Chapter 34

As expected, the remaining three days of travel passed without incident.

Well, if there was anything notable, it was that the mercenaries, after hearing the whole story, took turns beating Garek in three shifts for the rest of the journey.

“This is your fault! You made the mage angry! What if he had just killed everyone!? How were you planning to take responsibility for that!?”

“Ugh! S-spare me…! I—I was foolish… gk!”

“Kill him! Kill this bastard! Kill this damn rat!”

“Grghk…!”

“Where do you think you’re crawling off to!? Get back here, you little shit! You worthless dog!!”

“Gkkk….”

“Hey, Billy! He’s about to croak. Drag him to the mage. If he heals him, we’ll start over from the top. And give him a full report on how we beat him. If he thinks we did well, he sometimes throws in a silver coin.”

“Yes, sir!”

At first only the mercenaries joined in, but soon enough even the others—half out of anger, half out of fear of being seen as complicit—joined in on the beating.

“You filth! And you call yourself human!? Trying to scam a priest—no, our savior—with a Geas!? What kind of trash are you!?”

“Ghhhkkk….”

“But sir, what exactly is a Geas?”

“Don’t know, but it’s bad, they said. Don’t think—just keep stomping him. The mercs said because of him we almost died.”

“Wait, didn’t he say he’s gentry? Are we even allowed to beat him like this?”

“I heard if you’re caught trying to swindle with a Geas, it’s a heavy crime. He won’t be gentry for long.”

“Really? Then I’d better get my kicks in. Geas! Geas! Geas!! You filthy Geas bastard!!”

“Gkk—! J-just kill me already…”

“Pop-pop.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Take him to the priest. They said if he starts begging for death, that means he really might die, so better show him quick.”

“Got it. Hey, Geas bastard, get up. If you don’t, I’ll kill you myself.”

And finally, another merchant was discovered to have colluded with the bandit knights. He quickly joined Garek in the role of caravan punching bag.

The caravan leader had begun questioning how the bandits had found them so precisely on a moonless night, and his investigation revealed that one of the merchants had urged them onto this path. That man turned out to be the collaborator.

Apparently, those bandit knights had slipped into the march half a year ago and had been quietly recruiting merchants. They steered caravans onto routes the bandits wanted, so they could stage ambushes at chosen times and places.

It was a serious affair. If the report reached the Merchant Guild, it could lead to a sweeping investigation across the entire march.

From her seat on my shoulders, Shia tugged hard at my hair.

“So? How much did we make this time?”

“Let’s see… eleven warhorses, weapons, armor, artifacts… plus the pooled ‘thank-you’ money. After fees, about three and a half million sel.”

“Ah. No wonder that Garek fool was drooling over it.”

“Eh, maybe. But remember the feather I swindled from Sodin? I made about the same from that one angel’s feather. Compared to that, this doesn’t feel that big.”

“Does it not occur to you that you extorted far too much from that poor elf mage?”

“She was satisfied, so I’d call it a win-win.”

“Mercy me. I didn’t know Satan himself was traveling with us.”

“And with Satan’s money, we’ll buy a house, hire people, and even build that pool you kept singing about.”

She giggled and squeezed my head tight.

“Heehee. Now that I think about it, I’m a Demon King myself. A Demon King and a Satan—don’t we make quite the pair?”

“…You never shut up, do you.”

Naturally, the remaining three days passed without incident.

And at last—after two long weeks filled with trouble—we finally arrived at the Seol Viscounty.

Upon arrival, we celebrated the safe end of our journey with the ale we’d been saving and exchanged parting words.

“Priest, thank you again for saving us from those bandits. I shudder to think what would’ve happened without you…”

Those were the travelers who, like me, had tagged along with the caravan.

“I learned much from you, Mage. It may never come to pass, but if you ever need the Wind Mountain Mercenaries, reach out. We’ll offer you a special rate.”

That was Jacob, the mercenary captain.

“Mage… we truly caused you much trouble. If you ever settle in Seol, please seek out my Bian Caravan, or any of the other companies that took part in this trade run. We’ll gladly offer our best assistance.”

That was the elderly caravan leader.

…What was his name again? I’d heard it, but I couldn’t remember.

Either way, after those farewells—which I didn’t feel too sentimental about—I immediately made for the Seol branch of the Purple Magic Tower, without a moment’s rest.

“House! A house! We need a house right away!!”

That was all thanks to Shia, who was throwing a tantrum and headbanging until we agreed to find a home first.

It felt odd, going to the Magic Tower just to look for a house… but being new here, I didn’t have anywhere else to turn. With Sodin’s letter of recommendation, someone with connections there would surely handle it—whether directly or by handing it off to someone else.

And then she appeared.

Not a cat—no, a catfolk mage.

“You say you’ve brought a letter of introduction from Mage Sodin?”

Oh wow, so that’s what they call cat ears? Her ears twitched adorably.

“Unbelievable. It’s real. I’ve never seen her write one for anyone else.”

“I’m… somewhat close with her.”

At my words, the catfolk mage’s eyes widened.

“…Close? With Professor Sodin? That dried-fish elf—ah, pardon me. In any case, if you managed to befriend her, you must be quite sociable. Very well, how may I help you? Do you need supplies or potions, perhaps?”

“Actually, we’re looking for a place to live. Could you assist us with that?”

“A… house? You mean a residence? Why would you come to the Tower for that…?”

“It’s my first time here, and I had no one else to ask.”

Her ears twitched as if she’d heard the strangest request, but after a pause she nodded.

“Well… all right. It’s not that difficult.”

She clapped her hands together twice, and a lion-shaped doll that had been sitting as decoration suddenly sprang up and waddled toward us.

“Oh… what’s that?”

“An automatic scribe golem. Take notes, Leo.”

At her command, the stuffed lion picked up a pen and notebook with its stubby paws. There were certainly better ways to record notes, but… maybe it was just her hobby.

“So? What kind of house are you looking for?”

I stared at the curious sight for a moment, then came to my senses and passed the question over to Shia.

Shia, who had been poking and prodding at the waddling lion golem, suddenly lit up with a wide smile.

“First of all, the house has to be absolutely huge! And the scenery must be perfect! The sea in front, the mountains behind, and a lake or valley close by so we can draw fresh water! Since I’ll be adventuring, it mustn’t be too far from a labyrinth either! But it can’t be in a noisy, crowded place! And… ah! Yes! The most important thing! A swimming pool! It has to have a pool!! And also—”

For nearly a full minute, she rattled on with her demands, until sweat started beading on the catfolk mage’s brow.

“…R-right. I’ll… do my best to find something.”

“Can’t you manage it right away!?”

“Well… immediately is a bit difficult, but if you give me some time—”

“Tomorrow! Tomorrow is fine, right!?”

“…I-I’ll try my very best.”

The very next day, the catfolk mage visited our inn in person with startling news.

“I found a house that fits the conditions.”

“…Seriously?”

Wow. This woman’s skills were impressive. She really found something like that in just one day?

“But, well…”

“Yes?”

“…It’s not without a problem.”

I couldn’t help but laugh under my breath. Was this a cliché?

That classic setup—you know the one. The house that checks every box, except for the part where it’s… haunted.

“What, does it have ghosts?” I joked.

Her slit pupils widened.

“Oh? How did you know?”

“……”

“……”

“…Wait. You’re saying it really is haunted?”

“Yes.”

For context: Seol is divided into two main districts. There’s the Seol West, where the viscount’s keep stands amid sprawling farmlands. And then there’s Seol East, a bustling city that formed around the labyrinth.

Seol West is what you’d expect from any viscounty. Wealthy nobles flush with agricultural profits, gentry who lived decently well, and commoners eking out their lives under the weight of a rigid class hierarchy.

Seol East, on the other hand, was different. Though under the viscount’s rule, it felt closer to a free city. Here, it was the Adventurer’s Guild—delegated partial authority by the viscount—that served as the real heart of the region. With artifacts, resources, and trade flowing constantly from the labyrinth, the East had a freer, rougher atmosphere where even the lines between noble and commoner blurred.

Naturally, it was in Seol East where we were looking for a house.

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“When the young lady first listed her conditions, I was honestly at a loss,” the catfolk mage admitted. “Even with how vast the East is—nearly the size of a province—it’s nearly impossible to find such a property. And even if one existed, it would never normally be up for sale.”

“…That makes sense.”

“So I tried placing an inquiry with the Adventurer’s Guild under the Purple Tower’s name. In Seol East, the Guild can manage anything—so long as you have the coin and the backing.”

“Mhm.”

“They worked quickly, and by noon I received a report. And in it was mention of a single estate that matched every requirement perfectly… except that it was haunted.”

“Figures. And the price?”

“Free.”

“…Excuse me?”

“To be precise, the Adventurer’s Guild submitted a counter-request to the Tower. If the Tower can resolve the problem at that estate, they’ll not only hand over the property for free, but also pay an additional commission fee.”

“…I’d like to hear more details.”

According to her, this was the situation:

A few years ago, a baronial family from Seol West built a villa near the coast, in a beautiful little valley. Unfortunately, the site happened to be dangerously close to an unauthorized labyrinth entrance.

The Guild had sealed it and plastered warnings all over the place. But the baron’s second son, who had always scorned both adventurers and the Guild, trusted in his own skills as a high-level Mana User. He led his retainers inside.

Predictably, they were wiped out.

“And now, powerful vengeful spirits—wraith-type monsters—have made their nest beneath the villa.”