a few lone houses sprinkled around.

It looked like going to buy groceries would take quite some walking, and it was also pretty far from the guild. But this house had a certain charm to it I had not felt from the other houses. It had a garden. The garden was large enough for a field of crops, so if I put my mind into it there was a possibility I would be able to sustain myself.

The house itself was also on the large side, having eight rooms divided into two floors. There would be plenty of space in it for even a large family. As a bonus, the bathroom was spacious as well. There was more than enough space to lie with my arms and legs outstretched while I rested, so long baths would feel incredible.

“What an amazing house.”

“Seriously! Wah~ The bathroom is so big!”

“The price… It’s the cheapest one so far.”

“Yes, this house is going for fifty gold coins. As the city expands, the price will keep rising, so this might be the best time to buy it.”

I was at a loss, this was the house I liked the most thus far. It was large enough that no one would complain if I practiced swinging a sword around, and I had a desire to grow my own crops again after such a long time. The problems were other things I would have to regularly shop for, and the inconvenient commute for work. But I could do both in the center of the city, so it was not as big of a problem as I thought. The place encompassed my biggest requirement of having a calming environment, so I had no reason to keep dawdling.

“I’ve decided! I’ll get this one!”

“Thank you for your decision. I’ll proceed to fill out the required paperwork straight away.”

I was getting this large house for just fifty gold coins. It was quite a bargain. As I watched Betts filling out the forms, I felt my face smiling brightly. I was obviously going to be rejoiced to see the fruits of my hard labor finally materializing like this.

“Congrats Lapis!”

“That’s amazing! You just bought such a splendid home! I expected no less from my master!”
“Thanks! And oh right, there was something I wanted to ask you two…”

They heartfully congratulated me. They were the two friends that stuck with me no matter what. It was thanks to them that I was able to push myself this far, and while we were looking at the different houses I thought I wanted to return the favor. So I hesitantly smiled as I looked at them.

“If you two want…do you want to live here with me? There’s more than enough rooms here, so there would be no problem if more people moved in…”

“Lapis?!”

“Are you…!”

I could not blame them for being so surprised. The thought that I was looking for a house for the three of us had probably not even crossed their minds.

“The rooms you’re living in are rented, right? So there would be no rent here, we would be able to fend off for ourselves to a certain extent, and more importantly, we could train together if you have enough free time. So…what do you say?”

I asked them with upturned eyes, and for some reason, both of their faces were flushed beet red.

“To think you were thinking about us this much… Yeah, if you’re really okay with it, I would also like to live with you.”

“Not having to pay rent anymore is tempting enough, but you offered to train us on top of that… And if we’re living in the same house we won’t have to take time off to meet up somewhere outside. I’d also love living together.”

“I’m so glad! Let’s all live together then! I’ll be looking forward to it!”

Thanks to the bonus reward, I- nay, we were able to gain a place for ourselves. Having a place to call home and return to, no matter what happens, is the most reassuring thing for people who regularly risk their lives for a living.

Hoping that this would aid the two of them in their lives as adventurers, even if just a little, I signed the forms Betts handed me, finishing the transaction.