Purchasing A Mansion

After drinking with everyone, Ian slept in late the next day. He washed up in his hotel room and headed straight to the dining room to order something good for a hangover. They served a spicy yet smooth soup that, when eaten, gave him a sense of relief.

‘…Ugh, I feel like death.’

The hangover was still tormenting him, but it was bearable. After finishing what served as both breakfast and lunch, Ian headed straight to Blair Naval Academy. He returned to the dorm where he had stayed for a year before the rebel suppression mission, and found everything just as he had left it.

The school had kept his room, despite knowing his situation. He later heard that one student had been unable to get into the dorm because of him. That student was currently waitlisted and couldn’t move in until Ian vacated his room—so that very day, he packed up all his belongings.

Just like when he moved in, his luggage was minimal. With just two bags, he departed—and along the way, received his diploma. Though he hadn’t attended the graduation ceremony, Ian had officially become a graduate of the academy.

He had learned a lot there and had even applied it in real battles. He felt the education had truly been worth it. Returning to his hotel to drop off his bags, Ian then headed for a real estate office. Starting today, he planned to shop for and purchase a mansion.

While riding in a taxi, he noticed that while there were still the occasional carriages, the streets were now dominated by automobiles. Time had clearly passed, as the designs of the cars had become more streamlined and curved.

‘There’s still trash all over the city.’

Even though this was supposedly the capital’s developed urban center, the alleyways were filled with garbage. Ian thought that unless the government stepped in to take the lead, things would only get worse. Of course, people’s awareness would also need to improve.

“We’ve arrived, Your Highness.”

“Thank you. Here’s the fare.”

Ian handed payment to the driver, who had recognized him, and got out. Looking around, he could see that the area was crowded with real estate offices—just as he had intended. He had asked the driver to bring him to a place like this.

As he scanned the area, wondering which office to enter, a man approached him. He looked to be in his early forties, well-dressed in a suit and hat, with a mustache and kind eyes.

“Wait, could you be… Prince Ian?”

“I am.”

“Ohhh, to meet you like this on the street—what an honor!”

“Thanks for the enthusiasm. But I do have business here.”

“Business? Are you perhaps looking to purchase a mansion?”

“That’s right.”

“Wonderful! Would you consider visiting my office? I run a real estate business.”

“Oh? You do?”

Ian briefly wondered if the man had approached him on purpose—but that seemed unlikely. His visit to this area had been spontaneous, and considering the number of real estate offices nearby, it was probably just a coincidence.

“Alright. Lead the way.”

“Right this way. Hahaha!”

The man beamed as he led Ian along, and sighs could be heard from others nearby. As soon as someone had said “Prince Ian,” attention gathered from nearby real estate agents who had missed their chance. Timing truly mattered—if someone else had spoken up first, Ian might have gone with them.

They soon arrived at a building less than 50 meters from where Ian had gotten out of the taxi. It was a narrow structure with a sign on the first floor that read “Hansen Real Estate.” Ian now knew the man’s name was Hansen.

“Your name is Hansen?”

“Haha, that’s right. I run this business under my own name. Please, come inside.”

Ian walked through the door Hansen opened for him. Inside was a long, narrow office with a few people already seated. At first, they tilted their heads curiously when they saw Ian, then quickly stood up in recognition.

“Gasp! Prince Ian?!”

“W-What brings Your Highness to a place like this?”

“Ahem, calm down, everyone. I personally brought him. His Highness is looking to purchase a mansion.”

As Hansen closed the door and explained, the others finally understood the situation—and were visibly thrilled. If word got out that their agency had brokered a mansion for the now-famous Prince Ian, their prestige would surely rise.

“Well then, since you’re looking to purchase a mansion, which area are you interested in? If you look at the map on the wall, there are three main residential zones within the capital where mansions are located.”

According to the explanation, there was a place called ‘Bellos Street,’ a high-end district filled with grand mansions of the top noble families. Then there was Orga Street, primarily inhabited by nobles ranked below Count. Finally, Osilia Street was home to senior administrative officials and successful businessmen, with the largest properties overall.

‘Orga Street sounds like the best fit for me.’

“I think Orga Street suits me best.”

“An excellent choice, Your Highness. It’s the perfect place for someone of your stature.”

“What kind of mansion sizes are available?”

“They’re all two-story homes. The styles vary—some have attached annexes, while others have detached ones. Some also come with large gardens.”

“Are there any vacancies in those?”

“Vacancies come and go frequently. Haha. By the way, may I ask what your budget is?”

At the cautious question, Ian replied with the approximate amount he could comfortably use.

“I can prepare around 200,000 grang.”

He likely had more than that from selling the submarines, but he had decided to keep to a reasonable range. Since he’d be living alone, there was no need to buy an enormous mansion. The grand estates in Bellos probably went for over a million grang.

Honestly, with that kind of money, it would make more sense to invest for the future. Hearing this, Hansen, the realtor, pondered briefly before speaking.

“So you’d be willing to spend a bit more than that if necessary?”

“How much more are we talking?”

“If you could add just 20,000 grang more, I could show you a property that truly suits Your Highness. A fine mansion just came onto the market.”

“20,000 grang more… very well. That sounds reasonable.”

If Ian bought a mansion worth around 100,000 grang, he could certainly live comfortably on his own. But image mattered. With his current public standing, buying too small a mansion would spark gossip.

‘I’ve really changed if I’m thinking about this kind of stuff.’

And so, Ian followed Hansen’s lead. Riding in the man’s personal car, they soon arrived at Orga Street. Sure enough, the area was lined with mansions that weren’t overly large. Most of them probably belonged to viscounts and barons.

‘They’re all packed closely together.’

All the mansions were connected by walls enclosing their gardens. Seeing this, Ian figured the shortage of land compared to the increasing number of nobles had made such designs inevitable. As he thought about it, they arrived in front of a mansion gate. It was a wrought iron gate that allowed a partial view inside.

“Is this the one?”

“Yes, it is. What do you think? Quite a nice mansion, isn’t it?”

“It does look good.”

As Hansen, the real estate agent, said, the mansion that came into view was quite decent. There was a moderately sized garden with a few trees planted here and there. At the center stood the main house, which was rare in the area for having three stories, unlike the surrounding two-story homes.

“It’s one of the few three-story mansions in the area. However, it doesn’t come with a separate annex.”

“I don’t really need an annex. But this is going for 220,000 grang?”

“Yes. It was originally priced higher, but the seller is in a hurry to get rid of it.”

“They’re in a rush? Good news for me, then.”

“So, are you considering buying it?”

“I’ll decide after seeing the inside.”

“Of course, please follow me.”

Hansen opened the gate, and they drove up the path crossing the garden, stopping in front of a dry fountain. Ian stepped out and looked at the front door, which had a classical charm to it.

While he observed the entrance, Hansen walked up and opened the door. Inside was a spacious lobby with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, glinting with elegance. It looked expensive—just the chandelier alone seemed worth a fortune.

They walked through the lobby and into the living room, where everything was covered in white cloths. Hansen began uncovering each piece, revealing vintage furniture with excellent design. Ian looked around and asked curiously,

“All of this is included with the mansion?”

“Absolutely. As I mentioned before, if this were sold at market price, it would go for up to 400,000 grang. You’re getting it for 220,000. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal.”

‘If that’s true, then I really must be lucky. I genuinely like this place.’

Though Ian had ridden what some called the “ship of miracles,” he knew his achievements weren’t just luck. Still, a windfall like this made him think maybe he really was fortunate. Whoever was urgently selling it—he silently thanked them.

“There are twelve rooms in total. You can have personal rooms, a dressing room, hobby rooms—whatever you like. And of course, rooms for your staff.”

“Not buying this place would be a huge loss, wouldn’t it?”

“Exactly. Now is the perfect time to buy it.”

Hansen snapped his fingers as he spoke. Ian nodded. He had already made up his mind. There was no need to see any other place—this was what he had been looking for. And at half the price.

“I’ll take it.”

“Hahaha! An excellent decision, Your Highness. Thank you for giving me the honor of brokering a mansion for Prince Ian!”

Hansen was delighted. Ian figured he wouldn’t need to buy new furniture and could now focus on getting a car and hiring staff. Suddenly, he wondered if Hansen might know someone who could help with that.

“By the way, do you know anyone who can refer me to household staff?”

“Of course! I know a few good people—I’ll give you the contact info of a reliable agency.”

Hearing this, Ian felt lucky again. Meeting one person had taken care of several matters at once. He then proceeded to make a provisional contract, transferring a deposit to hold the property.

The full payment would come a little later—he still needed to speak with the royal household about receiving the funds from selling the submarines.

The next day, Ian visited the palace and completed the necessary discussions. He was informed that he would receive a payment of 1.5 million grang. They had valued each submarine at 750,000 grang.

It was a massive amount, but considering how expensive warships were, it wasn’t unreasonable. Plus, the premium came from the fact that these were the first submarines ever captured.

The money was promptly transferred to Ian’s account through the bank. It was likely processed quickly to avoid any ownership disputes later.

Soon after, Ian met with Hansen again and paid the full price for the mansion. He even gave Hansen a generous commission, which made the realtor even more delighted. With the payment and signature complete, the property officially became Ian’s.

Now that the purchase was finalized, his next step was, of course, hiring staff to manage the mansion. Given its size, he needed at least three maids and butlers. On top of that, he had to hire a cook and a steward, making for a growing list of responsibilities.

Almost a week passed. Using the contacts provided by Hansen, Ian contacted an agency and successfully hired domestic staff. He brought on a cook and a steward as well. The next task was buying a car.

He visited a dealership himself and managed to buy a solid luxury vehicle—nothing too flashy, but still fitting for someone of his status. Thanks to his title as prince and reputation as a war hero, the purchase was expedited. It seemed they even let him receive an unreleased model early.

With the car in hand, Ian also hired a driver. Before he knew it, there were now seven people living in his mansion. Eventually, he also hired a gardener, since the yard couldn’t be left unattended.

‘I didn’t realize owning a mansion meant needing so many people.’

And so, Ian’s mansion now housed eight people, including himself. With everything coming together, it was time to plan a housewarming party. Apparently, it was tradition—when moving into a new mansion, nobles were expected to invite nearby residents and acquaintances to a modest gathering.

‘The money just keeps flying out the window.’

One thing led to another, and what started with buying a mansion ended up costing a whole lot more.