Chapter 13

"Right, there is a rather nice property with a monthly rent of 75 Kilg. How about that one?"

Such were the words of Kiezon Mortis, the real estate agent introduced to us by Rosetta. Kiezon is a portly man with a beard, looking every bit the stereotypical merchant... but I don't think he would overcharge us too much since he was recommended by Rosetta. Still, I can't let my guard down.

"75 Kilg, you say. I can't really give an answer without seeing it first."

"Of course, of course. It's nearby, so shall we go take a look?"

And so, we all set out together, walking down the neatly paved streets of the East District to see the house. The carriage and horses we rode in from the earl's domain are stabled. As for the extra horses that the Forest Birds rode in on, we've arranged with my father to have them sent back to the earl's domain via the guild.

Still, a monthly rent of 75 Kilg. I briefly considered the amount Kiezon mentioned. Kilg refers to copper coins, which are widely used in daily transactions, so it's common to talk in terms of how many Kilg or how many copper coins. If we were to use gold coins as a reference, one Sebel gold coin is equivalent to 20 Alben silver coins, 100 Roder large copper coins, 500 Kilg copper coins, or 5000 Moer low-value coins.

While it's not a direct comparison due to the different economic systems, if we were to convert it to Japanese yen, one Kilg would be roughly equivalent to 1000 yen. The average monthly income for a standard worker is around 100 Kilg. A monthly rent of 75 Kilg means a significant portion of the average monthly income would be spent on rent. Considering that, it's quite a lot. No wonder this is the East District, known for its high-end residences. Kiezon must be estimating our financial situation based on our appearance.

By the way, the amount my father gave me when we left home was 5000 Kilg, consisting of 9 gold coins and 20 silver coins. I think this amount was decided considering that it's not easy to send money regularly and that I prefer not to negotiate. Still, I think it's a bit overprotective.

On the way, we received about 560 Kilg from dividing the reward and bounty for exterminating the ants. Whether 560 Kilg for fighting a swarm of ants is high or low is debatable, but personally, it wasn't that difficult, so it felt like easy money. Upon arriving at Termwill's, we paid an additional 120 Kilg on top of the 720 Kilg success fee to the Forest Birds... After deducting various expenses along the way, we were left with 4514 Kilg.

"By the way, what about if we were to purchase the house?"

In this case, instead of paying rent, we would be paying a mortgage for a house we own... Since I don't know the average price of houses and the range can vary widely, I asked how much it would cost overall.

"It's not a new house, but it's a solid one. The price is 29,300 Kilg. In this case, we would charge 100 Kilg per month plus interest. If you can't maintain the payments, you can return the house. If you decide to buy it after living there for a while, we can deduct the rent you've already paid."

...If we consistently pay 1200 Kilg per year, it would take about 24 years to pay it off. This is without considering interest. The details would be clear from the contract.

"Since you were introduced by Lady Rosetta, I've done some research."

"Henry says he can lend us money if we contact him. I can also offer advice about money matters."

Rosetta said this. She probably wants to keep an eye on me regularly. I understand that she wants to keep me within reach, but...

"...I'll pass."

Declining Rosetta's offer, I think it's best to wait and see before deciding to buy a house. How much we can earn from regularly exploring the dungeon and how our income and expenses balance out while living... At this point, it's hard to say. I'm confident I can earn money, but as a human, I'll also have to deal with fatigue, illness, and injuries, so I want to save some and avoid a life that's too harsh.

"Really? Just let me know if you need anything."

Rosetta smiled calmly, but I can't tell what she's thinking. She probably thinks I can't afford such high rent without relying on my father.

"Let's see how it goes. We only have Grace as a servant, so if the maintenance is too much, we'll have to look at other houses."

"I think the initial work will be the most demanding. Ah, we're here. That's the house."

Kiezon pointed to a two-story house with white stone walls and a red roof, a solid-looking structure. The house was surrounded by a stone wall and an iron fence, and there was a small garden around it, but the garden was overgrown and neglected.

"Indeed."

Grace frowned at the sight.

"Well, we can't manage the outside. The inside is clean, and we can arrange for a gardener if you want."

"I don't think we need a gardener. Pulling weeds and planting flowers should make it look much better. If we decide to rent this place, that is."

Grace glanced at me. If she's going to do the weeding, she'll probably do it quickly in her unbound state from the cursed item.

The house is located on School Street, in a quiet area slightly away from the city center. It's not far from the East District's main street, market, and dungeon entrance. As the name suggests, the school is just a stone's throw away. Considering the location and the house itself, 75 Kilg might indeed be a good deal.

If we're talking about location, it would be better to be closer to the dungeon entrance... However, the area near the temple, which is also near the royal castle, is used for residential purposes with buildings related to the dungeon creation. The East District is a wealthy residential area, but the people living there are extremely wealthy, and the prices are expected to be much higher, so I'll pass.

On the other hand, if we go to a cheaper area, like the west side of the city with the port, the security is much worse, which would be a problem. The port workers' guild and the thieves' guild are both in the west, and the slums are also there. I don't want to live in the West District just because it's cheaper. Considering living with Grace, good security is better.

Being close to the school is a plus in terms of security. It's an area with many wealthy and educated people, so the authorities work hard to maintain security, and there are many patrols by soldiers.

If we're going to live somewhere, the East District is probably the best choice. The higher price can be seen as buying safety. The only question is whether I like the inside of the house. Let's see.

Kiezon opened the door and we entered the house. Beyond the entrance hall, we could see a corridor and a staircase leading to the second floor. There was also a staircase leading to the basement, but let's start with the first floor.

"The room on the right is the dining room, and the one on the left is the living room. The corridor leads to the living room, kitchen, and bathroom."

From the living room, we could see the garden facing the street in front of the house, but the garden was in a terrible state. The kitchen was connected to the dining room and living room, and there was a back door. Looking outside from the back door, we could see the backyard. There was a reservoir and a water channel nearby, which seemed very convenient. Drawing water with water magic is easy for me, so it's not a heavy task.

The bathroom was connected to the water channel, with a small tank to store water, making it a rather hygienic flush toilet. The boundary city, with its water supply and sewage system, is a culturally advanced and wonderful place. However, the sewage system in the boundary city simply channels the water into the lower levels of the dungeon, which is a bit of a problem.

The problem is that, due to the dungeon's property of attracting similar elements, a very unpleasant area is formed in the lower levels.

It's called the Great Rotting Lake. I don't want to go there unless I have to, but some places can only be reached through there. If you want to go to those places, you have to pass through it, which is a bit of a hassle.

As the name suggests, it's a lake of muck with narrow platforms scattered throughout. Monsters in a tar-like form attack from the muck, and if you're not careful, creatures with wings and human faces might fly at you from above. It's a place where first-time players are often trapped and killed, and it usually leaves a traumatic impression. In BFO, it was omitted due to the VR nature, but the smell is probably quite strong.

"What's behind this door?"

Shaking off the unpleasant memories, I opened the door opposite the bathroom.

"It's the changing room and bathroom."

"Really?"

There's a bathroom. It's much better than going to a public bath or bathing at a water source. The water is drawn from the water channel connected to the reservoir and stored. The bathtub is quite spacious and comfortable. To heat the water, you either need to learn a life magic spell or set a magic stone in a niche in the wall.

A magic stone is a crystalline substance extracted from parts of monsters. It has a high affinity with magic and can store and release magical energy. While it can't handle overly complex magical circuits, it can be used for various purposes by skilled magic engineers.

However, such complex and advanced magical devices are handmade and usually very expensive, beyond the reach of ordinary people. On the other hand, magic stones that simply store magical energy are used as fuel and have a constant demand.

A bath with a circuit... It might not be bad. For 75 Kilg a month, this might actually be a good deal.

"The second floor has guest rooms and the master bedroom. There's also a terrace and an attic."

Following Kiezon, we toured the second floor. There were three guest rooms, all of decent size. The master bedroom had a terrace and a servant's room.

"What about the basement?"

"It can be used as a storage room."

A storage room, huh. When I went down to the basement, it was made of sturdy stone. —Maybe it would be a good idea to install a teleportation magic array here. There's also the option of using the attic as a storage room.

"What do you think, Grace?"

"The kitchen is spacious and seems easy to use. The bathroom and toilet are also good. The water channel serves as a secondary water supply, right?"

"Right. We can close off unused rooms. Can you manage the maintenance?"

"Leave it to me."

Grace responded with a smile, which was reassuring.

"What do you think, Theodore?"

"I'd like to see a few more places if there are any other good options."

Kiezon, sensing my positive reaction, asked happily... but I think it's best to compare a few more options.

After visiting a few more places, none of them felt right. In the end, we decided to rent the first house with the 75 Kilg monthly rent. We paid six months' rent in advance, 450 Kilg, and decided to live there for a while to see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, we can downgrade, and if it does, we can consider buying the house.