Omniscient Necromancer POV

To sign the lease, I had to pay a deposit equivalent to three months' rent—1 gold coin and 28 silver coins.

If we had chosen a Type 3 accommodation, the deposit would have been only one month's rent. And if it had been a Type 4 or 5, we wouldn't have needed a deposit at all.

With the contract for the new house signed, Fumiko and I went to the Lovikalen Real Estate Registry, located three blocks away from the Nomad Home real estate agency.

We spent about half an hour waiting in line and just five minutes being assisted before the contract was finally recognized by the regional government.

After that, all that remained was the issue of our current lease. The landlord of our building, Mr. Guo, was not very friendly, but my mother told me that my father managed to deal with him well. It was better not to interfere and let my parents handle the rest of the move.

When Fumiko and I got home, we had barely opened the door when we heard Marceline's hurried footsteps running toward us.

She stopped in front of us with rosy cheeks and slightly messy hair, holding something out to me with both hands.

"It's here... it's finally here!" she said.

I looked at what she was holding and saw a sealed white paper letter. In the middle of the letter was a seal made of yellow wax with a cross design. This was the letter from the Church of the Golden Halo that I had been waiting for.

I took the letter carefully and resisted the urge to open it right there in the entrance hall, where there was only a coat rack for hats and coats.

"Let's do this right this time," said Fumiko, tapping my shoulder lightly and stepping aside to enter the apartment. "I'll make us some tea."

I took a deep breath and nodded, smiling at her. Indeed, this was a big moment for my family.

I entered right after her, and my gaze immediately fell on Rosella, who was sitting on the sofa to the right. She had her hands on her thighs and her back completely straight, like a lady. Her gaze was fixed on another unopened letter on the coffee table, but it turned to me as soon as I spoke to her.

"Sup."

She turned her head toward me and tilted it with a confused and innocent expression.

"Sup?"

My face turned slightly red because I had tried to greet her in a cool way, only to remember that people in this world were very formal.

"Did you choke, little brother?" Marceline appeared in my field of vision with a mischievous smile.

Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my neck. "Y-yes, that's what it was."

Rosella laughed softly. "Oh, so that's what happened. So, how was the apartment search? Did you find any good ones?"

"Actually, we've already signed a contract for one."

Upon hearing the news, Marceline couldn't help but interrupt the conversation. "What? What? Where is it? What's it like?"

"I hope it has hot water..." Rosella commented with a finger on her chin before her face turned completely red. "I-I mean, I'm in no position to make any demands of you.

It's just that since I'm traveling, it's been a long time since I've had a hot shower."

Marceline and I exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh at Rosella's shy reaction.

Fumiko, listening to the conversation from behind the counter, shouted, "Don't worry, dear. The apartment is a Type 2 accommodation."

"Type 2?!! Really?!" Marceline exclaimed.

Naturally, Rosella, as a noble from another country, was unfamiliar with these terms regarding accommodations used exclusively in the Kingdom of Durtch, so she was confused.

While Fumiko prepared the tea, Marceline and I explained how houses and apartments were categorized in large cities like Lovikalen. The type of accommodation was determined not only by the number of rooms, but also by other factors such as whether or not it had electricity, gas pipes, and location.

There were probably larger houses than the apartment we chose to rent in the Type 3 category, and they might even have been cheaper, but they were usually too far from the center and so old that they creaked. They would not have been a good option, especially considering that we did not have a very large family either.

When I finished telling Rosella and Marceline the details of the apartment that Fumiko and I had chosen, Fumiko entered the room with a wooden tray holding five cups of tea.

"Shall we open the letters?" Marceline asked eagerly.

I looked at Rosella, and she said, "Please, Brandon, open yours first."

I nodded in agreement and cut the wax seal with my fingernail. Opening the envelope, I took out the yellowed letter paper and began to read aloud.

"Dear Mr. Brandon S. Oneal, it is with great satisfaction that we, the Church of the Golden Halo, inform you that you have successfully completed your initiation exam and that we can officially declare you a Climber. Those who become Blessed may follow multiple paths, and you have chosen the most difficult of them. But do not be alarmed — God chooses the best warriors to fight the greatest battles."

"From now on, with the title of Climber officially bestowed upon you by the honorable Church of the Golden Halo, you will be able to access a number of benefits. These include special discounts at all kinds of stores, tax benefits such as a twenty percent discount on your annual income tax, and a ten percent reduction in taxes for companies registered in your name. We must warn you that it is strictly forbidden to register your name in companies in which you are not directly involved. We have a specialized team responsible for monitoring and punishing Climbers who attempt this."

"In addition, you may also contact a Climbers' Association if you are looking for a Guild to join, and we will do our best to present you with realistic options. We also offer discounts to Climbers above Rank-C who wish to create a Guild. If this is your case, please seek a Climbers' Association. There is always one near a Tower of Babel."

I took a short breath before continuing.

"Last but not least, we congratulate you, Mr. Brandon S. Oneal, on being officially recognized as a Rank-B Climber. Not only were we impressed with your achievements on your first mission, but our situational assessment panel also agreed that there had likely been an error in your preliminary Rank assessment. We sincerely apologize for this mistake."

"There are fewer than five thousand Rank-B Climbers among the two million registered to date. You are part of a rare minority, and we therefore count on your services to carry out missions of equivalent level."

"Furthermore, we warn you that arrogance precedes a fall. All floors have regions where even a Rank-S may be in danger, so do not hesitate to ask for help and work as a team as you climb the floors to reach the vanguard of humanity."

"We count on your efforts, Rank-B Climber Brandon S. Oneal! With immense pleasure, High Priestess Faye of the Great Cathedral of the Church of the Golden Halo in Aurelian."