I got a house. Before I even knew what was happening, I’d somehow gotten a whole house. From whom? From the king, of course.
The day of the conferment ceremony, in the audience chamber things proceeded as scripted —
“To you, savior of Our life, We confer a noble title.”
“Most generous words. However, the adventurer life suits me.”
“I see. We will not press you, then.”
— up to here, on plan.
“However, to send you off as you are would be discourteous to the savior of Our life. So We have prepared a gratuity and a residence to serve as your adventuring base. Receive these in lieu of the title.”
“Huh?”
The king said it, and an elderly gentleman with a silver tray approached me, handing over a money-bag and a deed of the house and other items. Distracted by the king’s words, I just took it.
The weight of the bag snapped me back, but the gentleman had already retreated with his tray, and the moment to return it was past, when —
“Truly well done. We have great expectations of your continued exploits.”
— and the king closed it out.
“West District, Pararan Avenue, 21A… an outer-ring district where the wealthy live.”
Yumina murmured, looking at the deed.
The capital is divided around the castle into Inner and Outer Rings. The Inner Ring is for royalty, nobility, and great merchants; across the river outward sits the Outer Ring.
The Outer Ring houses many kinds of people, further divided into East, South, West districts (Capital Alephis has Lake Palette to the north, so no North district). The West district, where the wealthy live — that’s where the king had given me a house.
“So — what’ll you do?”
Elze, freshly back from rinsing off after another training session with the General, asked with eager interest. Even granted a thing like this, I can’t really handle it.
“Returning it would be off the table, I take it.”
”…Returning something once granted would be a major discourtesy. It crushes the giver’s face.”
Well — true. *Like saying actually I don’t like it, take it back. Linze’s right. No choice but to accept…
I dropped down into the grass at a corner of the castle’s training field. Clouds drifted across an open sky. Same kind of sky as when I first came to this world.
“Not just the house — got money, too. What do I even do with that much?”
“How much was it, indeed?”
Yae peered down at me as I sprawled.
”…Twenty King-Gold coins…”
"""Twenty King-Gold coins!?"""
Elze, Linze, Yae’s startled voices harmonized perfectly. Yeah — normal to be startled.
A King-Gold is one rank above platinum: one King-Gold equals ten platinum. Too large for everyday markets, supposedly.
In old-world money, one King-Gold ≈ ten million yen. So two hundred million total. The king’s life: two hundred million yen. Cheap or expensive — I can’t tell. And this is, supposedly, all out of the king’s personal purse. Didn’t ask how he earned it.
*Hold on — is this betrothal money…? Now that I’ve taken it, can I no longer refuse marrying Yumina? Also — isn’t betrothal money normally given from groom’s side to bride’s side? Or in the case of an adopted-husband arrangement, this works…? I have no idea.
It was scary holding so much, so I’d left the money in the Duke’s keeping.
“You got a house and money — could you just retire and live easy?”
“That feels like a one-way road to becoming a useless person.”
I sat up to answer Elze, who’d sighed half-amused. Got money, so don’t work — that feels off. Better to have money than not, sure.
“Want to go see it? Half an hour from here.”
No reason to oppose Yumina’s suggestion, so we all headed to see the house.
“Eh? …Here?”
I murmured, surprised.
In the West district of the Outer Ring, the residence stood on a high vantage. White walls, red roof. A graceful three-story Western-style mansion. The design was fine. No complaints; quiet location, slightly removed from the residential area — to my taste. But…
“This is too big…”
True, it’s smaller than the Ortlinde mansion or the Swordreck residence. But you could call it a manor without exaggeration.
I used the key to open the gate and stepped onto the property. A wide lawn, flowerbeds packed with blooms, a small pond with a fountain. Past the garden, an annex and a stable.
I opened the double doors and stepped into the entry hall — crimson carpet and a staircase up to the second floor greeted us.
“It’s a fine house. I like it.”
The only one of us actually accustomed to this kind of environment, Yumina, walked through the hall comfortably with Kōhaku in her arms. I followed, and an honest impression slipped out.
“A house this big — even just cleaning it would be a chore… Too big for five.”
"""Eh?"""
Elze, Linze, and Yae turned to me with startled faces. Eh — what?
“Um… Lord Touya? Five — does that mean we may live here too, indeed?”
”? What’s with does that mean. Of course.”
Why bring it up now. With all these rooms it’d be silly not to use them. While I was thinking that, Elze opened her mouth tentatively.
“But this house — the king gave it to you. Isn’t this a house to live with Yumina in?”
Aah — I see. Covering fire from the king for Yumina, this house was. Got something inconvenient.
I don’t dislike Yumina, but I can’t really see her as a marriage partner yet. More like a little sister.
Linze, head down, addressed me in a small voice.
”…A house for two people who love each other to live in — for the rest of us to live there is a bit…”
“People who love each other. I love all four of you the same — I think of you as family. So no problem with all of you living here…”
Hm? Linze’s bright red — what’s wrong? Wait — Elze and Yae too?
“I-I’m gonna go check the second floor!”
”…A-and I’ll, I’ll have a look at the attic room…!”
“S-s-sessha shall check the kitchen, indeed, for I am most curious!”
They scattered like a spider’s brood. Why?
“I see. Loving all four equally, like family — a step forward, perhaps.”
Yumina, watching, opened her mouth with a smile.
“I want to be Touya-san’s bride and walk through life with you. But I have no intention of monopolizing — so this is also acceptable. I’ll go talk with everyone for a moment. Touya-san, please wait in the living room.”
Eh? What? What does that mean? Leaving Kōhaku and me behind, Yumina headed up the stairs.
Don’t really get it, but… I do as told and head for the living room.
Along the way, I glanced into the bath, parlor, food storage, wine cellar — spectacularly nothing. Not a shelf. Going to need to buy a lot of furniture. Maybe the king’s money had this built in.
The door at the back of the first floor, near the front, opened onto the living room. Wide. Of course. With only a fireplace and curtains, more so.
A wall of windows showed, past a terrace, the wide garden and the West-district view from the high vantage.
I went out the windows, across the terrace, into the garden. A pleasant breeze.
“Nice garden. A nap here would be wonderful.”
Kōhaku flopped down on the lawn.
“Like it?”
“Yes, very much.”
If even Kōhaku says so, living here might not be bad. Lots to set up, though.
“Touya-san.”
I turned at the voice — Yumina, with everyone in tow. But for some reason the three were looking off in various directions, not at me. Why? Faces still slightly red…
“Uh, um, Touya… is it really okay if we live here too?”
”? Of course.”
”…You’re not going to tell us to leave later, ah, are you?”
“Not in a million years.”
“Will you treat us, ah, like Yumina-dono, indeed?”
“Naturally.”
What’s with this now. I have no family in this world, but I see all of them as family. That’s true.
…So why is everyone fidgeting? Maybe living in a house like this is intimidating. But it’s mine now, no need to hold back.
“Then everyone — we’ll all live here together. No rush — the earlier discussion is on the table once everyone’s feelings settle.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Understood, indeed.”
The other three nodded with red faces at Yumina’s words. Once feelings settle? What discussion?
“What was the earlier discussion?”
""""Secret.""""
Unison again, huh. Wait — am I the lowest-status person in this house?
“Then — let’s each pick our rooms.”
“I want the corner room on the second floor!”
“I-I’d like the room next to the study on the third floor!”
“Sessha shall take a first-floor room facing the garden, indeed.”
The girls’ contingent chatting away. Hmm — feeling left out. Well — plenty of rooms, take what you like. Even with everyone in singles, rooms still left over.
“Mmm — managing this house ourselves, that’s the worry…”
“It would be impossible.”
“Smooth answer, that…”
Yumina answered flatly. True — cleaning alone would be a lot. Plus the guild work; we couldn’t keep up the garden either.
“So, let’s hire people. I have a few in mind.”
If Yumina says so, leave it to her. Need staff anyway. With her palace connections, maybe she can find good ones.
All right — moving prep, then. Though “moving” just means hauling things over by [Gate]. And we’ll need furniture — house has nothing.
Plus, have to greet the people who looked after us in Reflet.
Once we’d lined up the staff applications and our schedules, we settled on moving in three days. Going to be busy.