Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Safe House (2)
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Aren's group began touring numerous real estate properties in the capital. Midway through, there were people trying to rip them off, taking advantage of the fact that Aren didn't know the capital well, but...
"This won't do."
"They say no."
Thanks to our capital-born Veronica, they were able to filter them out.
She didn't know everything perfectly, but at least she could judge whether something was right or wrong.
Especially since she'd already completed all sorts of education as a noble.
And so, Aren used Veronica as his guiding totem to tour various houses—
"Alright, this is the last property... In this case, it's a mansion once owned by a noble executed for treason."
"Oh."
"T-Treason...?"
Lydia shuddered as she echoed the agent's words.
Treason.
In a nation like the Empire, where the class system remained firmly intact, it was the gravest sin of all. Even a murderer would be treated less seriously than a traitor.
Realistically speaking, the fallout from treason was far greater than that of a single killer—no helping it.
Treason shook the Empire's order to its very foundation.
The nobles' vested interests. The imperial family's right to rule.
That was why the Empire had been gaslighting all its citizens about treason for dozens, even hundreds of years—and now, it was entrenched as the heaviest crime imaginable.
"Hmm... A mansion where a traitor once lived might be a bit much, right? Better to just pick from the ones I showed you earlier—"
"No. Could you show me this one too?"
"Oh. Really?"
The agent's face lit up.
From the agent's perspective, this place was a notorious eyesore passed down through generations.
The location was prime, and the mansion's size and beauty were the best among everything currently on the market...
But because a noble who committed treason had lived there, people shunned it no matter how cheap the price.
And those who even looked at listings like this were mostly nobles.
Nobles had no reason to touch a tainted property. The higher you climbed, the more they tended to cling to superstitions, knowingly or not.
"Y-You're really gonna look, Aren...?"
"...You. This isn't bad by any means... but it's still a place where a traitor lived. No need to even consider it."
"But just looking around can't hurt, right?"
"......"
Veronica's face soured.
...This didn't look like it would end with just looking around.
Aren's expression, which had been utterly indifferent the whole time they'd been house-hunting, was the brightest it had ever been.
"Haha! Just like the customer says, looking around is no problem at all! And sure, there's a lot of talk about curses and such, but it's definitely a great property!"
"See?"
"...Haa."
"Eek..."
Aren shrugged.
The real estate agent took the lead, showing them every corner of the mansion.
An enormously spacious dining hall and parlor. Various rooms and facilities for the servants. Beyond that, rooms for the mansion's owner, a swimming pool, and even a garden.
"...That's quite a large garden. It holds its own compared to our ducal estate."
With proper care, it could probably become a really beautiful garden.
Lydia, having toured the whole mansion, now had stars sparkling in her eyes.
"I was a little scared because a traitor lived here... but seeing it for real, I love it!"
"...Even accounting for its past ownership by a traitor, I think it's a solid property."
"Haha! The lady of the house has excellent taste!"
Lydia's face flushed at "lady of the house."
"Hehe..."
"......"
Veronica, meanwhile, just frowned slightly without raising any real objections.
'Hmm. That's unexpected.'
Well, good was good.
It was proof that Veronica didn't think too badly of the place—better than expected.
Swallowing a grin, Aren turned to the agent with one question.
"By any chance, does this mansion have a basement?"
"A basement?"
"Yes."
"Hmm... Afraid not. What would you need it for?"
No basement, huh...
"Nothing special. Just thought it might make a good hobby room."
"Hobby room... I see! That does sound nice. I've heard some nobles set up rooms with all sorts of 'apparatuses' for their private hobbies."
"Eek..."
No need to shiver like that, Dia-dia.
What Aren had called a hobby room wasn't for actual hobbies.
It was space he needed to pull out Lucilla—who was slumbering in his sub-space—and experiment on her a bit.
'Of course, I could always remodel a normal room...'
But a basement was preferable.
Easier to keep things under wraps.
With that, Aren discreetly spread his mana out wide. It enveloped the entire mansion in an instant, relaying back information.
And then.
'......?'
There is one?
"...No basement at all?"
"That's right. None."
...But there is.
"I see..."
A basement existed.
'Doesn't seem like he's lying.'
There was no hint the agent was fibbing. If it was an act, he'd deserve an award.
'So it really went up for sale undiscovered...'
...Is that even possible?
This was a traitor's old haunt.
They would've combed the place during the treason bust—no way they'd miss a basement.
...Hmm.
"Do you happen to know which traitor lived here?"
"Hmm... No. Definitely a traitor, but it's so old it's been forgotten. Easily over a century."
"...I see."
The deliberation was brief. The decision swift.
"I'll take this one."
"Oh! You're serious?"
"Yes."
"Haha! Outstanding choice! So, when for the contract..."
"Today. Right now."
"Perfect!"
The agent dashed out of the mansion in high spirits. Probably off to fetch the paperwork.
Meanwhile, Lydia and Veronica sidled up.
"You sure you don't wanna think it over?"
"I like this place."
Aren gave Veronica's waist a light poke. She flinched.
"Makes it all the more trustworthy since you checked it out with me."
"......"
Aren chuckled softly.
"Lydia can decorate the garden however she wants."
"Eek... R-Really?"
"Yeah."
He leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"We'll be living here together someday. Stuff like this is the lady of the house's job."
"L-Lady of the house... Hehe. Got it! I'll make the prettiest garden...!"
"Even better with Veronica's help."
"Of course...!"
Lydia pumped her fist.
And so, Aren soon finalized the contract with the returning agent...
"Thanks for the business! Wishing you all happiness here, sir!"
He was now the official owner of the mansion.
Now the proud owner of the mansion, Aren waited until the agent had left before heading toward the basement's direction.
"Aren? Where're you going?"
"The basement."
"Basement...?"
Didn't they say there wasn't one?
Lydia tilted her head.
"You'll see."
They soon reached the spot where the underground space registered.
"...Why the study all of a sudden? You saying there's a basement here or something?"
"Yep."
The basement was right below this spot.
The study used by the mansion's previous owner—the executed noble.
But if there was a problem—
"...This is the second floor, though? Impossible structure for a basement."
"True enough."
Veronica was spot on.
The study was on the second floor. Below that was the first floor—so logically, no basement under the second.
But the space Aren had pinpointed as the basement—the unexplored void—was connected directly to this study.
Not the first floor below.
Which left only one possibility...
"Probably a hidden passage to the basement somewhere in here. Worth a look, pretending or not?"
"...Sure."
They nodded reluctantly, clearly doubting any secret basement access existed.
Fair enough.
Everyone assumes it's off the first floor—who'd think second?
But...
Ta-da.
Right here.
"...Huh?"
"...Why's it actually here?"
Kiiiiik—
Thud—
Their jaws dropped at the passageway revealed by the parting wall—wide enough for one person.
"...Wow... a real secret mansion."
"Yeah."
Veronica agreed with Lydia, though grudgingly. The agent had sworn up and down there was no basement... yet here it was.
In a traitor's old mansion, no less.
...Wouldn't this cause issues? If the imperial family investigated later and learned of the basement, the owner—Aren—could be in hot water.
"...You. How about we just sell it off? Could get dangerous."
"No need."
But he shook his head at her concern.
"Veronica. Any idea which traitor's place this was?"
"...No."
"Don't know?"
"Nope."
That was the key.
They called it a traitor's mansion, but nobody knew which traitor.
Even the agent said it was over a century old, long vacant.
Which meant...
"Could just be idle gossip."
"...Gossip."
"You know, like 'haunted house' rumors."
Of course, pure speculation.
He hadn't dug into the details yet.
But Aren figured the traitor story was likely some garbled tale. Even the agent knew next to nothing about it.
"We'll figure out the rest after checking the basement."
No harm in seeing it firsthand.
Plus, he could interrogate Lucilla while at it.
With that, Aren's group descended into the basement, guided by a faint light.