kscans

Chapter 202 - The New House and Its Price

"That's right. Apparently, the Star Union's former territory looked like this. Over time, it gradually became like the other parts of the city, and this is the only section that remains."

At first glance, it looked like a park.

It wasn't a place for children to play; a stone-paved path was laid out, winding through gaps in the planted trees. The lush trees didn't feel overgrown but rather well-maintained and pruned. The area was surrounded by an iron fence, with a sturdy iron-barred gate to prevent entry. Judging by its length along the street, the lot didn't seem that large.

I stood there with Maryanne and Claire. Claire opened the gate. It wasn't locked, and the gate swung open smoothly. It must be well-maintained.

"It's said to be modeled after the elven village in the Great Forest,"

Claire explained as she let Maryanne and me inside, then closed the gate behind us.

The stone path continued deeper into the lot, but it curved and snaked, obscuring the view ahead. It was probably a technique to make the small space seem deeper.

After meeting with Katarzyna, we had followed Claire's lead to track down Famu and the others, who had checked out of the inn and moved to their new home.

"You don't seriously expect us to pitch a tent and live here, do you?"

Or were we supposed to build a pit-dwelling or a raised-floor warehouse? That would make the handover simple. But I couldn't imagine Famu and Mizuki agreeing to that, unless there was a free-flowing, open-air hot spring somewhere on the property. I sniffed the air, but there was no characteristic smell of sulfur. Maryanne didn't seem to be wrinkling her nose either.

"You'll see if you go a little further in."

Claire smiled and led the way, with Maryanne and me following.

Soon, a white-walled building came into view. It was a two-story building, but its most distinctive feature was its conical roof, which looked like it was made of stacked gray stone bricks.

"A trullo?"

It resembled a type of building from my original world. Those were usually built in clusters, but this one seemed to be a single structure.

"Yes. They're called trulli here. Apparently, they're the style of buildings in the elven village. The building in front of us is the largest; the first floor is the kitchen and dining room, and the second floor is living space. There are six buildings in total on this property, including this one. One is for bathing, and the others are single-story living quarters. There's also a wooden shed that serves as a warehouse."

"...I see. So this is a place built by elves who moved from the Great Forest because they were homesick?"

Claire nodded.

"Is it some kind of protected area? I can't imagine we can afford the rent."

"Even if it needs protection, buildings will quickly fall into ruin if no one lives in them. We were able to get a discount on the condition that Lady Marmi lives here. Also..."

She glanced at Maryanne.

"I heard you went to the Sky-Lot Family estate today. I will invest on the assumption that you will introduce the Mateo Trading Company to them one day."

Mercedes was behind Claire. As long as he was around, the One-Land Family and the Sky-Lot Family were sure to be won over, as long as they got the chance to negotiate. The problem was their company's manpower—or rather, human resources—which was still small in this city.

"Are you sure you can expand your business so quickly?"

"Well, it will take time to establish sales channels and to hire and train people. We'll start with our dealings with the Star Union Family."

Evening was approaching, and the surroundings were growing dim.

Light spilled from the building's windows. We went inside.

The smell of onions and garlic hit my nose. Looking around, I saw that the kitchen and dining room were separated by a staircase leading to the second floor. Famu and Mizuki were in the kitchen.

"You're late!"

Mizuki said upon seeing my face.

As I started to walk in, she stopped me.

"All that's left is to set the table, so go sit in the dining room and wait."

On the dining room side, there was a large wooden table that could seat ten people. Dishes were already set out, along with bread and grapes. Marmi was already seated at the far end.

"You didn't stay at the mansion?"

She nodded. As I was about to sit in front of her, Myra, who was helping to serve, stopped me.

"Mash, you're in the middle. Famu is to your left. The seats to your right and in front are in order. Maryanne and Claire are at the end."

"Is that so?"

Were they planning to poison me by fixing the seating arrangement? As I was thinking that, Myra and Patricia started placing bowls of stew and tamago fuwafuwa on the table. The stew was probably Mizuki's creation, and the tamago fuwafuwa Famu's.

"Don't you have to help, Marmi?"

"...Hmph. I prepared the water and the fire. Patricia will work twice as hard to cover my share. Besides, you haven't done anything either, Mash."

"Tch, I can cook if I want to. I'm not like you."

"...What can you make?"

"I can make this stew."

As I was answering, the serving was finished and everyone took their seats. Mizuki was to my right, and Myra was in front of me.

"This isn't stew. It's goulash. There were a lot of paprikas at the market, and they taught me how to make it. I've never actually eaten it before, so I don't know if it tastes right..."

Mizuki trailed off, sounding unsure of her own cooking.

"You asked the people at the market?"

Mizuki nodded at my question. Her communication skills were impressive. It was also surprising that she could make something like this just by being told how.

"It seems similar to borscht. The soup is quite thin."

Famu stirred it with her spoon, scooped up some meat and paprika, and took a sip.

"The flavor of the herbs and spices is nice. I think the one we ate in the settlement was a little milder."

The settlement Famu lived in was nearby, so they probably ate the same dishes.

As I was lost in thought, I noticed that Patricia wasn't sitting down.

"Patricia, why are you standing?"

"I will have the leftovers later. I am serving now,"

she answered.

"Just sit down and eat. Didn't you eat with Mo?"

"...We used to eat together when my family wasn't around. But when we did, Patricia started getting bullied by the other attendants. So we only eat together when we're on a long trip."

Marmi's words made my chest ache.

"This is also part of my job, so please don't worry about it and enjoy your meal, Mash."

"No. When you're with us, you eat with us."

I thought she might resist, but Patricia sat down next to Marmi.

"So, how much does this place cost?"

I felt like Claire had dodged the question earlier, so I asked again.

"Yes. It's worth two hundred great gold coins. But they said one hundred would be fine."

"What? Just a hundred?"

Claire said it hesitantly, but it didn't seem like a huge amount.

With that, I reached for a wooden glass. It was filled with ayran. I checked Famu's drink and saw white foam. She was having ayran too. But the liquid in Mizuki's glass was a different color.

She quickly tried to hide it.

"Wh-What! It's just one glass."

I had a feeling that "one glass"

would soon come to mean "a lot,"

but I kept quiet. As long as she had boobs, I would continue to love her. Just then, she elbowed me.

"Hey, one hundred great gold coins is a thousand gold coins. Do you get that?"

A thousand gold coins was the price of ten female warrior slaves. It was then that I realized how expensive it was.

"W-Wait! No way. We can't pay that."

"Mash, for the elves, this place is priceless. They are offering it to you for one hundred great gold coins,"

Claire said.

"But..."

I lowered my gaze.

"I mostly understand what Claire is trying to say. It's very difficult to say this in front of her, but it seems that like Maryanne, the other Four Regent Families have designs on winning you over. Lady Marina thinks Mo alone is not enough of a tie, so she's trying to bind you to this land. But if she offered it for free, you would become suspicious and sense her intentions. You might refuse if you realized her motives, so she had to put a price on it. But she couldn't put a cheap price on this land either,"

Myra explained, and Claire nodded.

"So, is that also why you chose yesterday to send me and Mo to the lake?"

The plan was to win over Famu and Mizuki and have them choose the place first.

"...Mash is bad with scary stories. He stayed with me the whole time."

Marmi smiled triumphantly and glanced at Maryanne.

"Hmph, Mo, what is the meaning of that look?"

Maryanne noticed it sharply and questioned her.

"...Mash is going to live here. Also..."

Marmi smiled proudly and stroked her stomach. I was shocked by her attitude.

"Mo, you..."

"...One of the elf race's problems has been solved."

"Did you have a child?"

When Marmi nodded, everyone except her turned to look at me with accusing eyes.

"What do you mean? You two only did it, if at all, yesterday..."

Mizuki demanded in a sharp tone, so I briefly explained what Marina had told me yesterday.

"...Mash's theory was correct. It was properly fertilized. Mother is keeping the fertilized egg."

Did that mean she was pregnant? I felt like there was more to it than that, but I hadn't paid much attention since I had planned to die a virgin.

"Did she really transfer it into her own body?"

She shook her head at my question.

"...She doesn't know how your emotions will change if she does that. For now, it's being preserved in a frozen state."

I lowered the hips I had started to raise and took a breath. I wanted something with alcohol, so I snatched Mizuki's glass. There was about half a glass of beer left, and I downed it in one go. I couldn't taste it.

Honestly, I was more afraid of what Famu and Mizuki would think than of my own feelings. I couldn't even bring myself to look at Famu's expression.

"...About that matter, Mother wants to see you again, Mash."

If I went to the Star Union Family's mansion, I could see Cecily, Aira, Shizuka, and Reeni. But I felt heavy-hearted. Still, they now knew that they could have children with a human husband. My role as a stud horse didn't have to be filled by me. Marmi would probably take contraceptives from now on.

The problem was Maryanne. She was clutching a glass of ale and staring intently at it.

"If I ask Lady Marina, do you think she would examine me too?"

"You're in too much of a hurry. It doesn't have to be now, right?"

She gave a bitter smile at my words.

"At my age, it's a little late. I need an heir. A house is not stable without a successor. But, you're right. If it hasn't happened yet, I will wait until you're ready, Mash."

Marmi listened to her words with a prim expression. I was only now remembering what Marina had said: "Mo has been a woman since the day she was born."

"A-Anyway, we were talking about the house. The problem is the one hundred great gold coins."

I wanted to change the subject, so I brought the conversation back to its original point.

"The ownership of this place will be under the Mateo Trading Company. If you and Mizuki die, the Star Union Family has agreed to buy it back for the same price. We haven't arranged for the one hundred great gold coins yet, but there is no payment deadline."

Claire answered. We would be renting this property from the Mateo Trading Company, but that was because we were freemen who couldn't own land. The company was just acting as a guarantor; it was a formality. In reality, we would have to pay the Star Union Family through the company.

"So, that means we just have to pay it off, no matter how long it takes. It's a bit late now, but can we add Famu to the conditions for buying it back?"

We should still have some money left from the pirate extermination. I couldn't say this to Cecily and Aira, but Famu and the others would surely contribute for the sake of their own home. After that, we would just have to diligently collect Mana Seeds.

"Master."

Famu suddenly called out to me.

"What is it?"

"I have no intention of being anywhere without you, Master. You don't need to worry about that."



"..."

I stared at her face. She stared back at me with the same intensity.

Just then, Marmi drank her ayran, and the sound of her glass being set down rang out with a clink.

"...Mash, a Crystal Core would be worth a considerable amount. One of that size would be priceless, in fact."

Marmi said this as Patricia, sitting next to her, wiped her mouth.

"You obtained a Crystal Core?"

Myra asked, so I took the Crystal Core out of my storage. It was about twice the size of the one Mii had before, but smaller than the one I saw at the Great Temple.

"I'm thinking of donating this to the church."

"After an incident like that just happened... You tried to stop them, Mash, but it was the result they wanted. And yet, you were the only one arrested and put before the Four Regent Families meeting. I believe High Priestess Elisha thinks you might be angry."

Technically, both Maryanne and I were thrown in jail and questioned by the Four Regent Families, but that wasn't a major issue, so I kept quiet.

If I gave the Crystal Core to Marina, the payment problem might be solved, but I was concerned about Elisha's feelings toward me. Fear and terror can easily breed hatred. I didn't want to spend time resolving it, nor did I want to get deeply involved.

"I think I'll just stick to paying off the Star Union Family slowly. I don't know how she'll react if I give it to her directly, so could you give it to Elisha for me, Myra?"

It would be troublesome if she prostrated herself and worshipped me as a god.

"I understand. But the church has money. I will ask if they can spare some for you."

I nodded at Myra's words.

"So, about the room assignments,"

Myra said.

"The upper floor can accommodate more than ten people. We also bought a large bed, so you can use it, Mash. The other four buildings have space for about four people each. How about we separate them in half and have two people in each?"

Mizuki said, breathing hard through her nose. Her enthusiasm was incredible.

"You're planning to bring guys over, aren't you!"

"As if!"

She elbowed me.

"Famu and I, Marmi and Patricia, and Myra for now by herself. That leaves one building empty, but we can use it as a guest room, right?"

"That leaves no room for me and Lady Maryanne,"

Claire protested.

"You can stay with Mash. It's not like you'll be sleeping alone when you come here, right?"

"That's true..."

Claire nodded. I poked Famu, who was dipping bread into her goulash and eating.

"Famu, take a good look. What Mizuki is doing is called being a pimp!"

"N-No, I'm not! It's all your fault, Mash!"

Mizuki puffed out her cheeks.

"Master, Mizuki. I don't need my own room. I will also live here on the second floor with Master."

"Are you sure? What will you do when Mash is with someone other than you, Famu?"

Mizuki peered at Famu's face over my shoulder.

"Ugh... I'll be with them then too!"

"If that's okay with you, Famu, then fine... In that case, Myra and I will take one building."

No one particularly objected, and Mizuki nodded with satisfaction.

"Wait, why do you want your own room, Mizuki?"

"You need time to be alone, right?!"

"For masturbation?"

"No! I want to study so I'm prepared for when we return to our original world..."

"So serious!"

Oh well. Even if she tried to lock herself in to be alone, I could get past that. I swore to myself that I would sneak in soon and shove that thing I got from Marina into her.