Chapter 62

After completing the examination procedures and explanations, Sharon and I rejoined Ridi and the others.

"It seems the procedures went well. Shall we go look for a house now?"

Ridi started walking energetically, but Sharon, who was behind me, tugged at my sleeve. When I turned around,

"Um... Is it okay if I don't study? Everyone else seems to be working so hard..."

Sharon looked at me with a worried expression.

"That's right. Indeed, everyone else seems to be working hard. But I think it's pointless to study at this point. Ridi has given her seal of approval. Just believe in that and act as you normally would."

Even after I said this, she still looked uneasy. I took her hand and started walking, pulling her along.

"It's fine. Don't you trust me? Instead, let's think about where you want to live."

At first, Sharon walked as if she was being dragged, but as we started talking about the house, her expression gradually brightened.

We returned to the new town and headed to the Commercial Guild to get an introduction to a real estate agent. The Commercial Guild provides services not only to its member stores but also to general customers, including introducing local shops. After explaining our situation at the Commercial Guild, we were introduced to a real estate agent. We took the guild's introduction letter and went to the McCloud Real Estate office, which was near the old town's main gate.

Our requirements were to be close to the old town, near a water source, and in a good neighborhood. McCloud Real Estate had many properties in the center of the new town, which matched our first requirement of being close to the old town. The office was just a two or three-minute walk from the old town's main gate, and it was easy to find because of its large sign. When we entered, a woman who seemed to be an office worker appeared, heard our business, and went to the back of the store after saying, "Please wait a moment." Soon, a well-mannered man in his fifties with good posture appeared.

"My name is Douglas McCloud. I understand you are looking for a house."

Ridi nodded and said, "Yes."

"I have prepared a few properties that meet the conditions you mentioned. I will take you to see them."

I felt a sense of unease about this well-mannered gentleman being a real estate agent in a world without proper laws.

(He's too refined to be a real estate agent in a world without proper laws. Just by his appearance, he could pass for a butler in a noble or wealthy household. In Japan or developed countries, it might be different, but here, it should be necessary to strictly collect rent from delinquents and evict them by force... Does he have a hidden side?)

A house is directly related to life and survival. If you are evicted for non-payment of rent, you lose not only your place to live but also your assets. If you are evicted in the middle of winter, it could be life-threatening. With proper laws, such dangers could be avoided, but I don't think the laws here are that well-developed. Therefore, delinquents would try to delay payment by any means, and real estate agents would use strong-arm tactics to collect. Naturally, the other side would resist, and in the worst case, they might dig in their heels. In such a situation, eviction would require force.

(Or, is there some strange condition where non-payment of rent results in immediate enslavement?)

While I was thinking about this, Ridi was continuing her conversation with McCloud.

"...Then, I'd like to see a few of them."

It seemed we were going to see some properties, so I followed Ridi. Guy maintained a poker face and didn't say a word, apparently trying to be recognized as a bodyguard by not being involved in the conversation.

The first property was a two-story wooden house with a triangular roof, about five minutes from the main gate. The building was quite old, but it stood on a plot of about 10m x 15m, with a small garden at the back. The first floor had a kitchen, living room, and toilet, which was a simple flush toilet connected to the sewer. There was also a room with drainage facilities that could be used as a bathroom. The well was nearby, making it quite convenient. The second floor had four rooms that could be used as bedrooms, with built-in beds and closets. According to McCloud, a family of ten could live there comfortably.

The second property was a row of four two-story houses about ten minutes north of the main gate. Each house was a maisonette type, and there was a small garden at the back. The interior was smaller than the first house, with only two bedrooms on the second floor.

The third property was a single house about five minutes further north, also a two-story wooden house with a triangular roof. It was similar to the first house in structure, but the well was about 100 meters away.

Ridi started negotiating the prices on the spot.

"The first one is 50C (50,000 yen) per month, the second one is 20C, and the third one is 25C, right? That's quite expensive."

McCloud smiled professionally.

"Compared to the old town, it's on the cheaper side. In the old town, a property of this size would cost at least 80C."

(Indeed, if you have to pay 2C every day to enter the old town, it might be more convenient to live there even if it's a bit more expensive. Still, the salaries of the academic city's staff must be quite good.)

Ridi brushed off McCloud's comment and continued.

"How much would it cost if we paid five years' rent in advance?"

McCloud's expression changed slightly. His friendly smile disappeared for a moment, and a calculating look appeared.

(This is his true face. In a way, it's reassuring that he shows this side. Still, paying five years' rent in advance would be 50C x 12 months x 5 years, which is 3,000C or 3 million yen. It's not an impossible amount, but how will he react...)

"Five years in advance... In that case, I'll give you a 10% discount, no, the maximum 20% discount."

(A 20% discount... If I calculate the internal rate of return, it would be around 5%. It's hard to tell without a spreadsheet. Still, a 20% annual interest rate would mean a 30% discount wouldn't be a loss for him. Let's see how Ridi handles this...)

Ridi looked at me while watching McCloud's expression. Her eyes clearly told me to negotiate.

(Come on, you're passing it to me? Well, I guess I have no choice...)

I reluctantly decided to meet her expectations.

"Mr. McCloud, I am Zacharias Rockhart. Ridianna is my tutor."

McCloud looked surprised at my sudden intervention.

"Could you tell me what the interest rate for loans in this Doctus is?"

Everyone, including Ridi, was surprised by the sudden change in topic. McCloud, however, managed to regain his professional smile.

"About 3% to 5% per month. Transactions for a year or more are usually between guilds, so there's no fixed rate. It's decided on a case-by-case basis... What's the point of this?"

I was doing mental calculations.

(3% to 5% per month means a compound interest rate of 1.04 to the power of 12, which is about 60% per year. So, a 20% discount is a rip-off... But I can't do more complex calculations in my head...)

I ignored McCloud and started calculating on the ground.

(To simplify, let's calculate on a yearly basis. If we assume 600C for the first year and a 60% compound interest rate for the next five years... it would be 15,200C by the fifth year. If we apply a 50% discount, 1,500C with a 60% compound interest rate for five years would be 1.6 to the power of 5, which is about 10.5 times. So, 1,500C would become 15,800C. This seems fair. Let's start with a 50% discount.)

After about five minutes of calculation, I slowly stood up and smiled.

"A 20% discount is a strange offer. My calculations show that even a 50% discount would still be profitable."

McCloud's professional smile disappeared, and he looked at me with a blank expression. After a few moments, he seemed to come to his senses and pasted a professional smile back on his face, raising his hands.

"What kind of calculation is that? Even with an advance payment, a 50% discount is..."

I narrowed my eyes and said, "Then, let me explain." I started explaining the calculations I had written on the ground.

"If you receive the money in full at the time of the contract, you can reinvest it. If you assume a 4% monthly interest rate, which is 60% annually... the amount would be this. On the other hand, if you receive it monthly, the amount you can reinvest is only this much..."

Guy, Ridi, and Sharon couldn't follow my explanation. McCloud initially listened with a smile, but gradually started sweating and eventually interrupted me, looking overwhelmed.

"I see. I didn't know such a calculation method existed. But a 50% discount is a bit..."

I smiled broadly and said, "How about a 45% discount? It would still be quite profitable for you."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered, "A 45% discount... 40%..."

(I don't need to push it further. If we're going to live in this town, I don't want to make enemies.)

"40%... You're planning to make quite a profit."

After muttering this, I turned to Ridi and said, "He's offering a 40% discount. Which property do you want?"

Ridi was taken aback by the sudden question, as she hadn't followed the conversation between me and McCloud.

"Um... How about the first one? It's a bit big, but at that price, it's worth it, I think."

"I have no objections. What about you, Sharon?"

Sharon nodded in agreement.

We then discussed the finer details. We were told that minor renovations were allowed, but we would have to restore the property to its original condition when we moved out.

(We can install a bath in the room with drainage facilities on the first floor. With increased magic power, it should take only two days to complete...)

The handover was set for the day after the written exam, July 23rd, and we agreed to pay 1,800C at that time.

On the way back, Ridi spoke to me in a bewildered voice.

"As usual, you're being outrageous. I've never heard of a 40% discount. I was trying to negotiate for about 25%, but you started with a 50% discount..."

"It's unfair to call it outrageous. I could have pushed for a 50% discount. But since Mr. McCloud didn't seem to be what he appeared, I settled for 40%. Even so, he will make a profit of over 3,000C."

Ridi looked at me with a blank expression and asked, "Hey, is that calculation really correct?"

"Of course it is," I nodded firmly.

"If the calculation was wrong, a businessman like McCloud wouldn't have agreed to a 40% discount."

Ridi said, "That's true. But I don't understand at all," and looked at Guy and Sharon. They nodded in agreement.

We continued our conversation as we walked back.