House
The manager aunty shows Roxanne and me the house that’s being recommended as our living place.
A two story white house covered in mortar.
It feels like an ordinary house one can notice around this area and even in Vale town.
And yet, is it the sad nature of j.a.panese people that makes this feels so wonderfully big?
There is one thing that’s improved in this world compared to today’s j.a.pan.
Although out of town, there are forests and plots of land just the same.
That one thing is my precious dog ears. [0]
“The wooden windows have been restored. In the current condition, you can move in as soon as you bring in furniture.”
The aunty opens the lock.
Inside the house, a cold naked concrete room is spread out.
As expected, it is big.
From a typical j.a.panese sense, one could already call this a mansion.
“Ohhh.”
“The previous resident made many modifications, so there’s no problem if you do any kind of interior remodeling. One special modification performed is a flus.h.i.+ng toilet.”
The aunty steadily moves forward inside the room and then opens an inner room’s door.
Over in that small room there is a toilet.
“Flus.h.i.+ng toilet?”
“You put water in the vessel above and it’ll wash it out the drain. The drain draws water from the nearby river. Here we’re upstream so it’s pretty clean.”
The bathroom has a toilet seat directly connected to the drain opening. [1]
If water is put into the upper tank, it seems the force is enough to wash it away.
Flus.h.i.+ng is preposterous, but it’s still better than directly leaving the human waste in the porcelain. [2]
“I see.”
“Even if it’s put here, it’s still inconvenient. It’s a hobby of the previous resident. A second one was being put in the second floor, but it was stopped.”
“There’s a toilet on the 2nd floor too?”
“It was stopped, thus only the drainage is connected in the 2nd floor.”
The room next to the bathroom has a sink and a counter; looking at it, it seems to be the kitchen.
Roxanne is questioning the aunty.
“Then, let’s look at the 2nd floor for a bit.”
Fortunately, the manager aunty gets a hold of Roxanne and goes up to the 2nd floor.
I must test [Warp].
Once they go upstairs, I still know where Roxanne is.
Is this one of the party effects?
As a precaution, I remove Roxanne from the party. Visualizing the adjacent room, I face the wall and cast [Warp].
For travel, a Party is a single unit, so I don’t know what happens when Roxanne isn’t around.
A black wall appears in front of my eyes.
I try going through.
I perfectly come out the next room.
It is a success.
It seems [Field Walk] won’t work, but [Warp] still does.
[Warp] has really good utility as it can also transfer directly into the labyrinth.
However, the things I have to worry about increases by one.
It’s better to avoid transferring just anywhere with [Warp].
It’d be disaster if one transfers to a place where [Field Walk] or [Dungeon Walk] aren’t supposed to work.
I should only transfer to places where I’ve confirmed [Field Walk] or [Dungeon Walk] can get through.
I haven’t transferred to many places besides the Adventurer’s Guild’s inner wall or the small rooms inside the labyrinth. It hasn’t changed much even now.
The cave where the thieves were sleeping carefree just before I gathered the funds to purchase Roxanne, perhaps it possibly was covered with s.h.i.+elding cement.
Those driven-out thieves, without keeping watch late night and early morning, everyone was able to sleep without any care.
Because it was a place where [Field Walk] couldn’t be used, were they relieved by the fact that n.o.body would come in?
After looking around the 2nd floor in a way that doesn’t seem unnatural, they come down the 1st floor.
“What do you think? Besides the flaws in this house, the water well is far so you’ll need to travel a distance to draw water. Nevertheless, there shouldn’t be any problems.” [3]
I am approached by the aunty who came down.
Finally, she fleetingly looks in Roxanne’s direction.
Even if the water well is far away, it shouldn’t be a problem when you can send the slave to draw the water.
“For me, it’s alright. I think it’s a good property.”
I don’t know to what extent Roxanne is truthful.
She should know that we can produce water with magic, right?
“I guess so.”
Because I can use [Warp] and [Water Wall], to me the flaws in this house aren’t flaws at all.
I could say that this is a good property.
The problem is if it is fine by ending up choosing the first house?
But, researching various houses would take time.
It’s cheaper than living at the inn, so meanwhile we’ll settle for this. It’ll be ok if we move to another place later if it turns out to be no good.
Because Roxanne said it’s a good property, it seems it isn’t a bad house.
“One year contract for this property is 45,000 nars. The contract, because you might not be able to move today, if it starts from tomorrow, it’ll last until next year’s 13th day of spring.”
In other words, today is the 13th day of spring?
Because there’s a market price, price-wise it isn’t bad.
The manager doesn’t seem to be a bad person.
The insight to grasp that Roxanne is a slave. She also kindly made the contract start from tomorrow..
The manager herself is an elected person; if there are several managers from the 1st to 6th district, there could be compet.i.tion.
I think a dishonest manager that scams customers wouldn’t be elected.
Once I look at Roxanne, she makes a big nod.
“Alright, let’s rent this house.”
After that, we walk and are taken to the Knight’s Order station. My intelligence card is checked.
Even if she’s a manager, her job is Merchant, so it looks like she can’t use the intelligence card skill.
“We’ll make the contract paperwork, but can you write?”
After returning to the hardware store, I am asked by the aunty.
As expected, seems there are a lot of people who can’t write.
“Is it fine if someone writes on my behalf?”
“Of course.”
“Then, Roxanne, please.”
“Certainly!”
While the aunty and Roxanne are preparing the doc.u.ments, I look around the store.
There’s a Chinese Wok on display. [4]
“What is this?”
“That’s a pan that professional chefs use. It is used when cooking with high heat.”
“Hmm.”
It isn’t exactly a Chinese wok, but it resembles one.
It probably has a similar shape because it has the same use.
Feeling nostalgic, I gaze at the Chinese wok for a little while.
“We’re the only place that sells them around here. Probably you won’t see many.”
“Then add this to the rent. What’s the total?”
“I’m happy that you’d be interested in our specially made pan. That’s why as a special service the total is 31850 nars, is it ok?” [5]
Alright!
I had nothing to lose so I tried, but it seems the [30% Discount] works when the other party is a merchant.
Three gold coins in addition to silver and copper ones are taken out to pay.
The aunty hands over the keys to the house.
Since there’s no furniture or bed, today we’ll return to the Vale pavilion.
From the Adventurer’s Guild in Quratar, we jump to the now rented house.
The contract starts tomorrow, but it probably isn’t a problem.
“Wasn’t it said that this house used s.h.i.+elding cement?”
After I leave the Chinese wok in a suitable place nearby, Roxanne says that.
What are you saying?
“Yes. I tested if it could be used properly. Even if [Field Walk] can’t be used, my [Warp] is ok.”
If I couldn’t use [Warp] we wouldn’t have made the contract.
“Eh? …That’s so wonderful.”
“I wonder.”
If it’s present j.a.pan, one could commit as many times as one wanted the perfect crime of a sealed room murder case.[6]
Whether this world’s banks have things like safe deposit boxes or not, it might be desirable to investigate.
Although I wouldn’t do it.
How should I put it, if I couldn’t use [Warp] because of the s.h.i.+elding cement, did Roxanne plan on walking from here to the labyrinth or the Adventurer’s Guild every time?
Well that could very well be.
Or, would it work from the wall beside the entryway?
It is outside the house. That would be a bother, but…
Am I being too lazy?
Once you try travel magic, traveling by foot is troublesome.
One big reason a house was rented is because I had to walk from Vale pavilion to the Adventurer’s Guild each time.
With my own house, I can [Warp] without fearing what anyone could think. It’s extremely comfortable.
We warp from our house to the Adventurer’s Guild in Vale.
It’s evening in the town of Vale.
It feels like Quratar is located a bit further west.
After paying the fee for a single night, we enter the room.
Once I sit down on the bed, soon after Roxanne sits beside me.
Is it because I had ordered her to do that?
I’m happy that Roxanne sat beside me, but somehow I feel guilty.
Moreover, pus.h.i.+ng her down is out of the question.
I feel like redoing everything from the start.
There’s no helping it, I’ll have to endure it for a while.
We do equipment maintenance and after finis.h.i.+ng our meal, we go up to the room again.
“Well then, we’ll wash your body. Get undressed.”
“That’s no good. Was.h.i.+ng master comes first.”
However, enduring until now, I was met with rejection!
Time is too precious to waste arguing. I take off all my clothes and get washed.
Afterwards I wash her enough.
Wash her I do. [7]
I wash her to my heart’s content till exhaustion.
From behind, I position my hands to the front. I wipe clean those sublime and beautiful sacred mountains.
Diligently. Carefully. Delicately.
So that I don’t leave a single micron uncleansed.
So that I don’t leave a single picogram of dirt. [8]
Many times. Many times over. Again and again. [9]
To one’s heart’s content. Until one’s heart grows tired.
I’m satisfied.
Well, immediately after, I’d get even more satisfied…
The next morning, while it is still dark, we enter the labyrinth in Vale. After breakfast, we start the move.
With the Inn’s room and the house connected by [Warp], the case containing the maid uniform and Roxanne’s rucksack packed with things are moved into the house.
With half the body through, it is a strategy to transfer only the luggage with a single [Warp].
Seems the case and luggage are handled ok, a success without incident.
Vacating the Vale pavilion, we change residences.
In Quratar, arrangements are made to buy the minimum furniture such as a bed, table, chairs, cupboard, closet, cookware, cleaning implements, daily necessities, and other essential goods.
The furniture store people seem to bring them to the house in a cart.
All the furniture is second hand goods, but the bed’s mattress seems to have been replaced with a brand new one, so there’s no problem with that.
We make many trips with [Warp] between the Adventurer’s Guild in the town center and the new house.
That alone is a single day’s work.
Incidentally, carpets are high-cla.s.s items, so in Quratar they aren’t being sold.
Are they obtained from peddlers? Seems like I must go to the Imperial Capital.
“Well then, I’ll be going to draw water.”
I am told by Roxanne after she returns from buying water jugs.
As expected, doesn’t she understand?
“There’s no problem producing water with magic.”
“Is that alright? But I heard it’s considerably difficult to use magic.”
“It’ll be alright if Roxanne helps me.”
“Err. What should I do?”
Taking out Durandal, we jump into the labyrinth.
Without even opening the entranceway, one can go to the work place. It’s really convenient.
“Well, search for demons.”
From repeatedly using [Warp] since the morning, I feel a little depressed.
I guess I used too much MP.
“Yes. Then, can I borrow my equipment?”
“We’re only hunting one or two, so…”
“That’s no good. We don’t know what can happen in the labyrinth. One must diligently get prepared.”
By Roxanne’s urging, I wear the leather cap and leather gloves.
So bothersome.
With Durandal, I slaughter the two Minos that Roxanne finds. MP is restored.
Roxanne is seriously convenient.
After returning, in the second floor room with drainage, four water jugs are lined up. Above them I create a [Water Wall].
Using magic once, enough water is collected that the jugs are not completely full, but more than half full.
The efficiency is not too good, but there’s no helping it.
Just past noon the furniture is delivered, it becomes a little bit more like a real home.
It now looks like somewhere someone could live in.
One room in the second floor is chosen as the bedroom and we both carry the bed.
The closet is placed in another room, because it’s awfully tasteless.
Right in the middle of the s.p.a.cious room without any wallpaper, one bed is placed.
Roxanne prepares the sheets and quilt covers and spreads out a mat besides the bed, and it seems to have more or less become a bedroom.
“Of course, what should be done first, I think, is ascertaining the quality of the bed. How about it?”
I ask while lightly embracing Roxanne.
“Eh? Y-yes…unh.”
Receiving confirmation, our mouths cover each other.
Gently, my tongue is inserted and it is accepted. Seems there’s no misunderstanding.
I lay her on the bed; we test the quality.
Of course, testing out the bed is the best.
How was the customer’s experience? It’s impossible to know. [10]
After that, we both make dinner.
Since there was no time, we didn’t go to Quratar’s labyrinth.
We only have some conversation.
Quratar’s labyrinth has existed since extremely ancient times. How big is it? Since n.o.body has defeated the boss in the top floor, it’s still unknown.
Generally, once a labyrinth grows to 50 floors, the entrance appears as if it is luring people. [11]
Afterwards, while digesting the people, it slowly grows.
The record for highest floor reached for the labyrinth in Quratar is the 91st floor.
In addition to the legendary accomplishment of the first emperor’s party being recorded, at the present time for reaching the 80th floor, one would be marked down as top-cla.s.s.
To some extent, there’s some pattern, but what kinds of demons appear on each floor differs for each labyrinth.
In Quratar’s labyrinth, it is Kobolds on the 1st floor, Naive Olive on the 2nd, and Spy Spider on the 3rd.
Because Kobolds, being weak, are suitable for beginners, Quratar’s labyrinth’s 1st floor is a popular destination for people new to labyrinths.
What’s more, I am taught while Roxanne is cooking.
Roxanne is making a vegetable stew in the stockpot; I’m frying meat in the Chinese wok.
Only the flavor isn’t to the extent that you wouldn’t eat it.
The vegetable stew might need to be boiled longer, but without a gas cooker, it isn’t realistic to cook for a long time in this kitchen using firewood.
Someone needs to be constantly watching in front of the fire, in which case, one can’t go to the labyrinth.
In other words, I need to put more effort into the fried meat dish.
Because it’s our first day, it’s inevitable to speak of what can’t be helped.
It seems we should look for various seasonings and spices.
In this world, most likely it’s a privilege of the wealthy cla.s.s to employ a good chef that can cook delicious food all day long.
There are no artificial flavorings, solid das.h.i.+ stock, or powdered soup base.
After dinner, the sun has set by the time I am boiling hot water.
In the middle of dim light, I wipe Roxanne’s body.
“There’s a candle but…”
“There’s no candle stand.”
Seems a set of candles, candle stand, and candle extinguisher are something necessary. [12]
I didn’t know.
Certainly, there’s no way to stick the candles up like on a cake.
“It would have been good if we had bought them today.”
“I’m sorry. Because candles aren’t something cheap, I thought they weren’t necessary.”
Well, I’m able to enjoy Roxanne’s bouncy chest without relying on my vision.
Their substantial ma.s.s is conferred to my palms.
Without rus.h.i.+ng to conclusions, it feels like they’ll spill over.
Softly and smoothly they bounce back against the hands I’m wiping with.
Actually, without relying on vision, I concentrate all sensitivity into my palms. [13]
Maybe because there’s no illumination she doesn’t feel embarra.s.sed; I am washed from the front too.
Testing the sensation of using the bed during the daytime is irrelevant.
There’s more room for nighttime dessert. [15]
Notes:
[0] Gollum: My precious!
[1] TL Note: Bathroom, half bathroom, restroom, washroom or powder room for those using American English. Toilet Room, lavatory or WC for those using UK Commonwealth English.
[2] TL Note: Remember that in medieval societies you either left your waste around the house, threw it out the window into unsuspecting pa.s.serby, even flus.h.i.+ng is still preposterous because, unlike modern closed drainage which is separate from clear/drinking water, it was still being dumped into the nearby river never mind the people downriver that would use it for drinking, was.h.i.+ng or bathing, yuck! Even in today’s world it still happens in poor and developing countries! Also a few chapters back it’s explained that the Slums in Vale Town are located downriver for the same waste management reason.
[3] TL Note: Guess water well for drinking water, whereas river is for utility water.
[4] TL Note: Chinese Wok, for those that don’t know what a wok is: TL Note: 45,000 nars for rent + 500 for the wok = 45500 nars – 30% discount = 31850 nars
[6] TL Note: It’s refering to a murder case where room is locked from inside and can’t be accessed from outside without leaving evidence, you often see this in detective manga and dramas
[7] Panda: He became enlightened like Yoda. Jk he’s still pervy.
[8] Panda: Yup, still pervy.
[9] Panda: WHY AREN’T YOU RUNNING ROXANNE?!?!
[10] ED Note: Was it good for you? It was good for me.
[11] TL Note: Ch. 36 explains this. Labyrinths are living things like antlions luring people into a trap and eating them.
[12] TL Note: for those that don’t know what a candle extinguisher/snuffer/douter is. ED Note: Skill [Breast Perception] acquired.
[15]Panda: We all know what this mean……….no, he didn’t eat cake…..
yomero: Then it must have been a creampie ?