"Welcome to Riroa Real Estate. What can I help you with today, sir, madam?"
The man at the front desk greets and bows at Motegi, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna. Then, Motegi states his purpose of visit.
"Actually, I'm looking to move to a new home. Do you have another property where a residence and a store are combined?"
"Yes, please wait a moment."
After that, he returns with an apologetic expression.
"I'm very sorry, sir. But the kind of property you're looking for is currently unavailable. In fact, the one you're renting now is still the last one of its type that we have now."
"I see."
Still, he's not ready to give up so easily, and he asks a different question.
"Do you have any similar properties for sale?"
"Yes, please wait another moment."
After that, the man returns with two pieces of floor plan papers in his hand, and he begins explaining it to Motegi.
"These are the two available properties that meet your criteria. Both are two-story homes, and each includes a commercial space on the ground floor and living quarters above. And bathrooms are all included."
Then, Motegi examines the floor plans closely.
Each room and hallway is labeled in feet and inches, which are the standard units of measurement in Acrusse. The system mirrors the imperial style used back on Earth. However, coming from Japan, where the metric system is the norm, Motegi has to pause and mentally convert each figure. Once translated, the results are clear: both properties are indeed larger than the house he currently rents, but not by much.
He recalled how back when he first rented his current place, he hadn't considered how his household would grow. Now, with four women sharing his space, a bustling shop, and appliances in the works, things are getting tight. This time, he needs to plan better for the long term.
"How much are these?"
"Yes, the first house is 12 large gold coins, and the second is 6 large gold coins, sir."
"I see."
Not only are the two options too small, but they're also not worthy of his budget.
"Do you have a cheaper option?"
"Yes, sir. Please wait once more."
And again, the man returns, and this time, he has a single piece of floor plan paper in hand.
"This might be closer to what you're looking for, sir. It's also a two-story property, quite spacious, but I should mention if this isn't a commercial building. It was designed as a noble's residence, so there's no distinct separation for store and home like your current place."
Then, Motegi studies the plan closely. After he translates the units, he comes to an estimate that the entire house is roughly eight times the size of a standard konbini. More than enough room for possible dedicated rooms for appliances or future facilities. But still, it's a fully residential property, so he has to do the renovations himself.
"How much does it cost?"
"This one is 1 large gold coin, sir."
Hearing the price, Motegi is immediately interested.
"Okay, we would like to take a look at it. Can we?"
"Of course, sir. Would you like to go now?"
"Yes."
"Yes, let's go."
And with that, the man brings Motegi and the girls to the property's location.
**********
We only need to walk for about five minutes to arrive at what looks like an old, slightly worn-down building on a quiet street.
"Well, this is the one I tell you about, sir, madam. Let me show you inside."
He unlocks the door and steps in first, and we follow behind him, one by one. The moment we enter, Yomogi gasps softly.
"It's beautiful…"
"Wow! It's big!"
And Kimberly takes a slow look around.
"This is… better than... any noble house… in Heiligeichen..."
The inside doesn't match the outside at all. Tall ceilings. Polished stone floors. Elegant archways, carved moldings, and a red carpet running down the central hall.
But after Pinna scans every inch, she says something that shocks me.
"Based on the degradation of surfaces, particle density, and thermal residue, this structure appears to have been abandoned for approximately one hundred years."
"A hundred years, you say?"
And the man confirms.
"You're right, madam. This place once belonged to a Remantian noble family. They lost their fortune and walked away from it. It's been sitting ever since."
Ah, no wonder it's so cheap.
Then, I notice a set of round holes along the ceiling, spaced at regular intervals. I point at them and curiously ask.
"What are those?"
"Ah, those are for Light magic stones, sir. You place one inside, and it lights up the room."
"I see..."
Pinna steps closer under the holed ceiling, examining them.
"While I do not support the use of mana-based lighting solutions due to unexplainable variables, their utility in low-tech societies cannot be denied."
So the whole house runs on Light magic stones like electricity, huh?
Not bad, actually.
When we reach a wide wooden staircase in the center of the corridor, we climb up and follow the man to the second floor. At the top, a spacious corridor opens up, lined with doors. He gestures as we pass them.
"Living room, dining area, bedrooms… and this way..."
He stops in front of a larger double door and opens it wide, and the first thing I see inside is a tiled space with a large square bathtub right in the middle, which is shocking me.
"Wait… is this a bathroom?"
"Yes, sir."
And Chantal is delighted too.
"Oh, look! We'll finally have a bathroom, Motegi-kun!"
I step toward the tub to examine it, and then I spot three holes on it: two near the head and one in the base.
"What are these holes for?"
"The top two are for Fire and Water magic stones. When both are placed and turned, hot water flows in. The bottom hole is for a Dark magic stone, it absorbs the used water completely."
Then, I become curious again.
"Dark magic stone? Why not use slimes?"
"Slimes are commonly used for disposing of garbage and absorbing excrement or dirty water. But they're not perfect because they usually leave behind clean water that still needs to be dumped, so that's why they're only used in commoner homes."
And Kimberly adds her own opinion, which the man confirms and I understand.
"Dark… magic stones... are… normal fixtures… in noble homes... because... they absorb... everything... completely... without a trace... Motegi-sama..."
"You're right, madam."
"Okay."
So, if the Water one acts like a faucet, then the Dark one is basically a sink, but without drainage. Just absorb and then vanish.
Then, the man continues.
"The kitchen uses magic stones too, sir. They're inserted the same way."
"Really?"
"Yes. Come, let me show you."
With that, we follow the man to the kitchen, and indeed, I find two similar holes above the large built-in stove on the counter, and one nestles at the oven below, just like the bathtub.
"You're right. Do these work in the same way?"
"Yes. It's using Fire magic stones, sir."
And Yomogi explains, which the man confirms again as I absorb more informations.
"It's more convenient than firewood, Motegi-chan. You just insert the stone, twist, and fire comes out. You can even control how hot it gets."
"You're right, madam."
"I see."
So this thing works like a gas stove, but they use Fire magic stones instead of a knob, huh?
How convenient.
After that, I curiously ask the man again.
"So, why hasn't anyone bought this place?"
"Well, many locals believe it's cursed. They think that anyone who buys this house might go bankrupt, just like the noble family did."
And that nonsense answer shocks me.
"Huh?"
Seriously?
That's... that's the reason?
That's ridiculous.
Then, the man continues.
"Because of that superstition, no one touches the property. Over time, the price just kept dropping."
"I see…"
Still, the reason doesn't make sense, though. However, I also feel lucky because this property doesn't cost much.
And then, I ask a question that catches him off guard.
"The price… does it include the magic stones?"
"Ah… well, if that's what you'd like, sir, then yes. I'll see to it personally."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
Of course it must be.
This place will be renovated anyway, so it makes sense if I get those magic stones too with that price.
"So, what do you think, sir?"
"Yup, I'll take it."
"Understood. I'll prepare the paperwork immediately. Shall we return to the office?"
"Okay."
Then, we return to the real estate agency, and arriving there, the man disappears to prepare the contract quickly. And within minutes, he returns with the purchase license and four colorful magic stones — red, blue, white, and black — set beside it.
"This is the document, and here are your requested magic stones. The red one is Fire, blue is Water, white is Light, and the black one is Dark. Please sign up here and make a payment, sir."
"Okay."
After I sign the license, I proceed to the transaction by handing him 1 large gold coin, and he accepts the payment.
"Perfect. The purchase is now complete. As of today, that property and the included magic stones belong to you, sir."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, sir. And thank you very much for doing business with us."
But before I leave, I ask him something again.
"Oh yeah, can you give me that floor plan too?"
"Absolutely, sir. Here you go."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, sir."
With that, I gather the license, the floor plan, and the stones. Then, we return to that house, with Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna following behind me.
The moment we arrive, I pull out the floor plan and put it open on the ground.
Then, I start studying it again from the first floor, then to the second. Despite both floors having the same area size, the current layout still doesn't match what I want, so everything here has to change.
With that, I silently activate my [Copier] skill on the floor plan and form an exact copy on top of it. I take the new sheet, flip it over, and redraw what I want.
"Like this… then this… okay...."
As I mumble that, I can feel their eyes on me, curious and confused. After a moment, I glance over my shoulder to ask them one by one, and they answer with puzzled expressions.
"Hey, Yomogi, what do you want to have in the house?"
"Eh? Uh… maybe… a garden?"
"Got it. What about you, Chantal?"
"Mmm… a training room, maybe?"
"Alright. And Kimberly, you like books, right?"
"Yes… Motegi-sama..."
"Okay. And Pinna, you'll have your own workshop to do your work."
"Understood, Master. Though… I am still analyzing the precise meaning of your statement."
And with that, I go back to my paper.
For the first floor, I sketch a wide double door at the front, then rows of shelves inside, a counter across the middle with a small space behind it for my own studio, and a staircase that connects it to the second floor.
On the second floor, I draw a large bedroom, big enough for a bed that could fit twelve people. Next comes the bathing area with a large and deep tub, a washbasin, a space for the incoming washing machine, and a small sink room for daily use. Then, a kitchen, a big dining table, and a spacious living room.
Still on the second floor, I mark out Pinna's workshop and Kimberly's private library off to one side. Beside them, a big wardrobe room for the girls to store their dresses and all the sexy undergarments I've made with [Tailoring]. Then, there is a training room for Chantal and a few more empty rooms for the future.
And finally, just beyond the second floor, I draw an open terrace with sunloungers and surrounded by a little garden for Yomogi.
When I finish, I lift the paper and line it up with the view of the old building.
"Yeah, that's good."
Then, I turn to the still puzzled girls again.
"I'm going inside for a moment."
"Yes..."
After that, I head inside and immediately climb to the second floor, and then I stop in the bathroom first as I place my hand on the tub.
"[Copier]!"
Once I activate that skill, the bathtub is duplicated into two, and after that...
"[Storage]!"
The two bathtubs vanish and go straight into my dimensional inventory. Then, I go to the kitchen and only activate [Storage] to the range.
"[Storage]!"
And just like that, both the stove and the oven disappear into my dimensional inventory.
Actually, before we visited the real estate office, I'd already done this with everything important back home. From the dining table, the large bed I currently had, the sofa, the freezer box, and every kitchen appliance we had. I even stored the duplicate of counter and shelves from the same source.
After that, I return outside, and I immediately activate [Temporary Boost] to set all my stats to infinity.
First things first, I have no idea about construction at all, and I don't know if what I'm about to try here will even work, so I have to be ready for anything.
Then, I raise my hand and cast an Earth spell.
"Earth Block!"
BOOM!
Moments later, a massive boulder as large as the entire house materializes and hovers above the roof.
And now, it's time to say sorry to that house.
With that, I slam my palm down and drop that boulder, causing a thunderous crash as it smashes through the building, reducing everything to rubble and dust. And the girls' reaction is instantly understandable as they shout together at what they see.
"Ehhhh?!"
Yomogi's voice fades mid-sentence.
"The house…"
Chantal sounds shocked.
"Motegi‑kun, wh-what are you doing?!"
Kimberly sounds in disbelief.
"You… destroyed it…"
And Pinna is still trying to figure out what I'm doing.
"Processing… I cannot determine Master's motive for this action."
Then, I turn to the girls to reassure them, and they remain speechless.
"Don't worry. I'm just rebuilding the house. It didn't match my preferences."
After that, I open my dimensional inventory again and pull out materials. Heiligeichen's ores, charcoal, Terracotta's clay, glass sand, Misdaras' timber and bamboo, resin, Ushabti's granite, a mix of other minerals, Split Caterpillars' threads, and many more things. And then, I activate [Copier] to duplicate each stack until the area is filled with materials.
But still, my heart is pounding.
Don't worry, my ass.
If I mess this up, that's it. One million yen is gone, and we have nowhere to live.
Then, I take a very deep breath, holding both hands forward and closing my eyes, as I don't want to see what will happen. After that, I activate [Blacksmithing], [Carpentry], [Pottery], [Lapidary], and [Tailoring] all at once.
Please work.
Please work.
Please work.
And then, I can hear Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna reacting.
"What's happening?"
"The house…"
"It's… rebuilding…"
"Material formation confirmed. Reconstruction process detected. This is… remarkable."
But still, I don't want to open my eyes no matter what.
Moments later, I take a deep breath again and open my eyes when I think it's over.
And there it is.
Where the broken, abandoned house once stood, now rises the new home exactly as I imagined it.
I can only stare as I immediately sink to the ground...
"It worked… it actually worked…"
And then I throw my fists up to the sky.
"It worked!!!"
Then, the girls rush toward me, hugging me tight.
"Motegi‑chan, that was amazing!"
"We have a new house, Motegi-kun!"
"I believe... this place… will be... the beginning… of something... wonderful... Motegi-sama..."
"Despite several unquantifiable variables, I must acknowledge that the outcome is highly satisfactory, Master."
Yup.
My first house rebuilding is a complete success, and we finally have a new home now.