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Chapter : 44
The man counted the bills and then glanced up. He quickly tucked all the money Roela had handed over into his chest.
Roela swallowed a sigh of relief.
“Receiving the money means he’s willing to consider the deal you want, Roela. That’s when it all begins.”
Recalling her father’s words, Roela spoke up.
“The people you need to find are two.”
She held up two fingers. The man grinned, showing his gold tooth, and rubbed his chin with a hand clad in a silver gauntlet.
“Just recently, people who went into the Monster Sea said that all the Bardanos moved south. You know that, right? The Bardanos used to live on land long ago. Even now, they can survive for an hour on land, drinking people dry. If they’ve all made it to Siern, the ones you’re looking for might be dead—or we might not even be able to dock.”
Roela blinked. Bardanos?
She let out a small smile. If their guess was correct and Kaisa was in Siern, then those Bardanos didn’t matter. They would have returned to the sea as corpses. She lifted her lips slightly.
“If that’s the case, we can just come back.”
The man chuckled. This could have been a blind gamble, but he liked the audacity of a young noblewoman willing to stake everything on even a small possibility.
“Who exactly should we look for in Siern?”
Roela opened her mouth to answer.
Once again, Siern.
“A three-day special leave…”
Milena muttered while looking at the permit. Thanks to Kaisa’s achievements in the monster hunt, the entire 3rd Division had been granted reward leave. In addition, a leave had been granted to her. The port, devastated by the Bardanos, was under reconstruction.
Trying to shake Kaisa’s resolve with something like this?
“I don’t know what to do with all this sudden free time.”
Kaisa shrugged.
“Maybe it’s better if we sell our house today. With the money we’ve saved plus the proceeds from the house, we might be able to secure a spot on the smuggling ship.”
“That’s a good idea. They said we need to reserve in advance anyway.”
After breakfast, Milena and Kaisa visited the street where they had previously lived. When they arrived at their old house:
“Ah…”
Kaisa held her as she staggered. But judging from his pale face, he was equally shocked. The disaster from before had swept through their home as well. Though the morning sunlight brightened the street, dust covered the ruins.
This is insane. Give me back my house, you crazy whale bastards.
Kaisa supported Milena as she sank helplessly.
The saying about taking a flea’s liver rang true. Their already meager savings had dwindled even further. They should have sold earlier; clinging to memories had ruined them.
“…My house.”
Milena heard Kaisa mutter. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Feeling somewhat hollow, Milena and Kaisa went to the real estate office. They had been there before when buying the house. It was a place where homes for sale were listed.
“Welcome!”
The agent greeted them warmly. A man in his mid-40s with a slightly protruding belly, carrying a strong smell of tobacco.
“Oh, long time no see!”
“…Yes, it has been a while.”
Milena gritted her teeth. She intended to sell at the highest price possible. This was the second negotiation with this man. Without having haggled well before, Milena and Kaisa might have ended up homeless on the street.
The agent eyed Milena warily.
“I’m here to sell a house.”
“…The one you bought from me?”
“Yes, that’s right. I want to sell it.”
“That street must have been in chaos recently, flattened by the Bardanos’ ship hulls.”
He already knew. Of course, a realtor would need to be well-informed.
“It’s a bit damaged.”
“A bit? It must be completely destroyed.”
“…Anyway, I want to put it on the market.”
“Hmm. Property prices on that street have fallen a lot. Are you sure about that?”
“I believe you’ll give a fair price.”
The agent raised his eyebrows at her words.
“What nonsense! Do you think I’m in the business of giving things away? Really, young women are so stubborn!”
“I don’t make a living from land, either. So, how much would you offer?”
The agent quoted a price. Insane. Half—or less than half! How could she sell at that? Milena clenched her teeth and took a deep breath.
“Highway robbery. Are you serious? Selling a house in ruins… Huh, haven’t you heard the rumors lately?”
“What rumors? You’re the highway robber, aren’t you? That crumbling house doesn’t even exist! If you want the money, build that house first!”
“Uh… the rumor about the Swordmaster.”
Milena placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. Since the secret was out anyway, she would use it to her advantage.
“The Swordmaster? The one with the golden lightning flash?”
“Yes, that Swordmaster. He lived in that very house. You know how popular he is now?”
The agent swallowed. That incredible man had lived there? He’d never heard of it. Of course, Milena hadn’t lived there alone.
‘The young couple who lived there… they moved into the naval residence, right? The Count noticed them.’
‘Milena? Or her husband?’
‘Milena wouldn’t have the temperament for that! The husband is apparently skilled.’
Recalling what he heard in the market, the agent straightened up.
“…Your husband?”
Not really, but Milena nodded. She pointed at Kaisa, who sat quietly behind her. Kaisa glanced casually at the agent, whose gaze landed on Kaisa’s silver hair.
Silver hair. Silver hair!
The agent’s eyes sparkled. Now the story was different. Because of this, people would flock—whether to save lives, pay respects, or just be near the Swordmaster.
The agent swallowed again.
“So… how much were you thinking?”
This was the opportunity she had to seize. Milena smiled triumphantly and held up three fingers.
“Three times what I paid for it. That’s the price I came with in mind.”
After all, the agent wouldn’t know how much more he could get from Milena. She intended to squeeze out the maximum.
“Hey, that’s too much. Asking that for a ruined house?”
“The Swordmaster appeared for the first time in a hundred years! Hmm… maybe I’ll sell it myself. People will line up to buy it.”
Milena said something half-heartedly. Real estate without connections was tough.
“Ah, alright! Then 1.5 times!”
“What are you talking about? 2.8 times!”
Milena glared. The agent gulped water. She was as fierce as ever. Were all Luikaron women like this?
The agent scratched his head and held up his fingers.
“Two times.”
