Chapter 7
I stood there blankly, looking back and forth between the Conet in my hand and the wide empty lot.
No matter how you look at it, this isn’t a house…
How is staying here any different from curling up to sleep in an alley without a home?
“……”
He kept pretending to be busy, acting like he didn’t have time.
So it was on purpose?
As a slow, simmering anger began to rise in me, the red light on the Conet flicked on again with a tick!. At the same time, a voice rang in my head, making me snap my head up.
[Ion Sarnia White, is there a problem?]
There’s no house! I shouted inwardly.
[I thought so earlier too, but… your voice has gotten a lot cuter.]
Still gripping the Conet, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.
How could he know my voice when I’d only spoken in my head? But that wasn’t the main issue.
[The address is indeed 98, Kesnia First Street.]
Then why isn’t it here?
[After checking, it seems that when we purchased it, there was definitely a house there—but it’s been demolished for a redevelopment project. That explains why… such a small house was so expensive. What should we do? I rushed to buy it, but the budget’s already exceeded.]
…What?
Aren’t you supposed to be some kind of administrator? Why would you even have a budget limit?
So you just bought the land?
[It seems you’ll have to wait until redevelopment is complete. In this world it will be very quick, but for you—actually living here in Amor—it might feel a bit longer.]
Are you kidding me? Find me another place right now!
[I was trying to get you the best location possible, so this couldn’t be helped. Since I gave you such a special support package, I’m in a tight spot myself and can’t spend any more.]
…
[I hope you understand that I truly did my best. I gave you double the agreed amount, and that capsule machine I sent along is actually a very expensive piece of equipment. If you had stopped at fifty million gold, the house would probably have been built right away. Such a pity.]
“…Hah…”
A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it.
White tilted his head at me, so I quickly averted my gaze.
[I hate to say this, but how about building a temporary house with the funds I gave you? Once redevelopment is complete, your property value will skyrocket.]
You… scammer.
He never said a word when I asked for a house in the first place.
[If it’s too difficult, I could instead get you land and a house in the countryside for the same price as 98 Kesnia First Street. But it’ll be very far from where you are now. Would that be all right?]
No!
[Then I guess that settles it. Staying with your family might be nice as well. I’d better end the call before the connection runs too long.]
Tick.
The red light went out.
Mafius cut the connection without even waiting for my answer.
“……”
If only he hadn’t mentioned redevelopment, I could’ve argued more. So frustrating!
In my previous life, I’d seen someone make a fortune off a deal like this—becoming unimaginably wealthy.
With no choice, I shoved the Conet into my magic pouch, but something paper-like caught against my hand. I pulled it out—it was the deed for 98 Kesnia First Street.
[Once redevelopment is complete, your property value will skyrocket.]
“Ssshhk…”
So I’m going to be rich?
Seeing my own name written there, I reflexively wiped away the drool at the corner of my mouth.
Not long ago, I’d given up on everything, yet here I was, overflowing with greed.
Things had gone a bit off track, but I didn’t regret making the deal for one hundred million gold. I could have been in the exact same situation after getting just one million gold.
Yeah… think positively. Positively… Positively what?!
I wanted to tear my hair out.
No matter how positively I thought, it wouldn’t magically make a place to stay appear today.
Feeling a sharp gaze on me, I turned my head. White had been holding out his hand, smiling at me this whole time.
In the end, I ended up staying at the house of Mr. White—who claimed to be my father.
He seemed to take it as the most natural thing in the world, but still—!
“Ah, I don’t actually think of you as my dad, okay?”
I made sure to clarify even while holding his hand.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to work harder to become a cooler dad.”
“…O-oh, that might take a long time, you know?”
“That just means I’ll have more time to make a good impression on my princess, right? I’ll work hard for you.”
“……”
Princess. Baby. My daughter.
Each word made my skin crawl with awkwardness.
Ugh. Uncomfortable.
Why won’t he give up? How is he so natural about this?
“Can you walk a bit longer?”
I nodded quickly.
“Yes…”
I was the one who stopped him from teleporting us straight home, insisting we walk instead.
Because I had to find that child.
I’d been told they’d be somewhere near where I’d be staying, but from where I’d been summoned to 98 Kesnia First Street, I hadn’t spotted anything unusual.
I kept scanning my surroundings for the child I had to rescue.
Red aura… red aura…
Before I knew it, I was walking with a canal on my right. Up ahead was a bridge leading to the other side.
I was wondering if I should cross when—
Thud!
It sounded like someone kicking a sack of grain.
Instinctively, my head snapped toward the noise.
There, about five boys who looked around ten years old were gathered in a circle.
They were kicking at something—or someone—excitedly, shouting insults and jeering.
I shook my head.
There are bad kids everywhere, aren’t there?
From experience, I knew this was the kind of bullying that happened almost daily. I could hear phrases like “Today again” or “Because of you nothing works out”.
Even if the victim had done something wrong, ganging up to beat them like that was never okay.
Still…
“Should I go over there and yell at them?”
The voice came from above me.
“…Huh?”
“I thought my little one seemed bothered by it.”
“……”
“Should I go over and say, ‘Hey, you brats!’?”
He looked like he’d really do it if I just nodded. I shook my head.
“No, let’s just go.”
“But you keep looking over there…”
“If you stop them now, they might be fine for the moment, but later they’ll retaliate even worse. You can’t save them every day… if it’s not too dangerous, it’s better to leave it. This level is nothing.”
If we intervened now, tomorrow the kid might get beaten until they bled. At most, I’d tell a nearby sheriff that some kids were causing trouble over there.
“…Little one…”
White stopped walking and looked down at me as if to ask how I could know such things.
“Let’s just go.”
“But your face doesn’t look too good right now.”
At that, I rubbed my face roughly with my forearm.
“J-just go.”
I tugged harder on his hand, quickening my steps toward the bridge.
Even so, I kept sneaking glances back.
If I was going to report it to the sheriff, I needed at least a good description of the victim.
Tilting my head almost sideways, I peered over—and in the gap between the bullies, I finally saw him.
A black-haired boy.
And around him, a red aura shimmered, rippling outward like waves on water.
Heat haze rose around him.
My mouth dropped open and my eyes went wide. I froze in place.
Found him!
The task Mafius had given me! That’s the boy I need to save!
Just then—
Two of the bullies shoved him toward the canal.
Splash!
In an instant, he vanished under the water.
The moment his black hair broke the surface again, I didn’t even think. I yanked on the hand I was holding with all my strength and sprinted toward the boy, who was thrashing as the current pulled him away.
“We—we have to go say ‘Hey, you brats!’ right now!”
