The woman who was supposed to help us find a place to live led Roxane and me to a house.
It was a two-story white house with a mortar finish.
It felt like an ordinary house, the kind you often see around here and in the town of Bael.
Still, it seemed quite large, perhaps a sad trait of the Japanese.
There was one more thing that was more advanced than modern Japan.
Just a little outside of town, there was a forest, so there must be land.
One thing is the Inumimi-sama, but something like that.
"The wooden windows have been repaired, so you can move in as soon as you bring in the furniture."
The woman opened the door.
The inside of the house was a large, inorganic room with exposed concrete.
It was indeed large.
By Japanese standards, it could be called a mansion.
"Hmm."
"The previous resident made various modifications, so you can remodel the inside as you like. The most significant change was the installation of a flush toilet."
The woman walked straight into the room and opened the door to a small room at the back, which turned out to be the toilet.
"Flush toilet?"
"When you fill the upper container with water, it flows into the ditch outside. The water is taken from a nearby river, but since we are on the upper side, it is quite clean."
The toilet was just a seat connected to a drain.
When you fill the tank above with water, it flushes with the force of the water.
It might be a bit presumptuous to call it a flush toilet, but it's much better than using a jar to collect and dispose of waste.
"Hmm."
"It's a bit inconvenient to have it here, but it was the previous resident's hobby. They tried to install one on the second floor, but I stopped them."
"Another toilet on the second floor?"
"I stopped them, so on the second floor, only the drain is connected."
The room next to the toilet, with a sink and a counter, was probably the kitchen.
Roxane was asking the woman questions.
"Let me go check the second floor."
Taking advantage of the fact that the woman was being detained by Roxane, I went upstairs.
I needed to conduct a warp experiment.
When I went up the stairs, I could tell where Roxane was.
Was this the effect of the party?
To be cautious, I removed Roxane from the party, thought of the next room, and chanted "warp" towards the wall.
Since movement is done in party units, I wasn't sure how it would work without Roxane.
A black wall appeared in front of me.
I tried to pass through it.
I successfully moved to the next room.
It worked.
Field Walk seems to be impossible, but Warp is possible.
I can move within the dungeon, and Warp is very convenient.
However, there is one more complication.
It's better to avoid using Warp to move anywhere.
If the destination is a place where Field Walk or Dungeon Walk is not possible, it could be a problem.
I should confirm that the destination is accessible by Field Walk or Dungeon Walk before moving.
Since I haven't moved much outside the walls of the Adventurer's Guild or the small rooms in the dungeon, it's not much different from before.
When I earned the money to get Roxane, the thieves were sleeping soundly in that cave.
Even though it was late at night or early morning, it was too careless for thieves being pursued to sleep without setting a guard.
Perhaps they felt safe because Field Walk was not possible there.
After looking around the second floor a bit to avoid suspicion, I went back downstairs.
"What do you think? Another drawback of this house is that the well is a bit far, so you have to go a little distance to get water. But it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
The woman greeted me as I came down, glancing at Roxane.
If you have a slave to fetch water, it shouldn't be a problem, right?
"I'm fine. I think it's a good property."
I wasn't sure how serious Roxane was.
Does she know that water can be created with magic?
"Sure."
Since I can use Warp and Water Wall, the drawbacks of this house are not drawbacks for me.
I can say it's a good property.
The question is whether it's okay to decide on the first house I see.
However, it would take time to investigate further.
Since it's cheaper than staying at an inn, I decided to go with this one for now. If it doesn't work out, I can move to another place later.
Roxane said it was a good property, so it shouldn't be a bad house.
"This house is a one-year contract for 45,000 nals. The contract starts from tomorrow, so it will be until the 13th of spring next year."
So today is the 13th of spring.
Since there is a market price, the price shouldn't be bad.
The woman helping us isn't a bad person.
Her ability to identify Roxane as a slave and her kindness in starting the contract from tomorrow.
The people chosen as helpers are probably decent, and if there are multiple helpers from District 1 to District 6, there is competition.
A dishonest helper who cheats customers wouldn't be able to survive.
I glanced at Roxane, and she nodded vigorously.
"Alright. I'll sign the contract for this house."
After that, we were led to the knight's outpost on foot, and my Intelligence Card was checked.
Apparently, even if the helper's job is a merchant, they can't use the Intelligence Card skill.
"I'll prepare the contract documents. Can you write?"
When we returned to the hardware store, the woman asked.
It seems that many people can't write.
"Can you write it for me?"
"Of course."
"Roxane, can you help?"
"Understood."
While the woman and Roxane prepared the documents, I looked around the store.
There was a wok.
"What's this?"
"That's a pot used by professional chefs. It's used for cooking with high heat."
"Hmm."
It's not exactly a wok, but it's similar.
Since the purpose is the same, it might have a similar shape.
It felt nostalgic, and I stared at the wok for a while.
"This is something only we handle in this area. You might not see it often."
"Then I'll take it with the rent. How much is it in total?"
"I'm glad you like our special pot. As a special offer, it will be 31,850 nals in total."
Great.
I tried it on a whim, but it seems that a 30% discount works with merchants.
I paid with three gold coins, plus silver and copper coins.
The woman handed me the key to the house.
Since there is no furniture or bed, I decided to return to the Bael Inn for the night.
I teleported to the house I had borrowed from the Koolatul Adventurer's Guild.
The contract starts from tomorrow, but that's fine.
"Wasn't it said that this house uses shielding cement?"
When I casually placed the wok, Roxane called out.
What are you talking about?
"No. I tested it to make sure it works. Even if Field Walk doesn't work, my Warp seems to be fine."
I wouldn't have signed the contract if Warp didn't work.
"Huh? ... Is that a big deal?"
"Maybe."
In modern Japan, you could do whatever you want, like a perfect crime in a locked room.
It might be worth checking if there's something like a bank's safety deposit box in this world.
But I won't do it.
Actually, if Warp doesn't work with shielding cement, did Roxane plan to walk to the dungeon or the Adventurer's Guild every time?
Well, that's probably it.
Or maybe she could build a wall next to the entrance.
Since it would be outside the house, that would be a hassle.
Maybe I'm just being lazy.
Once you get a taste of teleportation magic, walking is a hassle.
One of the main reasons I rented a house was that I had to walk to the Adventurer's Guild every time from the Bael Inn.
With my own house, I can teleport without any restrictions. It's very convenient.
I teleported from the house to the Bael Adventurer's Guild.
It was evening in Bael.
Koolatul might be slightly to the west.
I paid for one night and entered the room.
When I sat on the bed, Roxane sat next to me.
Was she ordered to do so?
I'm happy she's next to me, but I feel a bit guilty.
I can't just push her down.
I want to start over from the beginning.
So I had to endure for a while.
Until I finished maintaining my equipment and had dinner, and came back to the room.
"Then, I'll wipe your body, so take off your clothes."
"That's not right. I should wipe you first, master."
But after enduring this much, I was refused.
I didn't have time to argue, so I took off all my clothes and let her wipe my back.
She wiped thoroughly.
She wiped meticulously.
She wiped with care.
She wiped every square micron.
She left no picogram of dirt.
Over and over again.
As much as I wanted.
Until I was satisfied.
Well, I was even more satisfied right after.
The next morning, I entered the Bael dungeon while it was still dark, had breakfast, and moved.
I connected the inn room and the house with Warp, and moved Roxane's maid uniform case and backpack to the house.
I extended my body halfway out and moved the luggage with one Warp.
It seemed that the case could be treated as carry-on luggage, and it was successfully moved.
I checked out of the Bael Inn and moved in.
In Koolatul, I bought the minimum necessary furniture such as a bed, table and chair, wardrobe, and closet, as well as cooking utensils, cleaning tools, and daily necessities.
The furniture will be delivered to the house by the store's delivery cart.
All the furniture is second-hand, but the mattress on the bed will be replaced with a new one, so it's fine.
I teleported back and forth between the new house and the Adventurer's Guild in the center of town multiple times.
It was a day's work just doing that.
By the way, there were no carpets in Koolatul, and they were expensive.
You would have to get them from a traveling merchant or go to the capital.
"I'll go fetch water."
When I bought a water barrel and returned home, Roxane said.
She didn't know, did she?
"Water can be created with magic, so it's not a problem."
"Is it okay? I heard that using magic is quite difficult."
"If you help me, it should be fine."
"Um, what should I do?"
I took out Durandal and teleported to the dungeon.
I went straight to the workplace without opening the front door. It's really convenient.
"Then, let's find a monster."
I felt a bit heavy from using Warp all morning.
Probably from overusing MP.
"Yes. Can I borrow your equipment?"
"We'll just hunt one or two."
"It's not right. You never know what might happen in the dungeon. You should be well-prepared."
Roxane urged me to put on a leather hat and leather gloves.
It's a hassle.
Roxane quickly found a group of two Minos, which I slaughtered with Durandal, and my MP was restored.
Roxane, really convenient.
When I returned, I placed four water barrels in a row in the second-floor room with a drain and created a Water Wall above them.
With one spell, the barrels were filled more than half.
The efficiency wasn't great, but it couldn't be helped.
The furniture arrived in the afternoon, and the house started to look like a home.
It was at least a place where people could live.
I decided to use one of the second-floor rooms as a bedroom and moved the bed with Roxane.
The closet was placed in another room, so it looked quite barren.
In the middle of a large room with no wallpaper, only one bed was placed.
Roxane prepared sheets and a duvet cover and laid a mat next to the bed, making it look a bit more like a bedroom.
"I think the first thing we should do is check the bed's comfort, don't you think?"
I lightly hugged Roxane and asked.
"Huh? Y-Yes... Mm..."
Taking it as a yes, I kissed her.
When I gently inserted my tongue, she accepted it, so it wasn't a misunderstanding.
I laid her on the bed and checked the comfort.
Of course, the bed's comfort was excellent.
I'm not sure what kind of comfort it was, though.
After that, we made dinner together.
Since we didn't have time, we didn't go to the Koolatul dungeon.
I just listened to the stories.
The Koolatul dungeon has existed since ancient times, and no one knows how big it is.
No one has defeated the boss on the top floor, so it's unknown.
Generally, dungeons start to attract people by creating an entrance when they reach fifty floors.
After that, they continue to grow slowly by consuming people.
The highest record for the Koolatul dungeon is ninety-one floors.
This legendary record was achieved by the first emperor's party, and currently, reaching the eightieth floor is considered top-notch.
The types of monsters that appear on each floor of the dungeon vary to some extent, but it differs for each dungeon.
In the Koolatul dungeon, the first floor has Kobolds, the second floor has Naive Olives, and the third floor has Spice Spiders.
Kobolds are weak and suitable for beginners, so the first floor of the Koolatul dungeon is popular as a place for new adventurers to observe.
This is what Roxane told me while cooking.
Roxane made a vegetable stew in a pot, and I stir-fried meat in the wok.
The taste was not terrible, but that's all I can say.
The vegetable stew could have been cooked longer, but in this kitchen, which uses firewood instead of a gas stove, it's not practical to cook for a long time.
Someone would have to stay by the fire and watch it, which would prevent us from going to the dungeon.
In other words, I should have tried harder with my stir-fried meat.
It's understandable on the first day.
I should try to find various seasonings and spices.
In this world, gourmet food is probably a privilege of the wealthy, who can hire a chef to cook all day.
There are no chemical seasonings, bouillon cubes, or powdered soup bases.
After boiling water for dinner, it was sunset.
In the dim light, I wiped Roxane's body.
"We have one candle."
"We don't have a candlestick."
It seems that a candle, candlestick, and candle snuffer are a set.
I didn't know that.
Indeed, you can't just stick a candle in a cake.
"We should have bought them today."
"I'm sorry. Candles are not cheap, so I thought they weren't necessary."
Well, the elasticity of Roxane's chest can be enjoyed without relying on visual senses.
The heavy weight in my palm.
The dynamic feeling of spilling out.
Soft, smooth, and elastic, pushing back my hand.
Without light, there's no need to be embarrassed, so I'll wipe the front too.
I tried the bed's comfort during the day, but it's irrelevant.