Chapter 10

"Huh…"

Suddenly, I was at a loss for words. I had only just arrived in this town, and I still didn’t understand much. The sudden prospect of becoming homeless was painful.

"Is this... a decision...?"

I asked timidly, and Lami nodded with a look of regret.

"I’m sorry, Toya... I wish you could stay longer, but... it would be a bother to the other guests... Some have even had to change inns because of it..."

"If that’s the case... I can’t really argue with that..."

Hearing those words, I couldn’t complain. I returned to my room, thinking about where I would stay from tomorrow. Even during dinner in the dining hall, the gazes of the other guests felt like they were piercing me. The situation was completely different from yesterday.

Kokuyou, though a familiar, was classified as a high-ranking monster. Even among horses, he was in a different league.

He bites people’s heads off, but he’s cute...

"What should I do from tomorrow...? First, I need to find a place to stay... Maybe I should ask at the guild."

I thought that if I asked the Adventurer’s Guild about information on those who have familiars, I would get an answer quickly, and I went to sleep with a sense of relief.

The next morning—

"I’m sorry, Toya..."

"It’s okay, it’s okay. Thanks for taking care of me for two days. I’ll come back to eat sometime."

After breakfast, I checked out and said goodbye to Lami, who saw me off as I headed to the guild with Kokuyou.

I left Kokuyou at the guild’s stable, opened the door, and entered the guild. For a moment, everyone’s gaze turned to me, but it quickly dissipated as if nothing had happened. I went to the reception desk, where I saw the familiar Miria, and joined the line. It was my turn after a few minutes.

"Welcome. Oh, good morning, Toya. Did you come for a request? You said you wouldn’t take any. By the way, the appraisal isn’t out yet, I think."

Miria pouted at my reckless behavior.

"No, it’s not that. It’s about a place to stay... Kokuyou is intimidating the others, so I got kicked out. I was wondering if you could recommend somewhere else..."

I said apologetically, and Miria sighed.

"I see... But even if I recommend another inn, the same thing might happen... How about trying the Commercial Guild for real estate...?"

"The Commercial Guild? There’s such a thing? I’ll check it out."

"By the afternoon, the appraisal should be done, so please come back."

"Okay, I’ll do that. Thanks."

I thanked Miria and left the guild, walking with Kokuyou to the Commercial Guild as she had directed. After about fifteen minutes, we arrived at the Commercial Guild. The building was a three-story stone structure with touches of color that gave it a luxurious feel. There were guards at the gate, and I asked where I could leave Kokuyou, then took him to the stable in the back. I entered the gate, and at the end of the hall, there were several tables for consultations, with a counter behind them. I walked up to an empty counter.

"Welcome to the Commercial Guild Fendy branch. My name is Sami. How can I assist you today?"

The receptionist was a woman with red hair tied back and glasses, giving her an intellectual look.

"I want to rent a house. I heard from the Adventurer’s Guild that I could rent one here..."

Sami looked a bit surprised that a young person like me wanted to rent a house, but she took out some real estate materials and placed them on the table.

"It’s unusual for someone so young to want to rent a house. Most adventurers your age live in inns... But that’s fine. Do you have any preferences? We have everything from noble mansions to rabbit huts."

As Sami flipped through the pages, I told her my requirements.

"A house with a stable... That would make it quite large. It would cost 500,000 gil per month. Is that acceptable? If so, I can introduce you to one immediately..."

That was quite expensive. I had enough money, but it would be a significant expense for one person.

"That’s a bit steep..."

Sami continued flipping through the pages and stopped, showing me an open page.

"This one costs 150,000 gil per month and has a stable. However, it’s a bit special. The owner lives in this town, and you can only rent it if the owner approves. If you’re interested, I can introduce you. Normally, a house of this size would cost 1,000,000 gil."

I looked at the floor plan and was taken aback.

"Set up a meeting with the owner! I’d like to rent this place if possible."

Sami nodded, a bit taken aback by my determination.

"Let’s go then. Please wait a moment."

Sami went to the back of the room and spoke to someone who looked like her superior. She soon returned to the counter.

We left the Commercial Guild, and I picked up Kokuyou. Sami’s eyes widened in surprise at his impressive size.

"Is that a familiar...? And a high-ranking one at that... I know! It’s a Black Obsidian Horse, right? I’ve never seen one before..."

I nodded at Sami’s words and gently stroked Kokuyou’s neck. As we walked through the town with Kokuyou, people parted to let us through, mostly looking at us with curiosity.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, Sami stopped in front of a shop.

"This is it. The owner of this house is the shopkeeper."

I looked up at the shop sign and sighed. It was the magic shop I had visited the other day. Sami entered the shop without noticing my expression.

"Is Natalie here? I brought someone who wants to rent that house."

Sami’s voice brought out the same sage from the back of the shop.

"What is it? Sami, you’re at it again... You never learn, do you... Oh, it’s you?"

Natalie smiled when she saw my face.

"I see, I see... It’s you, right? You’re Toya, I believe. Shall we go take a look now?"

Natalie started closing the shop. We locked the door and began walking through the town, with Natalie leading the way. After about fifteen minutes, we entered a high-end residential area. Each house stood on a vast plot of land.

Can I really live in a place like this...? I followed Natalie, despite my thoughts.

Natalie stopped in front of the gate of a mansion.

"This is the house."

Behind Natalie’s smirking face, a two-story mansion stood on a vast plot of land.

Thank you as always.