52 – Want to Be My Partner – 2

Surprisingly, the lord offered to let Gi-jun stay at the mansion, but he flatly refused that of all things.

A guest room with the best facilities, the service of servants available twenty-four hours a day, and the most secure lodging in the small city… Gi-jun had two reasons to kick away all those good conditions.

First, if he continued to stay at the lord’s mansion, rumors would spread throughout the small city that the Flame Human, Jun, had replaced the deceased Tolchi as Turis’s new knight.

Second was the fact that he would have to wear a mask the entire time if he stayed at the lord’s mansion.

Of course, the half-mask was so comfortable to wear that he felt no discomfort even if he kept it on all day, but when he wore it and acted as the Flame Human, Jun, he was ultimately doing nothing more than playing a fictional character he had created.

It could not be called freedom, let alone rest.

“I want to be free at least when I rest.”

“There is no need to feel burdened at all… I was even going to assign my butler to you.”

Ah, another reason to refuse had just been added.

It seemed the lord, highly valuing Gi-jun’s abilities, wanted to somehow get him on good terms with his daughter, who would become the next lord, but Gi-jun found that completely burdensome.

He also thought his actual abilities fell short compared to the lord’s overestimation, and he was thinking of leaving Turis by the time the quest related to the Vampire Kingdom’s invasion ended.

If it was a relationship destined to part anyway, it was best to avoid becoming too close.

Otherwise, parting would only be more difficult.

‘Especially in my current state, masquerading as a different person…’

Relationships built on lies were bound to crumble eventually.

Even regarding the five Orc brothers, with whom he had somehow ended up exchanging contact information, Gi-jun had times when he felt conflicted for the same reason.

The more sincerely the other party treated him, the more he was reminded that he was deceiving them.

But what could he do?

This was something he had been prepared for ever since he put on the mask.

It went without saying that the safety of his own body—and his future—was far more important than his friendship with the Orcs.

Bracing his resolve once again with a bitter smile, Gi-jun spoke to the lord, who looked deeply disappointed.

“I will find a suitable lodging and contact you. Let us meet again when that ‘snowballing plan’ takes a proper shape.”

“No, no. In that case, let us do this.”

The lord, who did not back down despite Gi-jun’s stubbornness and pondered a way, clapped his hands and spoke.

“On a scenic hill near this mansion, there is a small villa where my wife and I used to stay together when she was alive. It is consistently maintained, so it will not be bad for you alone, and since it is my property, others will not easily approach it. The distance is short, so it will be easy to contact each other. It would be best for you to stay there.”

“That is even greater treatment than giving me a room in the mansion.”

“I know what you are worried about, but showing this level of connection will be good for our future plans as well.”

Although Gi-jun shook his head at the lord’s persistence, he knew the man was not just talking nonsense, so he finally let out a sigh and accepted the offer.

After all, was he not the one who had shared the quest with the lord of Turis in the first place?

He would have to willingly bear this much karma.

“Unica!”

When Jun reluctantly nodded, the lord smiled widely and called someone’s name.

That, of course, referred to the butler waiting outside the door.

Toward Unica, the white-haired, short-cut butler who opened the door and entered the moment her name was called, the lord spoke with a bright smile.

“Guide Jun to the villa on the hill and make arrangements so he can stay there.”

“The villa was Mother’s…?! Ah, no. I understand, Lord.”

She had cried out in astonishment the moment she heard those words, but perhaps conscious of her current position, she quickly bowed her head.

Letting out a chuckle at the sight, the lord stood up first and bid Gi-jun farewell.

“It was a pleasant conversation, Jun. For the time being, stay here in Turis and do what you want to do. I mean you should take full advantage of the privileges I have granted you.”

“Privileges… Right, I get what you mean. See you next time.”

After bidding the lord farewell, Gi-jun walked out, following behind the butler Unica who was walking with hurried, quick steps as if in a rush, while thinking about what the lord had said.

Among the various privileges the lord had given him, the one that stood out the most was the exemption from dungeon toll fees.

In other words, it meant he should focus on dungeon exploration in Turis for the time being to make a name for himself and strive to find trustworthy companions.

Coincidentally, this perfectly aligned with the purpose for which Gi-jun had first come to Turis, so he had no complaints whatsoever.

—Ugh, it turned out exactly as I thought. That is why politicians are not easy to deal with, you know?

‘Don’t be like that, Lucy, since this was the best option for me too. In fact, he is basically giving me too much.’

—That is why it is even scarier, Contractor. A debt of gratitude is always the heaviest, after all.

Lucy was usually like a child, but sometimes she made insightful remarks like this.

Whenever she did, he realized anew that she was an extraordinary being, but since bringing up her age would make Lucy suddenly start mimicking an amnesiac female protagonist in a novel, he no longer mentioned such things.

“Just what…”

After leaving the mansion under the guards’ send-off, he walked for a short while, drawing the attention of the people on the streets.

By the time they reached a hill path out of people’s sight, Unica looked back at him slightly and spoke in a voice only he could hear.

“What happened inside that made the lord give you the villa?”

“I am simply staying for a while. …About a year.”

“A year.”

Muttering to herself, her expression soon stiffened.

“It is short.”

“I would like you to keep the duration a secret.”

“Of course. But if so, it is even more of a mystery. Since Mother… no, the lady of the house passed away, the villa has only been managed by servants, and even the lord himself has not set foot in it.”

In response to her gaze, which contained the question ‘But why you?’, Gi-jun merely shrugged his shoulders.

Unica could not bring herself to press him further and only grumbled to herself; she was likely badmouthing the lord, questioning why he would lend it to a stranger now when he had barred even her from entering.

“This is really, truly special treatment, so I hope you appreciate it.”

“Right. I thought I would be lucky not to get kicked out, but your father seems more adaptable to change than I expected.”

“Kuh…”

When Gi-jun said so and chuckled, Unica looked slightly offended.

Her face looked as if she had been struck once by the word ‘father’ and once more by the phrase ‘adaptable to change.’

Though he could not know for sure, she was bound to demand answers from the lord about what had happened between them as soon as she returned.

“This way. Please follow me.”

As if the claim that it was not far from the lord’s mansion was indeed true, they arrived at the lord’s villa on the hill less than twenty minutes after leaving the mansion.

Perhaps because ordinary people were barred from entering this area, the wild flowers blooming in profusion along the quiet hill path, devoid of any human presence, were incredibly beautiful.

While he was taking a moment to look around at the flowers and indulge in appreciation, Unica cleared her throat with a cough and called him.

“This is a magic key. The lock cannot be opened unless you are a registered user, so you must keep it on your person.”

Handing a key to Gi-jun, Unica took out an identical-looking key from her bosom and opened the main gate.

Gi-jun admired the interior of the villa as he looked around.

Constructed solely from clean and beautiful bricks and timber, the building surpassed the level of any house he knew in every aspect, making the word ‘villa’ seem like an understatement.

On the first floor alone, a spacious kitchen and a dining room equipped with a table that could easily seat ten people caught his eye, along with a wide dressing room to change clothes, a parlor to receive guests, a resting area to relax by a wonderful fireplace in the hall, and it seemed there were even second and third floors.

Admiring how a lord was still a lord no matter how small the city was, he suddenly spotted a leather sofa set in front of the fireplace and pressed down on it gently.

“Do you like the sofa?”

“It is nice, but I probably won’t be using it.”

“…?”

—Heh.

Lucy let out a laugh filled with a sense of superiority, but he ignored it for now.

Gi-jun smiled faintly at the thought of replacing the furniture, such as the sofa, bed, and desk, with the ones currently in his inventory.

“I will guide you through the interior of the villa.”

“No, there is no need for that. …Is there by any chance a space I should not enter?”

“Since the lord lent you the entire villa, there is no place you cannot enter, but…”

“I am asking you, though.”

Gi-jun asked boldly, having already roughly guessed the meaning this mansion held for her.

After hesitating for a moment, Unica finally squeezed her eyes shut and made a request.

“The room at the corner of the right corridor on the third floor… If possible, could you leave it as it is?”

“Sure, I understand.”

“Thank you… for your consideration.”

When Gi-jun readily nodded, she remained silent for a moment before bowing her head deeply to express her gratitude.

The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

He decided not to rashly touch upon the emotions or stories contained within it.

As if noticing his consideration, Unica raised her head and gave a faint smile.

“Is there anything else you need? If you need someone to help with cleaning, I…”

“Ah, right.”

Checking the kitchen, Gi-jun naturally lit the hearth using his Flame Eyes, which was definitely not meant for such a task, and turned to look at her.

Since he lacked eloquence, only one way to comfort a depressed person came to his mind.

“Why don’t we have a meal together?”

“…Pardon?”

The effect was outstanding.

After refilling both the handmade ramen made with noodles Gi-jun had pulled himself and the pork fried rice twice each, Unica hesitated greatly but eventually asked if she could visit again.

Gi-jun, who could not help but chuckle inwardly, readily nodded.

—By the way, didn’t you decide not to get close to her, Contractor?

That night.

Having placed the bed brought from the dungeon in the private room on the second floor, Gi-jun shrugged his shoulders and replied to the words suddenly uttered by Lucy, who was rolling around on it in happiness.

“Since it seems we will continue to be involved in a business relationship, I thought it would be better for us to become somewhat comfortable with each other.”

—Mmm, comfortable with each other, huh. I still think the Contractor underestimates his own charm—

He smiled while watching Lucy talk nonsense with an expression melted by the bed’s magical power.

He realized his Letaphone was vibrating and pulled it out to check.

It was a message from Viv.

[Partner (Leta): I heard an overflow occurred in Turis?!]

[Partner (Leta): Thank goodness, you must be safe seeing that the message went through. No, why didn’t you contact me when such a massive event occurred!]

[Partner (Leta): From now on, even if difficult things happen, do not try to handle them alone and consult me, your partner, right away. Otherwise, it makes me feel foolish for signing the contract.]

[Partner (Leta): Are you hurt? If anything happens, do not hide it and please tell me, because I can worry about it with you!]

“Ah.”

Only after receiving Viv’s message did he recall that he had not shared the story of the quest with her yet, and he winced at his oversight.

When he honestly confessed what had happened so far, she got extremely angry, asking why he had not consulted her even once along the way, but because of the gravity of the situation, she let go of her anger first and told him what he needed to hear right now.

[Partner (Leta): So you are really doing that quest? While staying in Turis?]

[Me: That is my intention. Perhaps the lord plans to make me a hero whose name is widely known not just in this city but across the entire country.]

[Partner (Leta): Although Turis is a small city, it is situated in a good location, so it has a large population, and it is famous for being a highly profitable territory with a large commercial area formed for trading and processing the byproducts from various nearby dungeons. In other words, it means the lord ruling such a city is no ordinary person either.]

[Me: That was certainly the case. …Meaning it was a good idea to join hands with him?]

[Partner (Leta): Well, of course, looking at the results alone, you did well! But it was still reckless. Killing a knight and then boldly visiting his employer is really…]

Gi-jun, who was about to get scolded again for bringing it up, desperately rolled his brain to come up with a good idea.

[Me: Come to think of it, the lord seems to be running around here and there for post-war recovery lately. If I introduce you, couldn’t you also get a foot in the door here?]

[Partner (Leta): I will finish up my work here as quickly as possible and head over tomorrow morning.]

Indeed, merchants spoke through money.

Just as he was smiling faintly, sensing that Viv’s anger had subsided, she added a few more words.

[Partner (Leta): Let us also choose the party members to accompany Gi-jun at that time.]

[Me: Huh?]

[Partner (Leta): Why that reaction? Didn’t you say you were making a party? You need to weed out the good people from the applicants. I have a decent eye for people, so I will be of help.]

[Me: No, I am going to make a party, but… Applicants? Weed out?]

[Partner (Leta): Ah. Come to think of it, this is your first time resolving a quest on the continent of Leta.]

[Partner (Leta): Until I arrive there tomorrow, do not wander outside recklessly and wait. Understood?]

[Me: ???]

The next morning.

Gi-jun realized why the lord had lent him the hill villa, which was off-limits to ordinary people.

He understood why Viv had told him not to wander outside recklessly.

A crowd of people had gathered at the bottom of the hill like a swarm of ants.

It was the moment the preliminaries for the Great Turis Audition, to select the members who would join the hero’s (Gi-jun’s) party, began.