Omniscient Necromancer POV

In a large city like Lovikalen, real estate agencies were scattered everywhere, offering many different types of agents — from honest to selfish.

Since being a real estate agent was not a profession regulated by the government, most homeowners managed things themselves or let their landlords handle them. In exchange, the landlords received a small monthly salary.

Those were our two options.

I came from Earth in the 21st century, so I was naturally inclined to look for a real estate agency, but if the prices turned out to be higher than dealing directly with landlords, I was willing to change my approach.

Fortunately, Fumiko knew a real estate agent in our neighborhood, and we went to see him.

When we arrived at the address Fumiko remembered, we found a small commercial building. We figured this out thanks to the open door on the right, which listed the services offered on each floor.

The first floor was a dentist's office, and the second was where the real estate agency "Nomad Home" was located.

A drop of pure embarrassment ran down my disgruntled face. "I already knew this, but people in this world really do give their businesses strange names."

We climbed the creaky wooden staircase to the second floor. The double wooden door with sandblasted glass was the only thing on that floor besides the staircase to the third. Normally, I would knock out of politeness, but one of the doors was ajar, so I assumed it was already open.

Seeing the door open, the receptionist behind the desk looked up and glanced at me and my mother. She broke into a broad smile that deepened the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

"Mrs. Shibutani, it's been a long time."

My mother smiled and took the lead. "Mrs. Lombard, you look even younger than the last time I saw you."

Natalie's eyes sparkled at the compliment, and she touched her face as her smile grew wider.

"You noticed too? I think it's thanks to the products you recommended last time."

Come to think of it, my mother really didn't look her age. Her skin had few expression lines and no blemishes, which was practically a miracle considering the time, the situation, and the city we lived in.

"By the way, Mrs. Lombard, has Mr. Enoksen arrived yet? I need to consult the properties he has in his catalog," my mother finally asked after a few compliments.

"He just left to show a residence to a client. If you and your companion are in a hurry, I can make an appointment with Enoksen so you can come back later. Otherwise, I can show you some options from our catalog, and he can take you to some properties as soon as he returns."

Fumiko looked at me, as if asking whether I was in a hurry or not. Honestly, I wanted to return to the Tower of Giants as soon as possible, but everything related to my family seemed more urgent at the moment. So I just winked at her and nodded briefly.

"We have time today."

Kindly, Mrs. Lombard placed two wooden chairs in front of her desk for us to sit down.

"Would you like to look at the types of accommodations available?" asked Lombard, standing next to a shelf lined with several binders.

Throughout the Kingdom of Durtch, accommodations were divided into types by numbers. Type 5 accommodations were rooms for students or apartments for small families, usually with shared bathrooms on each floor and often without a kitchen.

From what I knew from Brandon's memories, a Type 5 accommodation cost a maximum of twenty-five bronze coins per week or two silver coins per month.

Incidentally, my family and I had lived in a Type 4 apartment for as long as I could remember. The living room was large enough to fit a small sofa and a dining table with four chairs, but the bedrooms were so cramped that they could barely fit a bed, and the bathroom had neither a bathtub nor a gas shower.

"We believe that Type 3 apartments would suit us well."

"In that case, show us some Type 2 ones too," I said after my mother, which made her give me a startled look.

I knew that Type 2 apartments were very expensive and almost over the top, so I wouldn't normally consider paying such a high rent right now.

However, there were some Type 3 apartments in neighborhoods considered poor, and if the intention of moving was to get my family out of the spotlight brought by the news about Rank, we needed to get out of a mega-populated neighborhood.

Lombard took two binders from the shelf and placed them on the table.

"We currently have some great Type 3 options available. If I remember correctly, Mrs. Shibutani, you also have a daughter. I imagine you would like three bedrooms or more."

Lombard flipped through the pages of the binder containing descriptions of each available property. After a few moments, she stopped at a page and read aloud:

"Property on Sargitarius Street, number 998, in the Laurellane neighborhood. Four bedrooms, two large and two small. Bathroom with electric shower, large mirror, and closet. Kitchen with pantry and cabinets, but no appliances. No dining room. Large living room with a small balcony that overlooks Ladeira Street. The weekly rent is 3 silver coins and the contract would be for a minimum of one year." Mrs. Lombard looked up at us when she finished reading. "What do you think?"

We were currently paying 1 silver coin and 45 bronze coins per week. That meant our housing costs would increase by more than 50% for just one extra room, a balcony, and a shower. Of course, the location of the Laurellane neighborhood was much better than Bronxord, and that alone possibly accounted for most of the rent.

"If possible, please show us a Type 2 apartment now. We want to compare the properties and prices to make sure we make the best choice," I asked the secretary, who promptly placed the second binder on top of the first.