Lord of the Mysteries

2, 4, and 6 Daffodil Street were terrace buildings with multifaceted hipped roofs. Their exteriors were painted grayish blue, and three chimneys stood erected.

The place obviously did not have lawns, gardens, or porches. The entrances directly faced the street.

Tingen City Housing Improvement Company’s Scarter took out a bunch of keys and while opening the door, introduced, “Our terrace houses do not have foyers, so you enter directly into the living room. There’s an oriel window facing Daffodil Street, so there’s pretty good lighting…”

Klein, Benson, and Melissa were greeted by a fabric sofa bathing in the golden rays of the sun, and an area more spacious than their previous two-bedroom apartment.

“This living room can be used as a guest hall. To its right is the dining room and on the left is a fireplace that will keep you warm in winter.” Scarter pointed around with great familiarity.

Klein looked around and confirmed that it was a crude, open-style concept. The dining room and the living room were not separated by any partitions, but they were also far from the oriel window, making those spots rather dim.

There was a rectangular red wooden table surrounded by six hardwood chairs with soft cushions. The fireplace on the left wall looked exactly like the ones in foreign movies and TV series that Klein used to watch.

“Behind the dining area is the kitchen, but we do not provide any appliances. Opposite to the living room is a small guest room and a bathroom…” Scarter walked around and described the remaining layout of the house.

The bathroom was separated into two parts. The outer area was where one would wash their face and brush their teeth, while the inner area was the toilet. There was an accordion door that separated them. The guest room was described to be small, but it was as big as the room that Melissa currently stayed in. She was stunned at the sight.

After looking around the first floor, Scarter brought the three siblings to the stairway next to the bathroom.

“Down below is the underground cellar. It is quite stuffy downstairs, so you must remember to let some fresh air in first before entering.”

Benson nodded casually and followed Scarter to the second floor.

“On my left, there’s a bathroom. On the same side, there are an additional two bedrooms. It’s the same layout on my right, but the washroom on this side is next to the balcony.”

As he spoke, Scarter opened the bathroom door and stood sideways so that he would not obstruct Klein, Benson, and Melissa from looking in.

The bathroom had an extra bathtub. Like the other bathroom, there was an accordion door next to the toilet. Although it was a little dusty, it wasn’t dirty, smelly, or cramped.

Melissa looked in a daze until Scarter walked to the bedroom next to it. Only then did she stop looking and follow the rest slowly.

She took another few steps before looking back.

Klein, who was experienced in life, was delighted and excited as well. Even though their landlord often supervised their cleaning up of the bathroom, it still was not clean enough. It was often nauseating, let alone the fact that they would easily encounter a line when they needed to relieve their urgencies.

The other bathroom was similar. One of the four bedrooms was slightly bigger and was furnished with a bookcase. The rest were about the same size as each other and had a bed, table, and wardrobe.

“The balcony is very tiny, so you won’t be able to dry too many clothes in the sun at a time.” Scarter stood at the end of the corridor and pointed to a spot with a door and lock. “There is a complete underground drainage, gas piping, meter, and other facilities. It is very suitable for you gentlemen and a lady like yourselves. It only requires thirteen soli of rent and five pence for use of the furniture weekly. In addition, there is a deposit that amounts to four weeks of rent.”

Without waiting for Benson to say a word, Klein looked around and asked curiously, “Roughly how much would it cost to buy the house?”

As a transmigrator from the Foodaholic Empire, the desire to buy property still existed within him.

looked at Klein as though they were seeing a monster. Scarter replied calmly and

trying to have a general sense of the

owner of 11 Daffodil Street sold a limited-period land deed with a similar property sitting atop the land. 300 pounds for fifteen years. It is much cheaper than renting directly but not everyone can fork out such a

Klein quickly made

on and so forth. We can only save less than twenty soli a week. One year adds up to about 35 pounds. 850 pounds would require more than twenty years. Even if it we bought the land for a limited period of time for 300 pounds, it would take us at

a world without individual housing loans, most

back and stole a glance at Benson. He beckoned him to talk to Scarter

Melissa’s intentions, they were obvious from her bright

Klein suddenly thought of

cane and looked around before he said, “We should take a look at other houses. The dining area’s lighting isn’t good, and the balcony is very small. Look, only that bedroom has a fireplace, and the furniture is too old. If we move in, we have to at least change half

the rent to twelve soli and the furniture usage fee to three pence, while rounding

with Scarter to the Tingen City Housing Improvement Company and signed two copies of the contract. They then

rent, Klein and Benson’s remaining money added up to nine pounds, two soli, and eight

the door of 2 Daffodil Street, they each held a bunch of copper keys. They were momentarily unable to look away; their

like a dream…” After a while, Melissa lifted her head to look at the future “Moretti Residence,” and she spoke with a low yet

a breath

“Then don’t wake up.”

to change the locks of the main door and

is very good. The rest of the money is for your

…

made do with rye bread at home before heading for a terrace apartment on Iron Cross Street. When they knocked on their landlord’s door, Mr. Franky declared imposingly while his short frame perched

leaned forward

we are here

Would negotiating this way work? Standing beside Benson, Klein was shocked when

that his bottomline

still half a year left!” Franky glared at Benson as

him seriously and waited for a moment before saying calmly, “Mr. Franky, you should understand

with interest, touching his

explained with a smile, “The two-bedroom unit was rented to the three of us for five soli and six pence. But if you were to rent it to a family of five or six people, with two or three of them working

are certainly aware that rental prices have been

for a new tenant.” Mr. Franky, who had inherited the

Maybe two days, maybe three days… We will pay for the losses you incur during this time. How

Franky nodded in satisfaction.

a conscientious and honest young man. Alright

was dumbfounded watching this happen. He completely understood how easy it was to ‘convince’ Mr.

That’s way too easy…

the problem of the previous contract resolved, the three siblings first helped Klein

and Melissa rejected Klein’s idea of hiring a carriage, and instead carried their things themselves. They

hot sun outside the window set in the west, and golden rays shone through the oriel window, scattering across the desk’s surface. Klein looked at the rack that had books and notebooks

breath of relief and heard his stomach growl. He loosened his rolled up sleeves as he walked towards