Chapter 25

Time had passed, and Alice's birthday was just two days away. The dishes to be prepared were already decided, and until the ingredients arrived, I had some free time.

The people of the ducal family were busy with birthday preparations, so I rarely saw them. The only times I would see them were during breakfast and dinner.

I had already decided what to do today. I had told Albus, so it wasn't a complete secret, but I had to act discreetly. Today, I was supposed to be looking around the capital. What I was going to do was this:

"Is this a real estate office? Excuse me, I want to rent a house!"

"Sure, sure, rent a house... What, just one kid?"

"Yeah, do you have any nice 2LDK apartments? It would be even better if it's close to the Louina Magic Academy."

"Hey, I don't have any houses to rent to brats like you...!"

I took out the documents Albus had given me from my pocket and handed them over. His attitude changed noticeably. Indeed, power is great in any world.

In the end, thanks to the ducal family's influence, things would work out, but I was a bit reluctant to accept it for now.

"Um, young master, we have three nice houses. How about them?"

Seeing him come over with obvious flattery, I felt like I was seeing the true nature of a merchant.

"Can I see all of them?"

"Of course! Let's start with the closest one!"

All the houses I was shown were detached houses, and all of them seemed to have good conditions.

- First House

A very ordinary house, small but with a garden. No well. Two-story, 2LDK. 20 minutes walk to Louina Magic Academy. Rent: 20 gold coins per month. Sale price: 4800 gold coins.

- Second House

More like a mansion, with a garden large enough for a small farm. It has a well and is three stories, 6LLDK. 45 minutes walk to Louina Magic Academy, which is a bit far. Rent: 130 gold coins per month. Sale price: 32000 gold coins.

- Third House

A decent house, with a moderate garden and a well. Two-story, 4LDK. 30 minutes walk to Louina Magic Academy. Rent: 45 gold coins per month. Sale price: 9000 gold coins.

Considering I would live there for three years if I got into Louina Magic Academy, buying seemed like a waste of money, but thanks to Albus's efforts, all the properties seemed really good.

I can't afford the second house, of course. I have about 18000 gold coins, so I can buy the other two.

Considering tuition, food, and other expenses, the third house seems the best.

The good thing about the third house is that the living room is about 20 tatami mats, so I can place the huge L-shaped sofa I've always dreamed of.

...Maybe I'll buy it. I do have the money, and having my own dream home doesn't sound bad. The only issue is that this is the capital, and I won't be living here permanently.

Hmm... But apparently, there are no additional taxes once you buy a house, and it will be an asset, so it won't be a hindrance.

"I've decided. I'll buy the third house."

"Buy...? You mean 9000 gold coins?"

Of course, I paid in full with gold coins. I pretended to take out a mountain of gold coins from my bag, but I actually took them from my storage.

"!? Thank you! The cleaning is already done, so you can move in today if you want. However, there is no furniture, so please understand that."

"Got it. If you have any recommendations for furniture stores, let me know."

"Of course! I'll write an introduction letter to a guild I'm familiar with!"

This way, I can get the furniture sorted out. The room is spacious, but it would be lonely without anything in it.

Thanks to the introduction letter, I was able to buy what I wanted at the furniture store. I don't know what the real estate agent wrote, but the furniture store owner was very surprised when he saw the letter, so it probably wasn't anything good.

Honestly, I don't have a strong connection to the ducal family...

I successfully bought two beds, a cabinet, a table and chairs, and a huge sofa, among other things.

Of course, the sofa was L-shaped and made of some kind of leather. 30 gold coins.

The beds were queen-sized, two of them. Each 20 gold coins. The highest-quality bedding, two sets, 30 gold coins.

The table and six chairs were made of a monster called a Treant, totaling 60 gold coins.

Including other items, I bought a total of 300 gold coins worth of furniture and household items. The store gave me a discount on the remainder.

They said they would deliver the furniture to my house for free, so I'll wait at home.

After about two hours, the furniture was delivered, but I didn't want to let them inside the house. I might as well have them leave it in the garden.

When they asked why I wanted it in the garden, I couldn't say I didn't want strangers in my house...

A fake smile works in this world too, I guess.

"Wow, body enhancement is really versatile."

Using body enhancement, I easily moved the furniture inside and arranged it.

"Is this good? Hmm, it feels a bit barren. What's missing...?"

I know, a rug. Laying down carpets or furs would make it look cooler.

There were no carpets at the furniture store, so where can I find them? Maybe I can ask Albus later.

For now, I'll lay down the furs of the Stealth Bear I hunted in the forest at the foot of Azalea Spirit Mountain. ...Actually, it's an Assassin Bear.

...This house is looking pretty cool. Maybe I can decorate it with a Tree Dear head mount.

By the way, it's getting cold, so I need to prepare for the winter. I can warm up with magic, but as a former Japanese person, I want to enjoy the atmosphere.

I have plenty of firewood from when I was in Oren Village, so I want a wood stove... But I can't forge it myself.

Hmm, you go to the experts for the experts' work.

I asked the real estate agent if there was a good blacksmith, and he said he had a place in mind, so I decided to check it out.

"Is this really okay...?"

The place looked run-down, and I wouldn't have noticed it was a blacksmith if no one had told me. Is this really okay?

"Excuse me, is anyone here?"

...

Is no one here?

"Excuse me!! Is anyone here!!"

"Shut up! I can hear you even without you shouting!"

A short but muscular and strong-looking man appeared. He must be a dwarf.

"I was introduced by the real estate agent."

"Hmm, that guy. So you have money. What do you want? A practice sword?"

"No, I want a wood stove for the winter."

"Stove? What's that?"

Right, this world doesn't have stoves yet. Indeed, my house only had a hearth, and the ducal family only had a fireplace.

"It's a structure like this, and it works like this."

"Hmm... interesting. Well, iron might be a bit unreliable. Would you be willing to pay a bit more?"

This is why another world is great. It's perfect for when you can't express yourself easily.

"Sure, if it's around 100 gold coins without the labor, that's fine."

"Hah, I like people who pay well. Alright, let's use Granz ore."

"Granz ore?"

"Granz ore is a mineral from Granz Volcano in the north of the capital. It's strong against fire and has a decent hardness. It's perfect for your stove."

"Is it expensive?"

"It used to be very expensive and hard to get, but lately it's been circulating more, so the price is reasonable."

"Got it. How long will it take?"

"I'll make a prototype with iron first. If it works, I'll make it with Granz ore. It should take about three days. You can pay when you pick it up."

"Got it, um..."

"Oops, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Galvance. Call me Galv."

"My name is Owl. Nice to meet you."

I promised to come back in three days and left the blacksmith. The stove will be ready, and I can have a warm winter.

After that, I had some free time, so I bought a lot of ingredients at the market and stored them without being noticed, spending about 20 gold coins.

While browsing a general store, I found a fox mask, which reminded me of Japan, so I bought it.

I used to wear masks and participate in festivals when I was a kid. I wonder if there are any festivals in the capital? If there are, I want to participate. I really want to.

When it was time, I returned to the ducal family's house, and the birthday ingredients had arrived and were being moved into the magic storage for refrigeration.

I checked the ingredients, and they were all fresh and looked delicious.

It's worth the effort. I hope Alice will be happy.

The next day, I started early in the morning, preparing the ingredients with the ducal family's chefs. I made everything that could be made in advance.

I had already made and frozen the dumplings, and the hamburgers were ready to be cooked. The other dishes were also prepared to be completed quickly.

I tasted some, and they turned out better than expected, thanks to the quality of the ingredients.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

At a time when normal people would be asleep, a group of people in black gathered around the ducal family's house.

"Hey, is everything ready?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Let's go. Don't slip."

They approached the ducal family's house unnoticed, and the day of the birthday party arrived.

I'll update this bit by bit.

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