by Hiro Ainana
There seemed to be three different farms adjacent to one another here.
“Once we’ve found a place to live, let’s buy some milk and sausages here.”
“Yaaaay!”
“Hooray, sir!”
“Cheese too.”
I patted the excited young trio, nodding an affirmative to Mia’s request.
Moving on, we passed along a river near the farms, until eventually the labyrinth army’s base was visible on the left, protected by a high wall.
It wasn’t a full-on fortress, but there were several towers equipped with large Magic Cannons.
There was even a wide field around the size of an average school’s grounds in front of the garrison, possibly to serve as a potential battlefield.
The river flowed into a moat around the ramparts. This seemed to be the end of the stream.
We passed the garrison and crossed over a bridge, entering a residential area with what appeared to be low-income housing.
There were some foul-smelling butcheries and leatherworking shops near the river, which probably made this a less-than-ideal place to live.
The road to the explorers’ guild was narrow and crowded, so we took a roundabout route to avoid the busy area.
“…Geh!”
Spotting a human figure below the bridge, I used my “Telescopic Sight” skill to investigate and found myself staring at some young female explorers bathing in the river.
They had put up a straw mat to conceal themselves, but there were way too many gaps in it.
“What’s the matter?”
“Oh, it’s no big deal.”
It might seem meddlesome, but once we crossed the bridge, I had Arisa and Nana give the group a large waterproof blanket with which to hide themselves properly.
“Watch the cart while we’re gone, please.”
“Yes, master.”
Leaving the cart in the parking area of the west guild, I took Arisa and Nana with me into the building.
It would probably be pretty busy inside, and I didn’t want to leave the cart unattended, so I decided to keep our numbers to a minimum.
I brought Arisa to help with negotiations and Nana to protect Arisa in case an incident broke out.
“It’s not quite as crowded as last time.”
Arisa was right: The west guild had been like a train station at rush hour last time, but now it was a fairly normal level of crowded.
Isn’t that…?
On the other side of the crowd, I saw Acting Viceroy Sokell, who we’d encountered at the government building, swaggering around with his guard. There was an attractive office-lady type next to him with a similarly haughty face.
He was pushing through the busy hallway like he owned the place, causing trouble for the explorers around him.
No need to poke a hornet’s nest today.
I didn’t want him to give us any trouble, so I quietly blended in with the crowd.
“Master, I have located wanted posters, I report.”
“Looks like they’ve got bounties and everything.”
Close to the entrance was a board lined with papers showing likenesses, names, and bounties for various criminals.
“Plunderers, huh? A hundred gold coins, dead or alive—that’s pretty hefty.”
Arisa was pointing at a plunderer called Plunderer King Ludaman wearing a mask that covered the right half of his face. The name sounded kind of familiar, but I was probably just imagining it.
There was quite a bit of variety among the other posters: I saw one for a pretty woman with the name Derrin the Dagger Princess and another for a big, stout man called Gumu the Human Bullet.
“We’ll simply catch them if we see them.”
I could easily distinguish them by searching for “plunderer” on my map, but I made a note of the wanted criminals’ names in the memo section of my networking tab, just in case.
“I wish they’d hang some big signs from the ceiling to show where things are.”
“The deployment of resources here has room for reassessment, I concur.”
There were lots of small signs posted on the pillars to indicate different locations, but if you weren’t tall enough, they would be impossible to see around the crowds of people.
The west guild was similar in design to the east guild, but there wasn’t any space on the floor for negotiation, and a green courtyard was visible farther inside. Unlike the chaotic lobby, there was hardly anyone to be seen in the courtyard. Containing a stylish open terrace, it appeared to be a space for nobles and high-level explorers.
“Hmm? Isn’t that Princess Meetia chatting with those hotties on the terrace?”
“Looks that way.”
Her strict guardian knight didn’t seem to be with her today.
Not wanting to get in the way of her potential romance, I proceeded along the path past the terrace without interrupting her.
“Sir Satou! And Arisa, too!”
However, Princess Meetia spotted us and hopped up and down, waving happily.
She didn’t include Nana’s name, though. They hadn’t really gotten to interact, since Nana was on a runosaur at the time.
“How is thy explorer life going? It must be exciting, no?”
“Yes, very much so.”
Between all the new foods and our secret labyrinth base, it was safe to say that the explorer life was treating us quite well.
“It appears that my companions have returned, so I shall take my—”
“Wait a moment, Sir Jelil! I ought to introduce thee to mine friends, no?”
The man Princess Meetia was speaking with was none other than Mr. Jelil, the leader of the Red Dragon’s Roar party we saw not long after we left the labyrinth.
I had never seen the other person before, but his name was Zarigon, the leader of an explorer party called the Hellfire Fangs.
He was a ruggedly handsome fellow and considerably strong at level 39.
With my “Keen Hearing” skill, I heard Arisa mutter “
“And this is Sir Satou Pendragon, a knight of the Muno Barony.”
“So you’re Sir Pendragon? I’ve heard about you from Sir Masaki, the Hero of the Saga Empire.”
Surprise registered on Mr. Jelil’s handsome features.
Masaki was the family name of Hayato the Hero.
I was a little curious what Hayato might have said about me.
“Hmm, so this is Pendragon… Looks like a cheeky twerp to me.”
Zarigon, on the other hand, looked down at me dismissively.
It didn’t seem like we’d be close friends anytime soon. I decided to mute him and speak to Mr. Jelil instead.
First, though, I warned Arisa and Nana via the Space Magic Telephone spell not to cause a fuss.
“Was Sir Hero in Labyrinth City?” Arisa inquired.
“Yes, he investigated the labyrinth a little, then took his follower with him and left. I believe he said they were going to Parion Province next.”
Jelil’s voice was certainly calming. Speaking to him up close, I could see how beefy his chest and arms were, too.
“Oh? That sword… Was it made by the dwarves of Bolehart, by any chance?”
Mr. Jelil looked at my fairy sword’s scabbard with a genuine smile.
The red-scabbard sword at his waist was from Bolehart, too—in fact, it was made by Zajuul, the top apprentice of Elder Dohal, who made my sword.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I thought as much! I’ve never seen that seal before, but judging by that workmanship, it must have been made by one of Elder Dohal’s best pupils.”
No, I actually made this sword with Elder Dohal. I didn’t want to say that to him when he was in such high spirits, though, so I decided to avoid the subject.
“Is your sword of Bolehart make as well, Sir Jelil? It looks as if it was made by one of
the best.”
“That’s right!” Jelil took the bait with a bright grin. “This sword was specially made for me by Master Zajuul, Elder Dohal’s best apprentice! Most Bolehart swords use a mithril alloy, but this one is particularly special. It’s made with a touch of bronze, blue steel, and scarlet ore, and…”
Too much.
Too much information, Mr. Jelil.
From the sound of things, I had accidentally set him off on a nerdy subject.
Giving up, I listened respectively to his long rant. The topic was actually pretty interesting to me, so it wouldn’t be that painful anyway.
In fact, I was a bit disappointed when his friends came over to get him.
“Jelil! We’re ready.”
“All right, I’m coming! Pardon me, Lady Meetia, but I must take my leave.”
“Very well. I wish thee luck in your conquest of the areamaster, no?”
Excusing himself, Mr. Jelil hurried over to his comrades.
The atmosphere around us seemed to relax a little.
“Are they hoping for treasure?”
“You must know this, Arisa, no? The core of an areamaster is required to attain qualification to battle a floormaster, no?”
Wow, it’s just like a quest chain in a game.
“Hmph! We Hellfire Fangs will defeat the areamaster long before they do.”
“Yes, I wish thee luck, too, Sir Zarigon.”
Princess Meetia grinned encouragingly at the preening Zarigon, who turned red and walked away with light steps, carrying his sword triumphantly.
Maybe Zarigon was actually a lolicon.
“Lady Meetia, how is your work going?” Arisa inquired politely.
“Well enough, no? Sir Sokell stopped us from healing the viceroy’s daughter, but now that the viceroy and his wife have returned, we can finally begin.”
He was preventing the viceroy’s daughter from being healed?
Sokell had given me a bad impression when we first met, so I figured he might be up to no good, but I’d dismissed him as nothing more than a minor pest. I should’ve been more careful.
“Lady Meetia, have you had any troubles with life in Labyrinth City thus far?”
“Life in the guesthouse is more than satisfactory, no? That pompous Sir Sokell is a trifle difficult to get along with, but worse…”
Princess Meetia hesitated for a second.
Her tone sounded more like anxiety than dissatisfaction to me.
“…there is simply something about Sir Poputema, no? I cannot help but feel a shiver when he dost look my way. I am told that it is his history in teaching that makes him seem to look down on others in his words and actions, and yet…”
I could understand that. It was hard when you had a gut negative reaction to someone.
“No, I mustn’t. I am simply still too inexperienced, that is all, no? By the by, Arisa…”
Looking ashamed for having spoken ill of others, Princess Meetia started talking to Arisa about interesting places in Labyrinth City instead.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness!”
Just then, the squire girl came running over, bandages wrapped around her head and arms.
She seemed to be guarding Princess Meetia today, not the strict knight.
“Were they able to heal thee?”
“Yes, madam! Sir Sokell was there, too, so I informed him that we were attacked by ruffians in the street.”
Attacked? Was that why Mr. Jelil and company were with her?
“Were you hurt, Your Highness?”
“Nay, I am unharmed. Ryula protected me.”
According to Princess Meetia, they were attacked by some well-dressed young hoodlums in masks.
They hadn’t tried to steal anything, leaving me to wonder who had attacked her and why.
I doubted it was out of any lascivious intent, unless they were lolicons like Zarigon.
Before long, Princess Meetia’s nursemaid and the stern knight arrived, too.
“Princess! I thought I might find you in a place like this yet again.”
“Ryula, are you hurt?”
The two didn’t appear to know about the attack.
“Now that thou are here, perhaps we had best return to the guesthouse. Sir Satou, Arisa, until we meet again, no?”
Once Princess Meetia left with her guardians, we went to the service window to secure a dwelling of our own.
“These areas should meet your requirements, Sir Knight.”
The man in charge of the guild’s real estate department pointed at a few spots in Labyrinth City.
There were three options: a former mercantile on the main street near the nobles’ gate, a studio space in the artisan district, and a house said to have been used by a noble’s lover.
“The house in the nobles’ quarters will be the most secure, but that place is under the jurisdiction of the viceroy’s office, so you would have to go through them.”
I read over the piece of paper containing information on the three spaces.
The former mercantile was far away from the west guild, and the workshop would be near the unpleasant-smelling butcheries and leather workshops. That left the former lover’s home by process of elimination.
It was a little small, but we would be using it only as a relay point to the Ivy Manor, so that wasn’t a big deal.
“Hey, what about this place?”
Arisa was looking at a file in a stack that the clerk had put aside.
Glancing over the information, I saw that it was a noble’s former vacation house, close to the farms and fields. It was cheap, too. However, due to it being empty for more than ten years, the process of renting it might be a little complicated.
“I-I’m afraid there are certain circumstances regarding that particular location…”
The clerk explained that there was a curse on the noble who originally built the house, and even the highest-ranking priests in the area couldn’t undo it.
“That’s quite a curse.”
“Yes, it’s said it was left by the Undead King who brought down the Muno Marquisate.”
Zen?!
I remembered the skull-faced man who was Nana’s former master and who had once kidnapped Mia.
“Then was the former owner of that house…?”
“Yes, he was the nephew of Marquis Muno… I have heard that all the residents of the home were found dead in a frightful mummified state.”
The people who next lived in the house were discovered on the verge of death, as well.
The curse even affected the surrounding area, impacting the health of everyone living nearby, until finally the house was surrounded by nothing but empty homes and unused land.
“There were no problems with the farm behind it, but since it was next to a cursed house, they had difficulty selling any dairy or meat.”
That’s some serious rumor power.
According to my map, the house in question did seem to have a pretty serious curse on it.
Most likely, it was the same kind of curse as the one that was on the basement of Muno Castle.
“All right. I’ll take it.”
“You cannot be serious!”
“Yes, I am. As a vassal of Baron Muno, I cannot simply stand by and let a house with a connection to the Muno family fall to a curse.”
The clerk tried to dissuade me, but one of his managers came along and boomed at him to make up the contract.
“Sir Pendragon, would you like to buy the surrounding empty land and houses as well? This would be the total price for the lot of them. Might you consider it?”
“Let me think…”
The manager seemed to want to do away with the whole lot of problem locations, so Arisa and I bargained with him until we managed to get the price down lower than the cheapest of the initial three locations we’d been shown.
They must have really wanted to be rid of this place…
“All right, we have a deal.”
I produced the
money from my Garage Bag and received the deeds and keys to the houses in exchange. Thanks to the clerk having the “Contract” skill, we were able to complete the registration proceedings on the spot.
I shook hands with the satisfied-looking manager and left the guild behind us.
As for the real estate tax, it depended on the location and scale of the land involved. In this case, we would be exempt for the first three years, and from the fourth year on, it would still be considerably cheap.
The price would probably go up eventually, but it was still far cheaper than any mansion in the nobles’ quarters, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Are you sure you’re okay with a cursed house?”
“Of course. I broke the curse in the Muno Castle basement. I should be fine.”
At that, Arisa’s concerned expression finally turned back into a smile.
We took the carriage back along the road we’d taken and headed straight for our new house.
“Geh, it’s totally overgrown!”
The mansion was thick with weeds, much to Arisa’s dismay.
“We’ve got thiiis?”
“We’re fully equipped for weeding, sir!”
“This is my new death-to-weeds scythe, I report.”
Pochi and Tama produced weed-cutting sickles from their pouches and struck a pose. Even Nana pulled out a long-handled sickle.
I opened the large padlock across the gate with the key I’d been given.
“Looks like it’s gotten a little rusty.”
I would have to put some lubricating oil on it later.
“Lulu, we’re blocking the road. Could you bring the carriage onto the premises, please?”
“Yes, master.”
As Lulu steered the carriage onto the grounds, I looked around at the state of the mansion.
There was enough miasma in the garden to be harmful to the health, so I put my spirit light on full throttle to purge it all away. The main source of the miasma was in the main wing of the house.
…Hmm?
There were no less than five children in the barn on the premises. They were probably young drifters squatting in the unused house.
Because their levels were low, I decided to have the weed-cutting team take a look.
“Nana, take Tama and Pochi and investigate the barn, please.”
“Yes, master.”
