"Buy a house? The guild has dorms, you know..."
In mage guilds, most mages either rented homes or stayed in dormitories. Very few ever bought property.
"No, I don't like staying in dorms. I want a place of my own."
Now that he had been transported to this world, Kaien felt it was time to truly settle down. Naturally, he wanted a place he could call home.
"Hmm... do you have any specific requirements for the house?"
"Not really. It can be in a remote area. I just don't want to disturb others while I'm training. As long as it's clean and well-kept, that's enough."
Mirajane's eyes lit up. "If that's what you're looking for, I actually know a place that fits perfectly. Wait right here."
She immediately ran over to Makarov and asked for leave to take Kaien to see the house. Makarov agreed without hesitation. Buying a house was a big step in anyone's life. For Kaien to purchase property here—it meant he was ready to put down roots.
Mirajane quickly returned to Kaien. "All set. I got permission. Let's go!"
She led him along the riverside path.
"There's a couple that lives near me. The husband was recently transferred to Onibus as a civil servant. They're planning to move, so they're selling their house. The moment you described what you wanted, they came to mind."
As they walked, a boat passed by on the river. The boatman, seeing Mirajane and Kaien walking together, grinned and teased, "Hey there! Young couple out on a date?"
Mirajane's cheeks turned pink. "We are not!"
"Aw, don't be shy! Young folks should enjoy love while they're young—wait too long, and it'll be too late!"
As the boat drifted away with the current, he waved goodbye.
"Kaien, don't listen to him—he's just spouting nonsense."
Kaien chuckled. "I know, he's just joking. But you denying it so fast? That kinda hurts, y'know."
"Ah! That's not what I meant!"
"Relax, I'm messing with you too."
He liked Mirajane—but it wasn't love at first sight. It was more of a casual affection, partially influenced by having seen her in the anime.
Honestly, they had only met twice, counting today.
Mirajane puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance. "Hmmph! Kaien, you've got a wicked sense of humor."
Then she laughed. Even though they'd only met briefly, being around Kaien felt surprisingly natural.
Before long, they arrived at the house.
A carriage stood out front, loaded with luggage of all shapes and sizes.
"Mr. Santos! Mrs. Bella! You're leaving already?"
Mirajane stepped forward to greet them.
"Ah, Miss Mirajane! Yes, everything's ready over there—it's time for us to move on," said Mrs. Bella with a smile. She had watched Mirajane grow up, from a little girl into a graceful young woman.
"And this young man—is he your boyfriend? Little Mira's all grown up now."
Mirajane's cheeks flushed. "He's not. He's a colleague from the guild."
"Oh? So it's a guild romance?"
"No, no! We're just coworkers, that's all!"
"Funny... I haven't seen you out with any other male guildmates before."
"Mrs. Bella~!"
"Hahaha! Just teasing. If I don't joke with you now, I might never get the chance again."
"By the way, what's going to happen with the house now that you're leaving? Has it been sold yet?"
Mrs. Bella shook her head. "Not yet. There's no time to deal with it slowly, so we were going to leave it with an agent."
"In that case, it's perfect. My colleague here is looking to buy a house, and I immediately thought of yours. Would you mind if we took a look?"
"Of course not! Please, go ahead!"
Mirajane led Kaien inside for a tour. The house was modest in size, two floors, clean and tidy. It had clearly been well-maintained. The layout was pleasant, the furnishings complete—Kaien could move in with just a few extra purchases.
The surroundings were also beautiful. The house was standalone, so he wouldn't need to worry about disturbing neighbors. Kaien was very satisfied.
After some sharp bargaining by Mirajane, the couple, who originally planned to sell for 4 million J, agreed to part with it for 3 million J. Kaien was impressed.
"So you're not a couple, huh? And yet you just saved him a whole million J."
"We're really not!"
"Well then, I'd better get going. Young man, little Mira is a wonderful girl—I watched her grow up. You'd better treat her right!"
"Mrs. Bella~!"
Kaien replied with total seriousness, "Don't worry, Mrs. Bella. I'll treasure her."
Mrs. Bella blinked, then burst out laughing and gave Kaien a hearty pat on the shoulder. "You're alright, kid!"
"Kaien~~~!" Mirajane whined, embarrassed—even though she knew they were joking, she was still flustered.
A short while later, the carriage slowly pulled away. Mirajane waved goodbye—it was likely the last time she'd see them.
"Kaien, take your time settling in. I'm heading back to the guild."
"Wait! You helped me so much today—let me treat you to a meal."
"No way! If someone sees us, who knows what rumors they'll start?"
Having lived in Magnolia for years, Mirajane was well known in town. In just this one outing, she'd already been teased several times.
"Uh..."
"Hehe, just kidding. The guild's got a lot of work to do. Maybe some other time. I'll head back for now."
She turned to go, but Kaien suddenly remembered something.
"Wait! Mirajane!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I almost forgot the most important thing. Can you wish me luck again? Like last time?"
"...???"
Mirajane blinked, confused, but then smiled brightly. "Mr. Kaien, I wish you good luck today too!"
'Ding! You have received the Goddess's Blessing! Luck +100!'
As Mirajane walked away, Kaien could swear he heard a system notification ring out in his head.
By the time he snapped out of it, she was already gone.
Kaien immediately opened his system interface.
[Perform 10x Draw?]
"Confirm!"
Starlight once again sparkled across the screen, converging in the night sky.
Kaien prayed silently in his heart: 'Gold! Gold! Come on, give me gold!'
At that moment, a dazzling golden glow burst forth.
Kaien cheered, eyes wide. "A gold pull! I actually got one!!"