Chapter 34: Income
A ridiculous amount of money has come in. It’s for the bathtub and the plumbing, but it’s still mostly just a down payment, and it feels incredible. The house for Ash and the others is being constructed under the pretense that I’m supervising, so they only have to cover the material costs. During this time, a member of the Merchant Guild came along to observe.
After that, thanks to the Guild’s introductions, several influential visitors were sent to Ash’s house, coming and going in shifts—over a dozen in total. At first, it seemed they had trouble moving in, but it looks like the Merchant Guild and the Stone Mason Guild paid a decent price, and everything settled down.
As someone who might have pursuers, I was a bit worried about our house layout being exposed, but since the houses on this street are almost identical, that concern turned out to be pretty pointless.
Once a few more houses were completed, the visitors started shifting to those, so it seems like things are finally calming down.
If the smell was bothering them that much, I thought they should have done something about it sooner. It seems they’ve evolved towards using perfume or something to cover it up. A cheap method would be to chew on garlic or slather it on.
I’d rather they didn’t.
Honestly, I feel like adventurers care more about their smell for hunting purposes. Well, they say that even if you get drenched, you won’t catch a cold if you’re tough enough.
Some even claim they don’t bathe because they wear fur to avoid attracting carnivorous demon beasts!
The delay in moving allowed for the feather comforters to arrive just in time.
“Finally moving in, huh? Sorry for the trouble.”
“No, it actually worked out well. Even with the lodging fees, we came out ahead.”
Ash and the others were waiting for the delivery of large furniture like beds and storage boxes to place at the foot of the bed.
“This is a moving-in gift.”
I handed bags to Ash and Note. I packed everything in bags to avoid spilling the contents if they bumped into the walls. The stairs are narrow, after all.
“Isn’t this a bit light for a comforter?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s made from the feathers of a horned White Goose.”
Silence.
“Isn’t this the highest quality?”
The butler raised his voice unusually.
“When you say White Goose, you mean the one that’s hard to hunt because of its wariness…?”
It seems Ash didn’t quite grasp the value of the comforter, but he did have some knowledge about the White Goose.
“Ah.”
To be honest, I didn’t fully understand either. I thought it looked expensive, though.
In the end, I spent a week just to gather enough feathers, and when I sold the horns at the Adventurer’s Guild and the meat at the Merchant Guild for alibis and to build a reputation, they were shocked.
By the way, if you only want to collect feathers, it’s easier to gather them from nests left behind by migrating geese when the spring waters warm up. However, demon beasts rarely mate, so they don’t build nests, which is why horned feathers remain so expensive.
The feather comforter sold for over two hundred gold coins, enough to build a regular house within the castle walls. Amazing!
—The meat also sold for a high price. I heard complaints about bringing in too much at once, which couldn’t be preserved well, and that if I had sold just one a week, I could have sold it for a higher price without being taken advantage of!
I could even add feather pillows. I pretended that the feathers I brought back were all sold, but I actually had more in [Storage], and it was a mess when I combined it with what I made for myself.
It’s my fault for thinking it would be a waste and turning everything into feather pillows and cushions. I should have sold them in another country. Ah, I could just sell the cushions now. Alright, let’s go sell them.
“Isn’t this a bit too expensive for a moving-in gift…?”
“I decided on it before knowing its value and went to get it myself. The initial cost was just for arrows and string.”
I did ruin one robe, but I’m not thinking of giving something else now.
“Well, it’s the privilege of being an adventurer. And this is an apology for the delay in moving.”
“What is this…?”
“What could it be?”
The two of them looked puzzled, unable to identify the item even when they saw it.
While I did benefit financially, I felt a bit guilty for the trouble I caused, so I brought them a new ceramic toilet seat as compensation.
—Thanks to the toilet seat, the move almost got delayed again, which was amusing. I just told them which guild in the country handles that and wrapped things up. I feel like more money will come in due to the time difference.
While I haven’t gotten porcelain yet, I had them make enamel products other than the bathtub. They’re a bit fragile due to temperature changes, but they’re heat-resistant and can handle direct flames, plus they’re acid-resistant, making them great for boiling jam.
The rented house’s bath is finally complete. I tried it out twice: the first time with water from the well here, and the second time with water from the house. The bath with the soft water from home was definitely better; it felt softer, probably because it was heated with firewood. Nothing beats the convenience of turning a tap and having hot water come out, though.
“Lord Jean’s house feels like a different world.”
“It’s unusual, but I don’t dislike it—rather, I’d love to incorporate some of it!”
Firewood for warmth and furniture has arrived, but since Ash and the others still can’t cook, I invited them for dinner.
While I brought the food, I told them they could freely explore and touch the first floor. Well, the second and third floors are locked, though.
On the first floor, I set up two leather wingback chairs in front of the fireplace and a dining set. I also made several shelves on the walls to display the ceramics.
Ash was curiously touching the wingback chair, which has a beautiful silhouette that looks like it has wings sprouting from the back—a single-seater sofa, really.
It’s the antique-style sofa I wanted in my original world, but placing it by the fireplace made me realize something. Those wing-like features are practical, designed to prevent the surface of your face from getting too hot from being too close to the fire.
By the way, in this world, benches are the norm, and chairs with backs are rare. I registered this sofa too. Hehe.
I had previously helped a furniture craftsman, so I assisted a leather craftsman and learned a lot. This sofa is made from regular cowhide, but I’d like to find a cow or horse demon beast to make another one.
The butler seems interested in the dining table and chairs. I made several chairs, focusing on comfort, so I’d be happy to receive compliments. The seat is layered with wool felt and covered in leather, but the angle and curve of the backrest! I can’t help but brag about it!