I was going to marry Sylph.
Marriage.
It was a domain I'd never stepped into in my previous life.
If anything, I felt like I'd jumped the gun a little.
So naturally, I had plenty of anxiety.
But more than that, I had equally huge expectations for the things a married couple could do — things that would be perfectly acceptable once we were husband and wife.
Just thinking about that lovely girl falling prey to my wicked ways had me practically drooling already.
Well, of course I had no intention of doing anything Sylph didn't want.
Still, there was a problem.
When I thought about it, I realized I didn't know much about the marriage system in this world.
At the very least, I'd never seen a wedding ceremony before.
I mean, they'd basically just called over some villagers and celebrated. That was about it.
Noble weddings in
That said, the concepts of "marriage" and "wedding" certainly existed.
But I didn't really understand them.
What was marriage, exactly?
What was a man supposed to do when he got married?
What was the proper way to go about it?
I'd been in this world for sixteen years now, and I still didn't know something this basic.
Well, whatever. If I didn't know, I didn't know. People can learn. If I didn't understand, all I had to do was ask.
"Marriage?"
My first move was to ask
We were in the dormitory dining hall.
"When I got married, I sent celebratory gifts to my wife's family — livestock, soldiers, food, that sort of thing," he said.
Apparently in Shirone, when a marriage took place, it was customary for the man to send celebratory gifts to the woman's relatives.
"But you're a prince. Wouldn't you be on the receiving end?"
"Hmm? Whether I'm a prince or not, it's perfectly natural for the man to provide them."
That was
"In Millis, it's the opposite. The woman's family provides the bride with a dowry."
Cliff had been eating dinner with us more and more often lately.
The guy didn't have many friends either, so he was probably lonely.
"Oh? But doesn't that mean the woman's family only loses out?"
"In exchange, the man is obligated to help the woman's family whenever anything comes up."
"I see."
Whether it was Millis or Shirone, both cultures seemed to view marriage as a bond between families.
"Of course, it varies a lot depending on the race."
"How was it for the long-eared tribe?"
"...I haven't married
That was going to be a long wait.
But even as we talked, the subject of a ceremony never came up.
Did this world even have wedding ceremonies?
If not, that was fine too.
"If I were to marry someone, what would I need?"
"Well... a house, first and foremost, right?"
"Mm."
Zanoba nodded in agreement with Cliff's words.
A house. A house, huh.
"Huh? A house right away?"
"Of course. If you're getting married, what are you going to do without a house?"
I looked at Zanoba, and he nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
So in this world, getting married meant having a home?
Come to think of it, hadn't Paul settled down in
"Besides, women aren't allowed in the dormitory. Normally, once you get married, you either move out of the dorm or postpone marriage until after graduation. There's nowhere to live."
When he put it that way, he had a point. I'd never heard of a married couple living in the dormitory. There was no housing for married students either.
This world didn't really have the concept of "living apart." In principle, couples lived together.
"If the bride happened to be a young lady from a good family who already had a house, that'd be one thing. But if neither side owns a home, it's the man's responsibility to provide one — that's what a real man does."
Cliff's words reeked of old-fashioned chauvinism.
But putting that aside, was that really how things worked in this world?
If that was the case, then it was only right for me to provide one. In fact, if I showed up without a house, there was a good chance Sylph would be disappointed.
"Got it. A house first, then."
When I said that, Cliff made a puzzled face.
"Wait,
"...Yes, well."
"With who?"
Cliff asked.
Was I allowed to say Sylph's name? It was going to come out eventually, no question, but maybe I'd keep it under wraps a little longer.
"The person who cured my illness."
"...Ah, I see. What's her name?"
"Well, that's a secret for now."
"Fair enough. Hey, if she follows the Millis faith, let me know. I'm on a first-name basis with the bishop in this town, and if a simplified ceremony is fine, I can even conduct the blessing myself."
"Sure."
Apparently the Millis faith did have something resembling a wedding ceremony. In Japan, weddings were treated as a pretty big deal, but it seemed like things were more casual here.
Then again, in this world, performing another religion's rites would probably cause problems.
Besides, I wasn't a Millis follower.
Sylph probably wasn't either.
"Even so, a house... houses are expensive, I imagine."
"Master, if you're short on funds, I would be happy to assist—"
"No... I'd feel pathetic relying on Zanoba for this."
I put on a brave face, but honestly, I had no idea what the going rate for houses was around here. I just hoped what I had on hand would be enough.
"Either way, I'll head into town tomorrow and look at some properties. If it looks impossible, I might take you up on that offer."
"Of course. Rest assured, I have enough to purchase the largest house in this town."
Zanoba said this with a smile.
Royalty really was on another level, even in a small country.
--- The next day, I went to the real estate office.
In most places, the local lord leased land and buildings to the residents.
But the Magic City Shariah had no clear-cut lord.
The three great magic nations and the Magic Guild each provided personnel to manage it.
To deal with the problems that arose from having no lord, they'd established "real estate offices."
I wasn't sure what specific problems these offices dealt with, exactly. I was calling them "real estate offices" for convenience, but their official name was something like the Land Management Liaison Bureau.
They handled the buying and selling of vacant houses, granted permission for construction on empty lots, and so on.
Basically, a government office.
When I walked up to the reception desk at this real estate office and said "I'd like a house," they handed me a list.
Each page summarized a property's information — address, lot size, building area, number of rooms, price, and so on.
Small rooms, large houses — all kinds of options.
"Hmm."
Honestly, I had no idea what size of house I should be looking for.
Ideally, a standalone house with a yard — big enough to keep a dog, at least.
Or would a row-house-style apartment work just as well?
Sylph was a princess's bodyguard. Even without that job, she was on good terms with the princess. That meant Princess Ariel might drop by from time to time. If the place looked too shabby, that could be a problem.
On the other hand, a high-end noble residence was well beyond my budget.
Should I ask Zanoba for help after all?
No — using him as my personal wallet felt wrong.
I could probably afford a decent house on my own, anyway.
"Hmm."
Maybe I should have brought Sylph along. When making a big purchase like this, shouldn't you consult your future wife?
Then again, in this world, the man was supposed to buy the house and welcome the bride into it. If I asked Sylph for help, she might think I was pathetic. I needed to show some initiative here.
"A place that's spacious, has lots of rooms, and is cheap..."
I scanned the list, searching for a suitable property.
Houses were expensive everywhere. An apartment for newlyweds would be affordable, but...
"Hm?"
I spotted a listing.
It was the last one on the list — an old standalone house on a worn page.
It was large enough to be called a mansion. It was tucked away in a corner of the residential district, but not too far from the university.
Two stories, with a yard and a basement.
The only drawback was that it was somewhat old.
The price was shockingly low — less than half of comparable properties.
At this price, I could buy it and still have money left over.
"Why is this one so cheap?" I asked the clerk.
He gave me a wry smile.
"Well, the thing is, that mansion is cursed."
"Oh? Cursed?"
"Yes. At night, you hear this sound — kiri-kiri, kiri-kiri — but when you go looking, you can't find anything. If you dismiss it as settling noises and leave it be, the next day the inhabitants are found slaughtered."
Seriously?
Well, that was a classic story. A cursed mansion. Was it haunted? This world did have that kind of monster.
"Haven't you tried having it exorcised?"
"We've put in requests with the Adventurers' Guild, but nobody wants to take the job. And on the rare occasion someone did, that adventurer ended up dead too."
So in short, despite various attempts, no one had succeeded in cleansing the curse.
For reference, the subjugation rank for the request was apparently E.
They wanted to raise the rank, but no budget had been allocated, and there were also some political tensions with the Adventurers' Guild, so it was complicated.
"What about the Magic Guild?"
"They're in a position where they can't really meddle in land matters. Their response was basically, 'Deal with it yourselves.'"
A real estate office on the verge of giving up on a cursed mansion.
Come to think of it, something similar had happened during our journey across the Demon Continent.
Was this just a common occurrence in this world?
"What if I succeeded in exorcising the mansion — would you consider transferring it to me for free?"
The clerk looked at me as if to say, "What is this guy smoking?"
Fair enough. It wasn't like they were desperate to sell it.
"Sorry. How about this — we do a provisional contract, I come back another day to inspect the property, and if I like it, we proceed with the formal purchase?"
"...Fine. Please write your name here then."
My price-negotiation attempt had failed, but I didn't mind. I filled in the form. There was also a spot for a guarantor, so I wrote down Ariel and Bardigardi's names as well.
I submitted the form.
The clerk took one look at it, changed color, and disappeared into the back.
Almost immediately, someone who looked like a manager appeared — rubbing his hands together nervously.
So my name alone had that effect. I'd become rather famous.
Well, maybe it was actually Ariel and Bardigardi's names doing the heavy lifting.
Probably both.
After a brief conversation, we reached a deal on the price.
It was halved again.
They were treating me like some kind of liability. I hadn't intended to file a complaint or anything...
--- A few days later.
I arrived at the haunted mansion.
They said it was over a hundred years old, but the building itself looked sturdy.
Perhaps everything in this world was infused with magic, which slowed down the process of decay.
The overall frame was made of stone and earth, with wooden flooring in places — a composite of timber and stone construction.
Ivy and moss clung thickly to the walls.
But other than that, it was surprisingly clean.
I'd expected something far more decrepit.
"Well then, Zanoba, Cliff — shall we head in?"
Zanoba and Cliff stood behind me.
I was an A-rank adventurer, but I wasn't so full of myself that I'd tackle something like this solo. So I'd asked Zanoba to come along as a reliable shield.
If some kind of Western doll wielding a kitchen knife showed up, Zanoba could handle it.
Cliff had been giving me those "take me along" eyes, so I brought him too.
That said, he was a genius with Advanced-level Detonation magic. Against spirit-type monsters, he'd definitely be an asset.
"It's quite a nice house. A bit cramped-looking, perhaps... but this is fairly standard, isn't it?"
"No way — isn't it too big for just two people? Why not start with a small house, and if it gets cramped, save up and move later?"
The two of them had opposite opinions.
Which probably meant a house this size was the middle ground.
"It's priced low because of its... reputation. Come on, let's go."
"If Master says it's fine, I have no objections."
Zanoba said this while casually striding to the front.
He was carrying a single rod. It was a weapon I'd prepared for him.
When it came to subjugations, I figured going in unarmed wasn't the best idea. But apparently, because of his monstrous strength, he destroyed any weapon he held. So I'd made him a club with magic. If he broke it, at least it was free.
Cliff was in the middle, clutching his expensive-looking staff and glancing around nervously.
He probably thought he was being vigilant, but to me he just looked scared.
I took up the rear, watching for attacks from behind.
In this party, protecting Cliff — the healer who could also serve as a damage dealer — was the top priority. As the experienced one, bringing up the rear was safer for me.
We walked over the cracked stone path and reached the entrance.
A weathered wooden door. One of the hinges was broken.
This should be fixed too.
"There probably aren't any traps, but please be very careful."
"Yes, Master."
As I gave the warning, I activated my Foresight.
Zanoba grabbed the doorknob and, with a loud crack, ripped the door clean off.
Without a moment's hesitation.
"Hey, don't just destroy things right off the bat!"
"My apologies. The door was warped and wouldn't open. It needed renovation either way."
Apparently, the other door — which had looked fine at a glance — was also warped shut.
"Fair enough, but next time, a heads-up would be nice."
"Yes, Master."
Ever obedient, that Zanoba.
In any case, we entered the house.
The immediate interior was a lobby. A staircase leading to the second floor was straight ahead, with doors on either side. A hallway extended deeper into the house alongside the stairs.
From the outside, it looked like a haunted ruin. But inside, it was bright — good sunlight, nice property.
Maybe the real estate office had someone clean it regularly; there wasn't much dust.
"Master, what should we do?"
"Let's start from the right side of the first floor. We'll check every room. There shouldn't be any traps, but the ceiling or floor might be rotten, so watch your heads and watch your footing."
"Understood."
Zanoba nodded, and Cliff turned back.
"Man, you're really going all out with this, huh?"
"...I am, after all, an A-rank adventurer."
"R-Right. I keep forgetting."
Cliff seemed pretty tense.
Come to think of it, he'd gone on an adventure with
"So how was the adventure the other day?"
"...I got torn to shreds."
"Well, they are S-rank, so..."
The Step Treaders probably hadn't actually torn into him that badly. They knew he was a rookie, after all. They were just trying to educate him — pointing out this and that without any real malice.
How the recipient interpreted it was a different story.
"What should I do if something shows up?"
"When you spot an enemy, hit it with your beginner-level Detonation magic."
"G-Got it... What if it's not a spirit?"
"If that happens, Zanoba or I will handle it. Fall back."
When I said that, Cliff looked a bit miffed.
I should throw him a bone.
"If you use your Detonation magic, you might destroy the house."
That seemed to satisfy him.
For beginners, it was best to give them one task. Spot enemy, use Detonation. That was it. Otherwise, they'd make a rookie mistake.
"Zanoba. I'm sure it's fine, but just in case — there might be magic-using monsters hiding in there. Stay on your guard."
"Leave it to me."
Zanoba had an unexpectedly martial spirit. He wasn't the least bit frightened. Reassuring.
We entered the door on the right side of the lobby.
It was a spacious room — over twenty tatami mats, easy. Good sunlight, and a large hearth was installed in the back.
A living room or dining area, probably.
That hearth was interesting.
"Cliff — is that hearth some kind of magical implement?"
"Wh-Well, let me take a look."
Cliff leaned forward, about to peer into the hearth.
"Stop. There might be something inside."
I held him back and inspected the hearth myself.
"Hmm."
Winter was cold around here, so heating was essential. A magical hearth would warm the whole house. If it wasn't one, I'd consider retrofitting it.
Then again, the image of snuggling naked with Sylph for warmth wasn't something I could easily dismiss...
"I'm going to blow air through it. If there's a monster inside, it might come flying out, so stay alert."
I cast a spell into the chimney, forcing a strong gust of wind through it.
Nothing happened.
I listened carefully. No sound of anything moving.
Just soot falling from above.
Should I light a fire to check too? I didn't want a hole in the upper part causing a blaze.
I ducked my head in and looked up from below.
Through the chimney, I could see the sky.
I lit a quick flame to illuminate the interior.
No sign of anything lurking.
Should be fine.
"Cliff, you're up."
"Got it."
Cliff rummaged around the inside of the hearth and quickly discovered a magic circle.
He'd been studying magical implements and curses a lot lately, so this was to be expected.
"Does it look functional?"
"I'd need to try lighting a fire to know for sure, but the magic circle itself seems fine."
"Great. Thanks."
Good.
I nodded and moved on to the next room.
The one in the far right from the entrance.
The floor was stone, and there was something resembling a kiln.
Probably the kitchen.
A tattered cloth lay near the kiln. I picked it up — it was a worn-out apron.
Maybe one day, Sylph would cook here for me, wearing nothing but an apron.
Just thinking about it was enough to get my heart racing.
No, no. We were here to exterminate something that might be evil spirits. This was not the time for that.
I searched the kiln and other places where something living could hide.
"Alright, nothing out of the ordinary. Next."
Room by room, we continued our inspection.
We found a door to the basement behind the stairs, but that could wait.
Moving counterclockwise, we advanced to the next room.
No abnormalities. Some areas had a bit of dust, but for a hundred-year-old house, it was remarkably clean. Maybe the previous tenant had renovated.
"And that's the last one."
We'd finished the entire first floor.
From the layout, I already knew the mansion was built symmetrically.
The kitchen on the opposite side didn't have a kiln, though. Maybe it had been used for something other than cooking — laundry, perhaps.
Anyway, I'd call it Kitchen 2.
Two large rooms. Four small rooms. Two restrooms.
The impression was like two ordinary houses placed side by side and connected.
The only staircase was the one by the front entrance.
"Basement or second floor — which is more likely to have evil spirits?"
"The basement."
"Basement."
Unanimously, we headed to the basement first.
The door to the basement was behind the second-floor staircase. It looked like a storeroom, with a lock on the door.
Opening it revealed a staircase.
I lit a lamp I'd brought and handed it to Zanoba and Cliff.
"I'll be watching from behind with my Foresight. Even if you sense danger, don't let go of the lamp. I can't provide cover in the dark."
"Hahaha, I am a Holy Being. I have nothing to fear!"
Zanoba uttered a classic death flag as he descended the stairs.
Would it kill you to be a little more cautious? You open a door and an arrow could come flying out, you know.
Well, with Zanoba, he'd probably deflect an arrow with a sharp clang.
While I was thinking this, we reached the basement.
"Hmm. There's nothing here."
The basement was empty. Just a few wooden shelves lined against the walls. It felt like a vacant warehouse.
I shone the light into the dark corners. No sign of anything hiding.
There were some stains on the wall, but none of them were shaped like a person.
The edges of some wall panels were slightly rotted. That was about it.
We'd need to replace those, but there were no monsters.
What a letdown.
"Alright, second floor then."
We climbed back out of the basement and returned to the entrance, then headed upstairs.
The wooden floorboards didn't creak a bit. Solid construction.
On the second floor, we checked each room one by one.
The second floor was also symmetrical.
At one end, there was a somewhat larger room that connected to a bedroom on the inside. The rest were six-tatami-sized rooms lined up in a row.
Eight rooms in total.
Four small six-tatami rooms.
Two medium twelve-tatami rooms.
The medium rooms connected to an interior bedroom of about six tatami.
The medium rooms also had balconies.
"Hmm."
I'd put a big bed in the bedroom. Something three people could roll around on with room to spare.
Or I could push two regular beds together.
Actually, curling up together on a small bed wasn't bad either. Wake up and she's right there beside you, warm and close. Within arm's reach, perky little— Well, you get the idea.
In any case, the bed mattered. You used it every day.
And of course, it wasn't purely for that. You needed sleep every single night.
"Cliff."
"Wh-What? Did you find something?"
"When it comes to married life, don't you think a bigger bed is better?"
"...Huh?"
Cliff went silent for a few seconds.
Thought about it.
Caught his breath with a sharp inhale.
And then sighed.
"Look. Sure, that stuff matters, but if that's all you think about, you're being disrespectful to your partner."
"...Yes. You're right."
Somehow, those words carried real weight.
So Elinalise really was like that all the time, huh.
The moment they were alone in a room, she'd get that wild look in her eyes and pounce on Cliff.
Easy to imagine.
I'd keep that in mind.
Well, that aside, I was still going with a big bed.
"Hm, no one here."
After checking the last room, I let out a breath and spoke.
"So the plan is to spend the night here."
"Yes. I'm counting on you."
I'd searched thoroughly, but I wasn't really expecting anything during the day.
The thing was supposed to appear at night, accompanied by that kiri-kiri sound.
Creepy.
Something — some kind of monster — was probably living here. A spirit-type, or perhaps something else entirely. I couldn't tell.
Since it was inside town, it probably wasn't terribly powerful. But low-rank adventurers had taken this job and died, so I couldn't afford to be careless.
For all I knew, it could just be bandits using the place as a hideout, making that scraping sound while picking the front lock.
Actually, the front door was broken. The back entrance, then?
Still, there was no sign anyone had been living here. That ruled that out.
Hmm. Couldn't figure it out.
I'd brought three people along, but maybe I should have invited Elinalise too. She might have had some wisdom to offer, what with her age and experience.
But honestly? I didn't trust myself around that woman. The moment she showed up, I knew I wouldn't be able to maintain composure in a... certain sense.
A shadow creeping up behind me while I was standing watch at night.
A whisper in my ear, tempting me.
"Cliff is sleeping right next to you, you know."
"That's exactly the point."
I knew it was appealing. That was precisely why it was dangerous.
From the bedroom at the far end of the second floor, I declared: "Tonight, we wait here. One night might not be enough for it to show, but we'll stay here for now."
"Hmm. I'm worried about
"I'm worried about Ruijerd too."
The two of them expressed their concern for the women they'd left behind.
Julie was a smart kid. She understood her position as a slave. Living in a dormitory corner full of nobles, she wouldn't do anything to needlessly provoke those around her.
No need to worry.
Elinalise was a voluptuous woman. She knew she was attractive. If Cliff was gone for the night, she might take the opportunity to... you know.
He'd be worried, sure.
As for my Sylph? How would she be?
She'd be on bodyguard duty for the princess today, most likely. Nothing out of the ordinary — nothing to worry about.
But wait. I'd told her I was heading out today. I hadn't mentioned staying the night.
She might come by my room before bed for a quick chat.
But I wouldn't be there.
Sylph, standing alone in a cold hallway.
A quiet murmur: "Rudy, you're taking so long..."
I was worried.
"The sun will be setting soon," Zanoba said.
I looked at the sunset reflected in the window.
If I left now, it'd be night by the time I got back.
Sylph had probably already returned to the women's dormitory.
Well, I didn't need to tell her in person. I could just leave a note on my door saying I'd be away tonight.
Right. Let's do that. Let's do it right now.
No, wait. What if something happened to the other two while I was gone?
That wouldn't do.
I was, after all, the leader of this party.
It was a small thing. I could talk to Sylph about it later and she'd understand.
But then again — I'd heard a saying somewhere before.
"It's just this once" — the accumulation of that kind of thinking eventually creates a huge rift.
Damn it. I had a bad feeling about this.
Times like these called for deliberately inviting a death flag to ward off the bad omen.
"Zanoba."
"Yes?"
"...I'm getting married after this job is done."
"I see. Let's finish this quickly and hold a grand celebration in this mansion."
Zanoba tilted his head but nodded.
This was bad. Saying it out loud made the bad feeling even worse.
If I went further and said something like "Bless us — we need it," I'd probably end up never getting married at all.
I should put something hard in my chest pocket, just in case...
Oh wait, my jacket didn't have a chest pocket.
If a .357 Magnum suddenly flew out of nowhere, I wouldn't be able to block it.
While I was thinking these things, Cliff cut in.
"Make sure you invite me and Ruijerd to the celebration."
"Obviously."
"I just want to make sure. I can take being left out, but it'd be cruel to leave Ruijerd out..."
Cliff was the kind of guy who couldn't read the room, so he probably got excluded from gatherings all the time.
Poor guy. I'd make sure to invite him.
Elinalise too, of course.
And yet — what a sausage-fest of a guest list.
I wanted to hurry up and get back to squeeze Sylph's flat chest.
No — I needed to hold it in for now.
There'd be plenty of time for that later.
While I was thinking about all this, night fell.
Meanwhile, Sylph — having heard the news that Rudeus was preparing a home for her — was hugging her pillow and rolling around on her bed, lost in vivid fantasies.