Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

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Chapter 193 – House hunting

Amid curious glances from passersby, Cecily and I walked confidently through the streets. I felt a bit guilty for dragging her along, but when it comes to house hunting, there are plenty of factors to consider: location, price, livability and more. Even as the Magic Knight of Black Lightning, I couldn’t settle for just any place. But with Cecily’s help, I felt confident we could find something good.

“You’ve been staying at the inn for a while now, so it’s about time. With Youk… Magic Swordsman-san’s skill, I’m sure you’ve earned enough from the guild missions.” [Cecilia]

“Yeah, I don’t spend much. I’ve been saving for emergencies. And now… the time has come to unleash those savings!” [Youki]

“…Just don’t go overboard, alright?” [Cecilia]

Cecily’s responses were lighthearted. Had she already gotten used to the Magic Knight of Black Lightning? Or maybe I just hadn’t revealed my full potential yet. Either way, it was probably best to keep things in check to avoid overwhelming her. Thanks to her guidance, we soon reached the real estate office.

“Magic Swordsman-san, just act normal when we go inside and head to the reception desk.” [Cecilia]

“Hmph, of course. I can handle that.” [Youki]

I opened the door normally, with just the right amount of force, and no flashy display of light magic. Hopefully, to the clerk, we’d look like any ordinary customers walking in.

“So, Cecily, I’m acting normal so far, right?” [Youki]

“Maybe you should take a look at the people around you to judge that.” [Cecilia]

I glanced around. Both customers and clerks gave us a quick look, then hurriedly returned to what they were doing… or so it seemed.

“The clerks probably just see us as regular customers, and the other customers do too. Nothing out of the ordinary.” [Youki]

“To me, it looks more like they’re avoiding eye contact, not sure what might happen if they get involved.” [Cecilia]

“Cecily, don’t you think you’re reading into this too much?” [Youki]

“Magic Swordsman-san, I think you’re being way too optimistic.” [Cecilia]

Lingering by the entrance would just be in the way, so we took a seat at an open reception desk. The young man working there appeared to have been in the job for less than five years. As we sat down, I noticed his business smile waver just slightly – proof he still had a bit to learn.

“W-Welcome, and thank you for visiting… So, what kind of house are you looking for?”

House requirements… I hadn’t really thought that through. But if I didn’t give him something to work with, we’d have to look at every vacant house.

“Hmm… let’s see. A place where the light that rouses me from slumber won’t be obstructed…” [Youki]

“P-Pardon?”

“Sorry. We’d like a house with good sunlight, please. And, Magic Swordsman-san, could you explain things in a way the staff can understand?” [Cecilia]

It seemed my explanation didn’t make much sense to him. Relying on Cecily to translate everything would be inefficient, so I decided to rephrase my words.

“My apologies. I’ll be more careful with my wording from now on. Let’s see… ideally, it should be in a quiet area, with minimal foot traffic. A one- or two-storey house would be fine, and while budget isn’t a major concern, something excessively pricey would be over the top.” [Youki]

Too much foot traffic could make it hard to sleep at night, and it could turn the place into a hangout spot. A two-storey house would be nice for the extra space, but I didn’t want to spend recklessly, especially in front of Cecily. While it was a necessary expense, keeping things reasonable seemed wise.

After hearing my requests, the clerk pulled out some files and began searching, likely looking for properties that matched my criteria.

“Cecily, finding a home really is challenging, isn’t it?” [Youki]

“We’ve only started, but what made you think it’s challenging already?” [Cecilia]

“Listening to customers’ requests is one thing, but finding the exact house to match their criteria must be incredibly difficult. Surely there are cases where certain conditions don’t align, leading to cancellations and wasted efforts. Then they’d have to search for a new home and start the tour again…” [Youki]

“So, you’re giving a perspective from the staff’s point of view. Maybe now isn’t the best time for this conversation.” [Cecilia]

Taking her hint, I turned my attention back to the clerk in front of me. His polite smile had cracked slightly, revealing a strained grin. Customer service must be a tough world… not something I’d ever be cut out for.

Once the clerk finished looking through the files, he found a few possible matches and offered to show them to us. Since the shop wasn’t busy, he was able to help us right away. Lucky for us.

And so, with the young man leading the way, we began visiting the potential houses, but….

“This one is…”

“Too many buildings nearby. Rejected!” [Youki]

“As for this one, the price is…”

“The roof looks like it’s about to cave in. Rejected!” [Youki]

“This one was built about five years ago, so…”

“I am the Magic Knight of Black Lightning. If the guild is too far, it will seriously impact my livelihood. Rejected!” [Youki]

The search was starting to get a bit frustrating. Finding a suitable place to live wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. Even the clerk leading us looked defeated, his shoulders slumped from not meeting the customer’s expectations.

As I was mulling over what the next place might be, Cecily tapped my shoulders.

“Magic Swordsman-san, if you don’t make some compromises, you’ll never find a place.” [Cecilia]

“Hmm, you may be right, but a home isn’t something you can just settle on lightly. Where I live is crucial. Compromising too much could affect my day-to-day life. Sorry, but there are some things I can’t simply give up on.” [Youki]

“I understand. But if we keep going like this, we’ll never settle on anything. Please, start thinking about areas where you could be flexible. It’s tough to find a place that checks every single box.” [Cecilia]

“…Alright. If you say so, I’ll make a decision. I’ll find a place worthy of being my castle!” [Youki]

“Your castle… ah!” [Cecilia]

Cecilia gasped and covered her mouth, looking shocked.

“I just realized something important. I can’t believe I overlooked this. It was careless of me.” [Cecilia]

“What do you mean?” [Youki]

“…Magic Swordsman-san, we’re looking for a house, right?” [Cecilia]

“Exactly. I’m searching for the place that’ll be my castle!” [Youki]

“…But we’re looking for Youki-san’s house, not Magic Knight-san’s, right? If you’re keeping your identity hidden, buying a house under that name would…” [Cecilia]

“Ahh?!” [Youki]

I snapped back to my usual self. Right, if we were to proceed like this, the house would end up being the home of the ‘Magic Knight of Black Lightning’ and not ‘Youki’. That’d be risky. It could expose my identity or arouse people’s suspicions about my relationship with Cecily.

As we walked, I called out to the clerk, who was staring intently at the documents.

“Uh, sorry. Do you have a minute?” [Youki]

“Oh? Is there something wrong? My apologies, but it’ll just be a bit longer until we can show the next property…”

“No, it’s not about that. I realize I might’ve been a bit too demanding with my requirements. I’d like to take some time to think it over, so could we reschedule?” [Youki]

I couldn’t tell him the real reason, so I had to bluff. Even though I said we’d reschedule, I knew I wouldn’t be returning as the ‘Magic Knight of Black Lightning’. That left me feeling a little guilty.

“Yes, of course. Understood!”

To my surprise, the clerk agreed without hesitation. Perhaps he was secretly relieved; dealing with a troublesome and attention-grabbing customer like me must have been exhausting. With a polite, “We look forward to serving you again,” he returned to the office.

Cecily and I parted ways there, and I headed back to the inn. Once I returned to my original persona as Youki, I sat seiza alone in my room, reflecting on my actions. Next time… I’ll get it right.

A few days later, I went to the real estate office, but this time as ‘Youki’. Since it was my second visit, I thought I could handle everything on my own, but Cecilia still decided to come along.

“Won’t your identity be exposed?” [Youki]

Cecilia’s disguise worked well enough for walking around town, but if someone at the reception desk took a closer look at her face, a sharp observer might recognize her.

“…And if I do get found out, wouldn’t that be fine too?” [Cecilia]

“Huh?” [Youki]

“Just kidding.” [Cecilia]

Her mischievous smile made my heart skip a beat. That wasn’t fair. I quickly turned away, trying to hide the flush creeping onto my face.

Feeling oddly jittery, I pushed those thoughts aside as we arrived at our destination. I reminded myself not to repeat the mistakes of last time. Today, I wasn’t the Magic Knight of Black Lightning. I was just Youki.

As fate would have it, the same male clerk from before was on duty, so I approached him.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a house.” [Youki]

“Welcome, and thank you for visiting. How can I help you today?”

His demeanour was entirely different this time. Normal, even. Perhaps I’d been giving off an intimidating aura last time while dressed as the Magic Knight of Black Lightning. Whatever the case, being treated like an ordinary customer was a relief. Hopefully, this time the process will go smoothly.

“Well, let’s see… I’m an adventurer working with the guild, so I’d prefer a place close to it. Also…” [Youki]

I avoided repeating the exact conditions I’d given last time to avoid raising any suspicions, leaving out specifics like sunlight. I presented a modest budget, not extravagant, but not too stingy either, and added one new condition: the house shouldn’t be too far from Cecilia’s mansion. Of course, I didn’t state that outright; I just subtly indicated the general area.

From there, I toured several properties with the clerk, narrowing down the options while discussing them with Cecilia.

“This one seems like the best option, doesn’t it? It’s not too far from the guild, and the size is just right.” [Cecilia]

“I-Is that so?” [Youki]

“Yes. Ah… I’m curious about the upper floor, so I’ll go take a look.” [Cecilia]

As I watched her climb the stairs to the second floor, I began to ponder. What would it be like living alone in a two-storey house? Most of the rooms would probably remain unused most of the time. Then again, if it turned into a hangout spot for friends, having extra rooms might not be such a bad idea.

“This property comes highly recommended. It was just recently made available again, so if you’re interested, now would be the perfect time to secure it.”

“Oh, is that so?” [Youki]

I didn’t remember seeing this property during my last visit, so I guess I lucked out this time.

“The security here is excellent. Knights patrol the area regularly, so even if your girlfriend goes shopping alone, she’ll be perfectly safe.”

“Buwaa!?” [Youki]

I was so startled that I involuntarily choked on air. Girlfriend? Was he talking about Cecilia?

“Is something the matter, sir?”

“N-No… it’s nothing.” [Youki]

“I see. Actually, I have a wife myself, and we welcomed our first child just last year. This might sound presumptuous, but as an adventurer, your line of work must be dangerous. Please, take good care of her.”

“…”

It seemed that he had misunderstood, assuming Cecilia and I were planning to live together. Considering how we were discussing properties together like this, it wasn’t surprising that he jumped to that conclusion.

“The second floor seems fine as well… Did something happen?” [Cecilia]

“N-No, nothing… Let’s go with this one.” [Youki]

“I think it’s a good choice too.” [Cecilia]

“Understood. Then, I’ll prepare the paperwork…”

We returned to the real estate office to complete the paperwork, paying the deposit, filling out forms, and signing contracts. As we were leaving, the clerk sent me off with a cheerful farewell.

“Good luck moving forward!”

…Just to clarify, I’m not moving in with Cecilia!

“Now then, it’s time to move! We’ll need more furniture, so we should go shopping. Let’s go, Youki-san!” [Cecilia]

Cecilia grabbed my hand and, before I could react, pulled me along as she ran.

Thanks to Cecilia’s help, the move went smoothly. Actually, she might have enjoyed the process even more than I did. That said, I couldn’t deny that I had fun too. It was enjoyable shopping for furniture together, deciding where everything should go, and so on.

Later, rumours began circulating about how Magic Knight of Black Lightning had been spotted at Minerva’s real estate office in search of a home, only to mysteriously vanish afterward. Somehow, this morphed into a tale about how the Magic Knight of Black Lightning had chosen to forgo a home altogether, dedicating his life to completing quests and helping people. Well… it’s just a rumour, so it should be fine.

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