Chapter 81 : Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Buying a House
Two months had passed since everyone began their lives as adventurers.
Aside from Ryan, everyone had become even more proficient in using firearms.
Their adventurer ranks had also improved to a certain extent.
Ryan had advanced to become a B-rank Adventurer.
Fina, Isabella, Nika, and Nila had all become C-rank Adventurers.
Because this town was close to the sea, they often went to the beach to relax whenever they were not taking on quests.
And every time they went to the seaside for a holiday,
Ryan became the target of every man’s envy.
The reason was simple: all four women had top-tier looks and figures.
With four beauties like that all gathered around Ryan,
it was impossible for the men not to be jealous.
On the third day after Ryan and the others began adventuring, Fina suggested buying a house in Lisbon.
Although the conditions aboard the Soaring were excellent,
it was still better to buy a permanent residence if they planned to stay for a long time.
After all, they could not live on the airship or in inns forever.
Since they were going out into town, everyone took off their combat armor and changed into casual clothes.
Ryan was ready in ten minutes.
The four women, however, took so long choosing their outfits that Ryan had to wait for quite a while.
But the moment they stepped out after carefully dressing up,
Ryan felt that the long wait had been entirely worth it.
Before his eyes stood four beautiful young women.
Fina wore an ivory-white stand-collar blouse. The collar was trimmed with delicate lace, and the cuffs were gathered and tied with white satin ribbon bows.
Over it, she wore a light gray short tailcoat-style vest. Six silver buttons were arranged in a diamond pattern across the front, and a dark blue silk handkerchief had been tucked into the left breast pocket, its corner embroidered with a silver wolf-head design.
She paired it with a dark brown high-waisted pleated skirt that fell to her knees. The hem had three layers of pleats that naturally flared as she walked.
On her feet were black patent leather ankle boots, with a ring of white rabbit fur sewn around the tops, echoing her silver-white wolf ears.
Her long hair had been braided into twin plaits that rested over her shoulders, with gray ribbons tied at the ends. Her tail extended from the slit at the back of the skirt and hung naturally, the tip occasionally brushing the ground.
Isabella wore a beige puff-sleeved dress. Its neckline was shaped in a square Peter Pan style, edged with pale yellow lace. Three satin roses adorned the chest, each petal outlined in gold thread.
The skirt reached the middle of her calves, and there were pockets at the sides. The pocket flaps were curved and fastened with matching buttons.
Around her waist was a wide belt made of deep red velvet, with a brass buckle shaped like a rose.
She wore beige Mary Jane shoes with two crisscrossing straps over the top, and small pearls decorated the toes.
A fine gold chain circled her wrist, hung with a tiny enamel pendant bearing the silhouette of Lisbon’s harbor.
Nika wore an orange short-sleeved off-shoulder top. The neckline was trimmed with ruffles, and the cuffs were gathered with pleats.
She matched it with white high-waisted bloomers that tightened just below the knees, the legs decorated with thin orange stripes.
On her feet were brown cowhide sandals with crisscrossing straps over the instep and bows tied around her ankles.
She carried a square leather shoulder bag in orange-and-white patchwork, with a brass clasp shaped like a fox head.
Her hair was tied into a high ponytail with an orange ribbon, tassels hanging from its ends. Her light brown fox ears emerged from the base of the ponytail and occasionally twitched toward surrounding sounds.
Nila wore the same orange off-shoulder top as Nika, though her cuffs were ruffled instead of gathered.
She paired it with a white pleated short skirt that reached mid-thigh. The hem had three layers of pleats, making her look even more lively in motion than Nika’s bloomers did.
She wore the same style of brown cowhide sandals, but the straps at her ankles were left hanging loose instead of being tied into bows.
On her back was a round wicker bag wrapped with an orange ribbon, holding a handkerchief and a few Silver Coins.
Her hair was styled half up, with the hair at the crown tied into a small ponytail while the rest fell naturally over her shoulders. An orange flower hairpin was clipped into her hair. Her fox ears sat in the same position as Nika’s and moved in sync, turning together toward the source of any sound.
“You’re all so beautiful!”
Ryan praised them sincerely.
The four women were overjoyed to hear his compliment.
After all, women dressed up for the ones they wanted to please.
Had they not spent so much time choosing outfits and dressing up just to make Ryan’s eyes light up?
“Hehe, Ryan, it’s about time. Let’s hurry and go!”
Fina said with a smile.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Ryan nodded slightly.
This world also had organizations similar to real estate agencies.
That was where Ryan and his group were headed.
This particular real estate agency seemed to be the most reliable one in Lisbon.
That was why Ryan had chosen it.
Before long, they arrived at the agency.
The real estate office stood midway along Lisbon’s commercial street. It was an independent three-story European-style building connected to the neighboring shops, its exterior made of pale beige brick and stone, with faint traces of weathering on the surface.
The roof was a dark red sloping one covered in diamond-shaped tiles. White carved decorations lined the edges, and beneath the eaves hung three wooden signboards. Written in gold lettering were the words “Real Estate Agency,” “Rental,” and “Sale,” their corners worn with age.
The moment Ryan and the others stepped inside,
a woman of somewhat lesser beauty came forward to greet them.
“Dear guests, hello. Welcome. How may I help you?”
As the staff member spoke, her gaze swept over Fina and the other three women.
Even as a woman herself, she could not help marveling inwardly at their beauty.
“Yes, we’re here to look at houses. If we find a suitable one, we plan to buy it.”
“May I ask what your requirements are?”
“My requirements? First, it needs to be closer to Starfall Magic Academy. Second, the surrounding environment needs to be quieter. I do not like being disturbed.”
Ryan stated his conditions.
The staff member was startled.
As a real estate salesperson, she knew that once a client made specific requests, the chances of closing a deal increased dramatically.
At that thought, she immediately grew excited.
“Understood. Please wait a moment while I bring over the information on houses that meet your requirements.”
With that, the staff member led them to a nearby reception area.
After serving tea to Ryan and his group, she turned and quickly left.
She did not keep Ryan waiting long. In just three minutes, she returned with the documents.
“Dear guest, all the houses that meet your requirements are here. You may look through the information first, and if anything satisfies you, we can go see the house in person.”
Ryan accepted the housing documents she handed over.
The four women leaned in to look as well.
After all, this would be the place where they would live for a long time.
It had to be said that the agency had quite a lot of property listings, and judging from the documents, they all looked excellent.
Of course, the prices were equally eye-catching.
The cheapest house cost 500,000 Gold Coins.
The most expensive villa with a private courtyard cost 3.2 million Gold Coins.
Although that was an enormous sum for most people,
it was nothing to Ryan.
He earned more than a million Gold Coins in profit share from perfume every quarter.
The staff member carefully observed Ryan’s expression.
When she saw that he did not even frown after seeing the prices, she knew the deal was as good as done.
The four women began chattering among themselves about which house looked better.
Whenever one of them took a liking to a property, the staff member enthusiastically introduced its details, and the four listened with great interest.
Ryan, however, felt it was a bit of a waste of time.
There was really no need to make things so complicated. They could just go look at the most expensive one.
If it was priced that high, then it surely had a reason for being so expensive.
“That’s enough. Take us to see the most expensive house.”
“Eh!? O-Oh, of course.”
The staff member froze for a moment, then hurriedly nodded.
Soon after, Ryan and his group followed her to the house worth 3.2 million Gold Coins.
This villa stood at the edge of the noble district, surrounded by larch woods. A trampled path wound through the trees toward the villa.
The main structure was a two-story stone-and-wood building. Its outer walls were built from gray-black granite, the stones left roughly hewn with their natural edges intact. Lime mortar filled the joints, though parts of it had weathered away, leaving gaps exposed.
The roof was a steep gable roof covered with dark brown ceramic tiles. The tiles varied in size and were laid somewhat irregularly. The eaves projected outward by half a meter, and beneath them were thick iron rain gutters, with lead downspouts attached at the ends. The pipes curved into an S-shape and ended very close to the ground.
At either end of the roof stood a square brick chimney. Irregular soot stains marked the chimney walls, and the tops were left plain, with only round smoke vents.
The front porch was semi-open and supported by two cylindrical stone pillars of pale gray sandstone. Vertical chisel marks ran across their surfaces, and their bases were buried underground, connected directly to the foundation.
At the center of the porch stood a single oak front door. Iron strips reinforced its surface in a cross-shaped pattern. The door knocker was cast iron and shaped like a beast’s head, and beneath the door sat a rectangular stone block used as a stopper.
The first floor had four square windows. Their frames were made of dark hardwood, and the panes were divided into small grids set with thick pieces of glass. The glass had poor transparency and was filled with bubbles and impurities.
On the outside of each window were wooden shutters that opened outward. Circular holes had been cut into the shutter panels to let light through when they were closed.
Stone flower boxes sat beneath the windowsills, planted with lavender.
The first floor was divided into a hall, a kitchen, and a storage room.
The hall’s floor was made of compacted earth mixed with crushed stone. It felt hard underfoot, though there were slight depressions in the corners.
The kitchen was located on the north side of the hall, and its floor was laid with stone slabs. The gaps between the slabs were filled with sandy soil.
The storage room lay behind the kitchen, and its floor sat slightly lower than the kitchen’s.
The second floor was the living area, connected by a wooden staircase. The handrail was made of rounded logs with a smooth surface, while the steps were thick wooden planks.
There were five bedrooms on the second floor. The floors were laid with wooden boards, and gaps between them allowed light from below to be seen.
The courtyard was enclosed by a three-meter-high stone wall, built from the same material as the villa’s outer walls. Sharp stones had been piled along the top of the wall as a simple defensive measure.
At the center of the courtyard was a rectangular swimming pool. Its walls were lined with bluestone slabs, with the joints sealed in cement. Fine sand covered the bottom, and the clear pool water revealed the pebbles below.
On the north side of the pool stood a wooden pavilion. It was a square structure supported by four pillars made from stripped pine logs. Wooden boards covered the top, with gaps between them that let shafts of light through.
Both the villa and the courtyard were covered by a magic barrier. During the day, it appeared an extremely faint grayish white and could only be noticed with focused attention. At night, it emitted a weak silvery-white glow, forming a halo that matched the outline of the courtyard, capable of preventing outside sight and detection.
Ryan was very satisfied after seeing it.
The four women also thought the house was excellent.
Ryan immediately decided to buy it.
Sure enough, there really was a reason expensive things were expensive.
Ryan and his group returned to the real estate agency, paid 3.2 million Gold Coins on the spot, and received the deed.
From that moment on, the house belonged to Ryan.