Chapter 12

Despite feeling at a loss, I inserted the key I had been entrusted with, unlocked the door, and entered the mansion. As expected, the mansion was maintained in a pristine condition, without a single speck of dust.

"Am I going to live here alone... Ah, not alone... right..."

In front of me, a white mist appeared, and Felis revealed her form.

"From today, I'll be in your care. I'm Touya. Nice to meet you, Felis...?"

Perhaps due to my Japanese habits, I bowed my head. When I raised my face, Felis seemed to smile slightly.

On the way from the mansion to the Commercial Guild, Natalie had explained that house spirits, including Felis, do not speak. House spirits settle in a house and take care of it diligently, ensuring that the house remains in good condition without deteriorating. They are completely harmless, but when the residents change, the house spirit chooses a new owner, and one cannot live in the house without permission. Moreover, it is rare for a house spirit to settle in a house, and in this town, only three other houses have confirmed their presence. This house, which has been desired by many for over ten years, has never granted permission until now, since Natalie became the owner.

When I asked, she understood the words and responded, though silently.

However, I couldn't help but speak out in this large mansion, feeling lonely.

"Where will my room be?"

In response to my question, Felis slowly ascended the stairs, as if to say, "Follow me." She opened the door to the room at the very end of the second floor. When I entered the room after Felis, it was a spacious room of about 30 tatami mats, with a large king-sized canopy bed and a sofa.

"I thought the mansion would be big, but the rooms are this large too?"

As I examined the room, Felis stood at the entrance, watching over me. The room was indeed spotless, just as Natalie had explained that it is normal for a house with a house spirit. Perhaps because I am Japanese, a sense of gratitude welled up in me.

"Felis, thank you for keeping this mansion so clean. Can you show me the other rooms?"

Her expression seemed to soften slightly at my words, but she quickly left the room to guide me, so I couldn't be sure. She then showed me the study and guest rooms on the second floor. We moved to the first floor, where she showed me the dining room, living room, and—what was the biggest reason I chose this mansion—the bath.

When I opened the door to the bath from the changing room, steam enveloped my face. The steam cleared to reveal a large bathtub that could fit about ten adults, with water continuously flowing from the mouth of a lion's head sculpture.

"Could it be... I can use it anytime...?"

Felis, who turned to face me, nodded expressionlessly. In response, I raised both arms and exclaimed, "Yay!" Felis tilted her head, puzzled by my joy over the bath, but for a Japanese person, a bath is irresistible. Suppressing the urge to jump in immediately, I followed Felis, feeling a bit reluctant.

After the tour, I sat on the sofa in the living room and relaxed.

"Felis, thank you for the tour. I look forward to living here."

Expressing my gratitude, Felis nodded and disappeared. Left alone in the room, I began to think about the future.

"At least I can cook my own meals, so that's not a problem... But I need to set up my living arrangements. I want to level up too. I should also try out the contents of my dimensional storage... First, I should..."

There was only one place to go. I headed to the bath. After shedding my clothes in the changing room and entering the bath, steam enveloped my face.

"Being able to use such a wonderful bath every day is too good to be true..."

I washed my body and immersed myself in the wide bathtub, starting from my feet.

"Ah, so comfortable..."

The bath was so spacious that I could lie down without any issues. I relaxed, but I restrained myself from staying too long to avoid overheating. When I got out of the bathtub, the clothes I had thrown in the changing room were neatly folded and placed in a basket. A towel for drying my body was also prepared. And there—Felis was standing.

"Ah!!"

Naked, I wrapped a towel around my waist. Even though she is a house spirit, it felt embarrassing to be naked in front of a spirit that looks like a girl. Felis didn't seem to mind my surprised expression, but I thought it would be inappropriate to show myself to a girl, so I asked her to leave the room, and she disappeared on the spot. Alone, I dried my body with a towel, took out new clothes from my dimensional storage, and changed. When I took out the folded clothes from the basket, they were already clean.

"They're clean... Did Felis do this? I should thank her later."

I put the clothes back in my dimensional storage and returned to the living room. Not in the mood to cook on my first day of moving in, I took out a ready-made meal from my dimensional storage, ate it, and felt satisfied. Then, I went upstairs to my room.

"Starting tomorrow, I need to level up. I have to complete quests..."

Lying down on the bed, which was the most comfortable I had ever experienced, I fell asleep without realizing it.