Chapter 11

"Could it be... here...?"

I stand dumbfounded at the sight of the building before me. Even when I was in Japan, I had never seen such a large house.

—Can anyone even manage such a big house?

"Well, whether you can live here is up to you..."

Natalie smiles, opens the gate, and walks in.

A well-maintained garden spreads out, and as we walk through it, we reach the entrance of the mansion. Natalie unlocks the door and opens it.

"Follow me."

Natalie enters the mansion without a care and beckons me to follow. Inside, there is no sign of anyone, but the place is spotlessly clean and exudes a sacred atmosphere.

"Is... is no one really living here...?"

Natalie grins at my words.

"Is Felis here?"

I tilt my head as Natalie speaks to the empty hall.

...Is someone living here?

Suddenly, a white mist appears and forms a human shape. When the mist clears, a young girl stands there. She looks to be around twelve, wearing a frilly dress with wavy white hair that reaches her waist. However, her face is expressionless, and her eyes lack vitality, making her look like a doll.

"Y-You just appeared...? Could you be a ghost...?"

"What is a ghost? Felis is a house sprite. They sometimes inhabit buildings that have been around for a long time. A house with a house sprite can only be lived in if the owner is chosen. Don't you know such common knowledge...? Where did you come from?"

I had no idea that sprites existed in this world...

Natalie, seemingly unfazed, speaks to Felis.

"Felis, I intend to lend this house to this man. What do you think?"

Felis, whose gaze was unfocused, turns her eyes toward me. For several minutes, she silently stares at me. Then, she looks away and nods quietly at Natalie.

For some reason, Natalie starts laughing at Felis's nod.

"Hehehe... I see! This man is fine. Alright, I understand. Toya, I'll lend you this house."

"...What exactly is going on? I don't understand at all..."

"Let's go outside. Sammy is waiting. Felis, we'll be back."

Natalie says this, and Felis nods lightly before disappearing. I follow Natalie outside in a daze. Outside, Sammy is waiting, looking anxious.

"It's decided."

Natalie says only that.

"You must be kidding... Toya, that's amazing! To be recognized by a house sprite! This mansion has been empty for over ten years..."

Unable to grasp the situation, I can only stand there in a daze even after we go outside.

We then part ways with Natalie and head to the Commercial Guild. Sammy and I sit at a table.

"Let's sign the contract. Please sign here. The rent is 150,000 gil per month. Do you have an Adventurer's Guild card? We can deduct the payment from your card."

"Wait a moment. Can you deposit money into a guild card? I've never heard of that before..."

"Didn't the Adventurer's Guild explain it to you? The Commercial Guilds in each city also handle banking, so you can make deposits and withdrawals. Would you like to register now?"

I take out my guild card from my pocket and hand it to Sammy. Then, I take out two gold coins worth 2 million gil each and place them on the table.

"Please do this for me. And deposit this as well."

Sammy is surprised by the casual placement of the gold coins.

"Toya, carrying such a large amount of money is dangerous. It's normal to use a card for big purchases, so be careful."

Sammy takes the gold coins and the card, goes behind the counter, and starts the registration process. The registration is quick, and she returns to the table in less than five minutes.

"Here, the registration is complete. This month's rent has been deducted on a pro-rata basis. Be aware that the monthly deduction will be made on the first day of each month. The mansion is cleaned by the house sprite, so you can move in today."

I take the key and leave the Commercial Guild with Kokuo. We return to the rented mansion. Standing at the gate, I gaze at the grand Western-style mansion.

"Hey, Kokuo. Living in this mansion alone... doesn't it seem strange?"

I sigh, thinking about living in such a large mansion just for Kokuo's stable. Kokuo, looking satisfied, wags her tail and taps my head. She seems to be saying, "Let's go," and walks through the gate first. After removing the stable's fence, Kokuo looks around and starts to relax, as if claiming her territory.

"Ha... I still have plenty of money, so it's not a problem, but living in this mansion alone... no, with that house sprite, Felis... It would have been fine if you could return to the dimensional storage..."

As I stroke Kokuo's neck, she disappears on the spot.

"---What?"

I hurriedly check the contents of the dimensional storage. There, the horse icon is clearly visible. I hadn't noticed because living beings can't enter the dimensional storage, but Kokuo was treated as an item.

"I didn't need to rent such a big mansion..."

I look up at the sky.

Thank you.

I'll keep writing, bit by bit.