Chapter 37 – It seems to be a preliminary investigation of the property

A/N: I’m envious of people, who can depict a scary mood.

“… will become our base of operations… go to see the house, you say…” (Shion)

For some reason Shion’s expression is blank, as if her hopes were crushed or as if she even witnessed the end of the world.
While looking at Shion, who sat down visibly crumbling down on top of her chair at the table in the inn, Renya cocked his head in puzzlement wondering what the heck was so devastating about the words he said.

“Since it seems to be a property with a slightly interesting background, I decided to try staying there for a night to check it out, but… what’s the problem?” (Renya)

“Is that so…? It was fast… for this day to come…” (Shion)

The appearance of Shion, who tells this in a murmur with her eyes cast down, Renya isn’t able to understand it at all.
The greatly perplexed Renya watched the state of Shion next to him and turns his sight to Rona, who doesn’t try to intervene.
It was soon the time when the public gazes by the customers coming to eat their dinner will increase, or to sum it up, time was slowly getting close to evening.
As it is now, there’s also the concern of various, strange gossip going around, if he keeps Shion, who has a somewhat burned-out atmosphere, company.

“Heey. Why did she become like this?” (Renya)

“Don’t you happen to know?” (Rona)

Being counter-asked by Rona, Renya tries to roughly search his memories, but there’s nothing particularly notable coming to mind.

“Sorry, I have no clue.” (Renya)

“Shion is worrying whether the party won’t be dissolved once you bought a house, Renya-san.” (Rona)

When told by Rona, Renya finally realizes it.
In the beginning, at the time when Shion invited Renya, they formed the party in order to earn money for buying a base of activity. That was the justification they used.
At that time Shion made a proposal like let’s reside there with the party, once we bought it, but she put off the conclusion of the discussion to another time, once it would be time for that.
Somehow Shion apparently wanted Renya to ponder whether they will continue the party even after obtaining a base of activity, but because she ended up postponing the decision, she is worrying whether Renya won’t leave the party now that the time has come.

“I don’t remember harbouring such an intention though?” (Renya)

“In addition to such fighting strength, you are also able to cook and your personality is reasonably good, too. Your looks are so-so, though as person it’s important what’s inside. Even if one needs money, you will hand it over without hesitation and attachment to it. Is it an excellent property? If it suits you, won’t you receive it as set together with me on top?” (Rona)

Renya frowned due to Rona smoothly spouting something outrageous.

“You are no kitten. Do I have a reason to receive you with a “Sure, yes”? In the first place, I probably told you, but I’m attached to money, no?” (Renya)

“A person, who is attached to money, won’t do something like handing over half of the reward money to Az-san with no scruples.” (Rona)

“That is what Az’ group should rightly receive…” (Renya)

“Yes, doubt (T/N: Author literally says　はいダウトー or in romaji hai dauto~). The reward, which Az’ group should rightly receive on this occasion, is just 12 gold coins. The remaining 38 gold coins are a reward for the destruction and sale of the core and half the reward for cooperating with the guild, isn’t it? All of that is Renya’s earnings.” (Rona)

Once she finishes stating that, he has no words to rebut her since it’s certainly true.
Originally it is logical to split it with Shion and Rona, his party members. Renya himself is feeling some guilt as well in regards to him giving half the amount to Az’ party, although it was out of pity.
Rona smiles cheerfully at Renya, who ended up being lost for words.

“It’s a good thing as long as we have money to spend. Given that it’s not like I’m particularly blaming you for having done something bad, don’t pull such face, please. Rather than such trivial matter, doing something about Shion comes first now. You know what you have to say, right?” (Rona)

Rona points at Shion, who doesn’t listen at all, even not to the current chain of them arguing forth and back.
While wondering whether the day will come when he will be able to get the better of this woman, Renya addressed words, he thought that they might be the right ones in this situation, at Shion.

“It has been decided that we will live together in the party’s base of activity. So, do you want to come check it out as well, Shion?” (Renya)

“Eh?” (Shion)

She raises her face, that turned into that of a half-dead.
Her gaze closely focussed on Renya’s nearby face and after some time, in order to ponder about the words addressed at her, at last life returned into Shion’s face and her dead eyes revived.

“Living, together… T-That’s right. It will be used as the party’s base of activity.” (Shion)

“Oh, yes, since there’s no reason for me to go confirm by myself either, let’s go together, Shion. Is your schedule open? We will go to the actual place after this.” (Renya)

“No problem. I will go together with you at any cost. We will go after this? Please wait a bit I have to get ready if we stay the night there.” (Shion)

Having completely changed from the corpse-like state, Shion stood up as if jumping up and down and ran off to the room, they are staying at, to get her luggage.
No matter how you look at her retreating figure, she seems like a dog that is about to be taken along on a walk, Renya has quite the rude thought while seeing her off.

“What will you do, Rona? If it’s related to ghosts, it should be a priest’s speciality.” (Renya)

“Won’t it be alright if you are there, Renya? I have to excuse myself from something like staying a night over at a deserted house, thus I shall decline here.” (Rona)

As Rona says so bluntly while facing another way, Renya glares at her profile with scornful eyes.
Turning her sight in Renya’s direction for a glance, Rona noticed how he was looking her way and averted her sight in a hurry.

“What are you scheming?” (Renya)

“Nothing… by the way, there are many stories about feelings of love between opposite sexes sprouting on battlefields, on top of suspension bridges and such. How far do you believe in those?” (Rona)

“You, what are you aiming at? Hey, at least look this way. Try to talk with me by looking at my eyes!?” (Renya)

Due to Renya grabbing her shoulder and trying to turn her towards himself, Rona desperately resists to turn around at any cost.
In the end Rona never looked in Renya’s direction until Shion comes back holding all the luggages, which will become her stay-over set.

“The two of us, Renya and me, will stay the night, huh? That’s somehow nice, things like that.” (Shion)

Renya, who basically isn’t familiar with the local area of the city of Kukrika, had decided that they, except Rona who didn’t come along after all, will go to the property with the interesting background, told by the real estate agent, led by Shion.
Shion’s attire isn’t her usual clothes for combat use but a dark blue jouge for men for some reason.
Once Renya inquired why she doesn’t wear a skirt or such, she replied only with “Because it doesn’t suit me.”
When he makes sure for the time being, she has brought along a pouch, which was filled with supplies, outfits and a sleeping bag without holding any arms besides the long sword, she carried in her hand.
Speaking of Renya, he has no intention to arm himself for the sake of only checking a property within the city either. He wore a brown jouge and his katana was affixed to a sword belt.
Since he has stored all the other luggage in his [Inventory], there will be no problem to prepare a meal or bedding.

“I think it was around this area, but…” (Shion)

Due to relying on the map he received from the real estate agent, Shion, who was leading, stopped her feet.

“Over there… I guess?”

What was ahead of where Shion was pointing at was a corner surrounded by a high wall.
Standing out in the very dim light of the ending day, it has been surrounded by an astonishingly high wall. There are plants similar to ivies of an unknown species on the wall, growing thickly in a closely packed manner as if they have been  covering the wall from the start.
The entrance gate is rust-eaten as if representing that it wasn’t maintained for a long time. Once Renya puts in the key, he borrowed from the real estate agent, it slowly opens inwards while creaking.
Once they pass through the gate, there is a stone paving continuing all the way to the entrance of the building. Left and right of the stone paving was the garden, but even that hasn’t been tended by anyone since abandoning the property. The whole surface was overgrown with weeds, which naturally continued to grow wildly.
Even the trees, that might have been groomed neatly in the beginning, had their branches, lacking any kind of trimming, extend here and there as they liked.

“It seems it will take time until we will be able to live here properly.”

“Such things might be included in the price as well, though.”

“If the outside has gone this much to ruin, the building’s interior will likely be quite terrible as well”, Renya sighs.
Even if he buys the building and the plot of land, it’s unlikely a mistake that it will take a considerable amount of money until they can try to live here after properly repairing it. It seems obvious that they are going to have to earn money with all their strength from morning till evening even after buying it.
Did Shion have the same opinion? In contrast to the depressed-looking Renya, she was very delighted about something.

“I don’t particularly plan to determine the continuation of the party by the amount of labour though?” (Renya)

“I haven’t said anything?” (Shion)

“I see… well, then it’s fine.” (Renya)

While exchanging such conversation, the two finally arrive at the entrance of the building.
Inserting and turning the key in the excessive and massive door of the entrance, the door, which is opened by the key together with a heavy and hard sound, slowly opens up with a lowly grating sound.
On the other side of the opened door the light entering from the windows is weak since it’s the gloominess of twilight and naturally there are no lamps either.
In the deserted space Shion unconsciously placed her hand on the shoulder of Renya standing next to her as she is somehow worried to see something for no good reason.

“It’s… dark.” (Shion)

“Well, you know, that’s because there’s no light. Wait a moment.” (Renya)

After hitting her hand, placed on his shoulder, with a tap-tap in order to give her some peace of mind, Renya faced towards that deserted space and quickly waved his right hand.

“<Light>” (Renya)

A magic light is lit in the dim space.
The light, that doesn’t emit any heat, shone dazzlingly white. It easily illuminated the entirety of the entrance hall starting from the entrance.
The number of lights is actually 16.

“I created them to continue for 12 hours. It’s the entrance so there won’t be any problem even if it stays bright until morning.” (Renya)

“Hmm, that’s right.” (Shion)

Shion nodded without hesitation, but she has no knowledge concerning magic, therefore she doesn’t realize the strange scene in front of her. (T/N: By the way the author uses 魔術 aka majutsu instead of 魔法 aka mahou. Both can mean magic. I will differentiate them into sorcery and magic, if the author starts to switch around)
The consumption of mana will become severe in proportion to the power of the magic and its activation time.
It’s something that can be calculated by simple multiplication, but what Renya just now displayed by doing just a single swing of his arm isn’t the continued activation time of roughly 10 minutes but an activation time of 12 hours. He did that for 16 lights at the same time.
The answer for this will become 6 x 12 x 16 = 1152. In other words, the normal <Light> will consume 1152 mana.
It’s an amount that will easily make a typical magician faint.
If Az or Khalil were present at this place, this abnormal scene would doubtlessly scare them out of their wits, however unfortunately Shion has absolutely no knowledge in this area.
She just doesn’t think anything else but it’s great that it has become bright~
Even Renya has no interest in explaining it since he isn’t particularly fond of bragging either.
The entrance hall, which became bright, leads to the second floor from the first floor. Right in front of them there are stairs leading to the second floor.
There are rooms, surrounding the entrance on the first floor, a parlour, a dining room with a kitchen attached, a storehouse, another storehouse and a workshop.
The part facing towards the street is the store section. Apparently it had two storehouses, one for the store and one for the workshop.
Once you go up to the second floor, there are three bedrooms with bathrooms, a library, a living room and a nursery. It seems the third floor was used as attic storage.
Renya mercilessly tossed <Light> with a 12-hours activation time in the rooms, except the bedrooms. The entire building ended up being illuminated with a brightness similar to broad daylight.
Even only creating a single light source expends 72 mana for a normal magician.
Due to Renya creating those one after the other, even Shion, who’s disinterested in magic, begins to notice isn’t that somehow strange?

“Hey, Renya. Why are you scattering so much light all over?” (Shion)

“Mmh? Ah, didn’t I explain it to you?” (Renya)

While scratching his head saying “though it’s a bit late”, Renya told it straight to Shion like this,

“It appears that ghosts come out in this building.” (Renya)

“… Hah?” (Shion)

“It seems to be the home of a merchant, who had done serial murders in a bizarre manner, I’m told. From what I have heard, ghosts appear here. Which reminds me, I forgot to ask what kinds of ghosts come out… I guess it’s the killed type? Or it might be the merchant, who is said to have been decapitated in this garden? Oh well, either way is fine, but will they come out even if I make it this bright?” (Renya)

“Gho… sts?” (Shion)

“Yea. Is there any problem?” (Renya)

Shion appeared to slowly inhale her breath.
Renya, who for some reason read her next action, thrusts a finger in each of his ears and prepares himself to weather it out.
And then after a blank moment, Shion’s scream finally resounded shrilly within the very dim light as if shaking the entire site.

 

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