Chapter 13: Another Gold Drop
"Buy a house? You know, the guild has a dormitory..."
In a mage guild, most members either rented or lived in the dorms. Very few actually bought their own houses.
"No, I'm not a fan of dorms. I want to have my own place."
Since he had crossed into this world, he figured he should put down some roots. He naturally wanted a home to call his own.
"Hmm... do you have any specific requirements for the house?"
"Nothing special. It can be a little remote—I don't want to disturb anyone when I'm training. As long as it's clean and tidy, that's fine."
Mira's eyes lit up when she heard this. "Now that you mention it, I know the perfect place that fits your needs. Wait here a moment."
Mira immediately ran over to Makarov to ask for leave, explaining she was going to show Ren a house. Makarov nodded at once, agreeing. Buying a house was a major life event. If Ren was buying property here, it meant he was planning to settle down for good.
Mira quickly returned to Ren's table. "Alright, my leave is approved. Let's go."
Mira led Ren along the riverbank.
"Near where I live, there's a middle-aged couple. The husband recently got a new civil service post in Onibas, and the whole family is moving. They're planning to sell their house here. When you mentioned your requirements, their place was the first one I thought of."
Just then, a boat passed by on the river. The boatman looked at Mira and Ren walking on the bank and called out teasingly, "Hey, hey! A young couple out on a date?"
Mira's face flushed. "It's not like that!"
"No need to be shy! Young people should enjoy romance while they're young. Wait too long and you'll miss your chance!"
The boatman was already downstream by the time he finished, his voice drifting back.
"Ren, don't listen to his nonsense."
Ren just smiled. "I know, he was just teasing. But you were so quick to deny it, it's a little hurtful, you know?"
"Ah! That's not what I meant!"
"Relax, I'm just pulling your leg. I was kidding, too."
He liked Mira a lot, but he couldn't say it was love at first sight. It was a simple fondness, heavily influenced by having watched the anime. If he was being honest, this was only the second time they had ever really met.
Mira pouted. "Mphh! Mr. Ren, you're so mean."
After she said it, she started to laugh. Even though she'd only met Ren twice, she felt completely comfortable and at ease around him.
A short while later, they arrived in front of a house.
A carriage was parked out front, piled high with luggage of all sizes.
"Mr. Santos! Ms. Bella! Are you leaving so soon?" Mira called out.
"Oh, it's little Mira! Yes, everything is ready on the other end, so it's time for us to go," Ms. Bella said with a smile. She had watched Mira grow up, from a little girl into a beautiful young woman.
"And this is... your boyfriend? My, my, little Mira's all grown up."
Mira blushed again. "No, he's a colleague from my guild."
"Oh? A guild romance, then?"
"No, not at all! We're just regular colleagues."
"Well, in all these years, I've never seen you out with a male colleague before."
"Ms. Bella~!"
"Hahaha! I'm only joking. If I don't tease you now, I'm afraid I won't get another chance."
"By the way, Ms. Bella, what are you doing with the house? Have you sold it already?"
Ms. Bella shook her head. "Not yet. We've run out of time, so we were about to hand it over to a real estate agency."
"Is that so? That's perfect! My colleague here is actually looking for a house, and I recommended your place. Would it be alright if we took a look?"
"Of course! Be my guest!"
Mira led Ren on a tour. The house was a nice size—two floors, not too big, not too small. The house and the yard were very clean, clearly well-maintained by the owners. It was fully furnished, and he'd only need to buy a few personal things to move right in.
The surroundings were beautiful, and it was a detached house, so he wouldn't have to worry about bothering the neighbors when he trained. Ren was completely satisfied.
After a bit of haggling from Mira, the couple, who had originally asked for 4,000,000 J, finally agreed to sell it to Ren for 3,000,000 J. Ren was beyond impressed.
"And you say you're not a couple," Ms. Bella teased. "You're already saving him money."
"I'm not~!"
"Alright, it's time for us to go. Young man, I've watched little Mira grow up. She's a wonderful girl. You'd better treasure her!"
"Ms. Bella~!"
Ren, however, put on a serious face. "Don't worry, Ms. Bella. I'll be sure to treasure her!"
Ms. Bella blinked, then burst out laughing. She clapped Ren on the shoulder. "I like you, kid! You're a good one!"
"Ren~~~!" Mira whined, completely embarrassed, even though she knew they were just joking.
A moment later, the carriage began to pull away. Mira waved goodbye to Ms. Bella. A parting like this could very well be forever.
"Ren, I'll let you get settled in. I should head back to the guild."
"Wait. You helped me so much. Let me buy you dinner."
"No! If people see us, who knows what they'll say." Mira had lived in Magnolia for years; almost everyone in town knew her. She had already been teased several times in just this short walk.
"Oh..."
"Heehee! I'm kidding. But I really do have a lot of work to catch up on at the guild. Maybe some other time. I'm going now."
Mira finished and turned to leave.
Ren suddenly remembered. "Wait! Mira!"
"Hm? Is there something else?"
"I almost forgot the most important part! Mira, can you... can you wish me good luck, just like last time?"
"???"
Mira was a bit baffled, but she gave him her signature, flower-like smile. "Mr. Ren, I wish you good luck today, too!"
Ding! [Goddess's Blessing] acquired! Luck +100!
As Ren looked at Mira, he could have sworn he heard a system prompt in his head.
When he snapped out of it, Mira was already far down the path.
Ren immediately opened his system interface.
[Confirm 10-Pull?]
"Confirm!"
The panel's screen once again began to glitter with starlight, the sparks gathering in the virtual sky.
Ren prayed internally, "Gold! Gold! Gold!"
Just then, a brilliant, blinding golden light flashed across the screen.
Ren was overjoyed. "It's really gold!!"