The Housing Broker's Surprise
Tom let out a heavy sigh in his empty shop.
'This is boring... damn it.'
He slouched in his chair, staring at nothing.
Spring had passed, and summer was coming.
Normally, this would be the busiest time for a housing broker.
The ports that had been frozen in ice would open, and new merchants and technicians would begin to flow into the city.
Naturally, the number of people looking for new residences would increase, and this was the time when housing brokers should be most active.
But among the many housing brokers in Caladon, Tom was not like that.
The buildings he could trade were all useless to the merchants.
Merchants preferred locations near markets, ports, or warehouses.
Since they stored their goods in warehouses, size didn't matter much.
But Tom's properties had exactly the opposite characteristics.
They were cramped in the corners far from the market, port, and city center.
Moreover, they were built in the early days and were so oversized that they seemed to require managers.
There's a saying that too much is as bad as too little.
To merchants, Tom's properties were nothing but a collection of disadvantages, like garbage.
So even in peak season, Tom could only lie around.
'Maybe I should just go home early and rest.'
After all, no customers seemed likely to come this way.
Squeak—
But then.
With the sound of old hinges, someone entered the shop.
“Welcome! Welcome!”
Tom jumped up in surprise and shouted reflexively.
Looking up, he saw a soldier in gleaming metal armor at the entrance, and opposite him, a man who seemed somewhat frail.
“I've come to look at some houses.”
“Yes, yes!”
Tom hurriedly stood up and went to the door.
'Merchant with a private soldier...? No.'
It was a strange combination.
The man didn't seem quite like a merchant. He had a private soldier, but it didn't feel like he was in command.
'Where have I seen this face before...'
Moreover, the man's face was vaguely familiar.
I don't remember exactly, but it seemed like a face I've seen around the city.
That meant he was unlikely to be a merchant.
'No. That doesn't matter.'
It was a bit unusual, but hadn't he come to look for a house anyway?
It was common for merchants to send agents to scout houses.
“Yes, what kind of property are you looking for?”
“I'm looking for a house to live in for the mage.”
“Huh?”
“I'm looking for a house for the mage. Is there anything good?”
'M, mage?!'
At those words, Tom quickly recalled.
From what he knew, there were no mages in Caladon right now.
Mages were always conspicuous figures.
It wasn't because they handled the mystery of magic.
It was their dirty personalities that drew attention everywhere.
If such a person appeared in the city, it couldn't be ignored.
Thinking that far, Tom's eyes narrowed.
'...These guys.'
There were always people trying to make a quick buck through scams anywhere in the world, and in port cities, there were even more of them.
Such scammers targeted merchants like Tom whose businesses weren't doing well.
They targeted their desperation and tried to fleece them with cheap properties.
He quickly checked the soldier's appearance behind the man again.
Metal armor that even average people couldn't easily obtain.
It was something even experienced mercenaries couldn't easily get.
Wearing that meant he was proving his wealth.
'But...'
The soldier's face under the armor was overly youthful.
It felt like the son of a noble who got it with his parents' prestige... such a feeling.
How could a mage's soldier look so young and inexperienced?
'These scam guys must have gotten someone to help.'
Probably they pooled money to buy a plausible armor.
Since armor could be bought and sold for profit.
'Even without that, it's tough, and these idiots...'
Tom sighed and showed an unpleasant expression.
His attitude was very obvious.
“Perhaps it's better to target other merchants.”
“Huh?”
“Let's not waste each other's time.”
He made a gesture to get out.
If they just quietly disappeared, he wouldn't mind.
If he reported it here, they might have other intentions later.
He didn't care if others got screwed, and he didn't want to make trouble with these guys.
“...Wait a minute.”
But the man didn't seem to want to leave.
Instead, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Tom.
“Let's start with the down payment.”
“Huh?”
The moment Tom took the pocket and opened it, his eyes widened.
“......!”
There were four silver coins inside.
'W, what?'
Tom reflexively took out the silver coins and examined them.
Merchants in Caladon had the ability to distinguish real from fake.
If they couldn't tell, they'd be on the street in a few months.
'This... is real.'
A heavy weight was felt in the coin in his hand.
The size and thickness were uniform, not something melted silver poured into a mold.
'What... Is this a real customer?'
This was enough for 2-3 months' salary of an ordinary mercenary.
Too much for preparing to slap a merchant like Tom whose business wasn't doing well.
The man watched Tom examine the coins quietly and spoke.
“Our employer is also trading with the Kerbe Merchant Guild.”
“Ker, Kerbe Merchant Guild?!”
The Kerbe Merchant Guild wasn't a target guild, but it wasn't something to mention lightly.
It was a place that traded with targets and nobles.
'Could it be...'
Tom's eyeballs rolled around.
The man continued carefully, watching Tom's reaction.
“The mage is someone who makes artifacts. He's looking for a quiet and spacious place.”
“Ah, artifacts?!”
Tom's eyes widened even more at the word artifact.
And the more he felt the man's words were true, the more color drained from his face.
'Did I make a mistake just now?'
Even without that, business wasn't good, and now he was telling a customer he found to get out?
Moreover, calling a mage's errand boy a scammer.
“Uh...”
For a moment, Tom's thoughts stopped.
Even if he chased away the customer, if this fact reached the mage?
A chill ran down his spine.
“Well, if it's not possible, I'll just go somewhere else.”
When the man said that and took a step back.
“Ah, no! I made a mistake, no, I was wrong!”
Tom hurriedly bowed his waist.
So fast that the silver coins in his pocket jumped out and fell to the floor.
The silver coins rolled on the floor with a clear sound, as if proving they were real.
“There are several good properties!”
Tom's sudden change in attitude made the man flinch slightly.
Then he scratched his chin a bit and spoke.
“Then, I'll come with the mage in the afternoon tomorrow.”
When Givra said that, Tom let out a sigh of relief.
“Yes, I understand! I'll prepare the best properties as much as possible.”
“Ah, and...”
Givra seemed to hesitate for a moment, then added carefully.
“If possible, I hope they aren't too expensive.”
Tom nodded his head repeatedly at those words.
***
Joseph returned to the inn and immediately moved with Givra.
Normally, he would wait for him to find good houses, but since the artifacts were completed earlier than expected, he had time.
“How much longer is it from here?”
“Soon! Soon! If you turn right at the front, you'll come out!”
The housing broker answered with a start when Joseph asked.
It was obvious he was scared.
“Why are you so tense? Just relax...”
“No!”
Tom answered with his back straight like a second lieutenant on full alert.
After Joseph joined, he had been watching Joseph's every move.
It was now familiar for ordinary people to be scared of mages, but even so, Tom seemed overly scared.
“What happened?”
Joseph asked Givra sideways.
He had a troubled expression.
“I think I made a mistake yesterday.”
“Mistake?”
“At first, he thought we were scammers... I explained various things to clear that up...”
Givra scratched his head and said.
“But after that, he suddenly changed like this. I feel like I said something wrong...”
“Huh?”
Joseph roughly understood the situation.
When Givra talked about mage, Kerbe Merchant Guild, etc., Tom completely got scared.
'Well... it doesn't matter.'
No matter the reason, thanks to that, he could look around the house more comfortably.
So, following Tom's words, turning right at the intersection, a rather large house, no, a mansion appeared.
“Here it is!”
Joseph looked up at the building and frowned.
'Is this a house?'
It was a two-story stone building, much larger than he thought.
Gray stone walls and several windows were visible, and the wooden entrance door looked quite thick.
A suitable yard for one carriage, a bit dirty because it wasn't managed, but a personal pond was visible.
No matter where he looked, it was far beyond the 'residence' level Joseph had imagined.
“...It seems too big.”
“Ah, no!”
Tom jumped in surprise and waved his hands.
“It matches exactly what the mage wants! Quiet and spacious!”
It did match the conditions.
But what Joseph wanted was not such a grand house, but a house of appropriate size to live comfortably.
'Before that, can I even afford it with the money I have now?'
Joseph was pondering when Tom hurriedly opened the door.
The inside was as spacious as the outside.
“This room is perfect for magic research! The windows are large, so lighting is good!”
Tom ran around explaining.
He was like a real estate salesman.
“This side can be used as accommodation for the private soldiers, and the big room over there, the mage can use it himself...”
“Wait.”
Joseph stopped Tom.
“I haven't said I want to buy this house yet?”
“Ah, yes! Of course!”
Tom was startled and nodded his head repeatedly.
“I have to show you other properties too!”
“What about the price?”
When Joseph asked, Tom hesitated for a moment.
His eyes rolled around, then he spoke as if deciding.
“Well... since it's the mage, I'll specially... I can discount about 30% from the original price.”
“30%?”
Joseph showed an expression of surprise.
Was real estate discounting that easy?
The houses being sold weren't even his own.
“Yes! If a person like the mage lives in this house, it would be an honor for us too!”
Tom bowed his waist as if about to kneel.
Joseph looked at Givra.
He was a bit taken aback by Tom's reaction.
“I, I think I said something wrong...”
Givra muttered worriedly.
“Yesterday he was just a polite person. Suddenly like this, I don't know what happened...”
Joseph couldn't help but smile.
Givra seemed to have gotten much more effect than he intended.
“Okay. Let's finish quickly.”
“The next house will be more to your liking!”
Tom, who had been leading, turned and shouted.
“This time, the backyard is really wide! Perfect for private soldiers to train!”
So the two followed the still chattering Tom to the next house.