Chapter 22: The Shura Field of 'Justice' and 'Forging' (Part 2) (Patreon)

The Falna update was finished, and the two returned to the living room.

Astraea sat down right beside Renan, then picked up a sheet of parchment covered in Common Tongue script from the tea table and held it out to him.

Renan took it and glanced over it. Surprise crossed his face.

"I never expected the Loki Familia to be so rich."

The parchment, needless to say, was a summary of the orders submitted over the past three days. Astraea had met with Loki, Freya and Ganesha in turn, and after each of the three patron gods of the top factions had seen the rune scrolls demonstrated by the Astraea Familia, they'd filed their purchase orders.

Freya and Ganesha were the more reasonable of the three. Neither Familia's core policy centered on conquering the Dungeon, so they didn't have as much spare cash as the elite-track Astraea Familia. Still, with more high-level adventurers on their rosters, together they'd booked 50 Repair Scrolls, 250 Shield Scrolls, 100 Levitation Scrolls, 20 Fresh Water Scrolls and 500 Fire Scrolls in one go.

The Loki Familia, on the other hand, had always looked a little short on cash in the anime of his previous life. Yet that single faction's order alone matched, even exceeded, the combined total of the Freya Familia and the Ganesha Familia.

Two hundred Repair Scrolls, 200 Shield Scrolls, 150 Levitation Scrolls, 50 Fresh Water Scrolls, and 400 Fire Scrolls.

Astraea was sitting right beside Renan, so of course she heard his muttering.

She let out a snort of laughter and explained. "It's been over two months since Loki's children got back from their last expedition. Since then they've been going down into the Dungeon every day to farm magic stones for cash. By my count, it's about time the Loki Familia restocked their supplies anyway. Now there are Fire Scrolls, a much cheaper 'magic sword substitute,' and Repair Scrolls that save them a huge amount of spending, plus Shield Scrolls and Levitation Scrolls to keep them alive. As long as your brain isn't broken, you know which way to choose."

Renan had really only been grumbling in passing.

Money, after all. Nobody dislikes money.

As he spoke, he opened the pack he carried with him and took out several rolls of parchment bundled with hemp rope.

After a quick count, he gave his verdict. "For Repair Scrolls, Shield Scrolls and Fresh Water Scrolls, what I've made these past two days is already more than enough to fill the order. Levitation Scrolls are short by a fifth. Fire Scrolls are the biggest gap, but if I put in some overtime, it's two to three days' work. When I come to update my Falna next time, I'll bring the Fire Scrolls and Levitation Scrolls together. Until then, I'll have to trouble Lady Astraea to hand the scrolls over for me."

Seeing that Renan had no intention of meeting Loki, Freya or Ganesha, the brown-haired goddess felt the corners of her mouth curl up a little further.

"Fine. And what are your plans for the deposits and payments those three houses hand over?"

Renan didn't hesitate. He looked at the brown-haired goddess beside him. "We already agreed on this earlier: thirty percent goes to the Astraea Familia, and the remaining seventy percent is mine. Also, I'm planning to buy a single-occupant villa on North Main Street. That'll make it official that I've settled in Orario. So I wanted to ask Lady Astraea whether you know anyone who happens to be selling a property?"

Astraea's eyes flickered. "Besides the Star Hall, I do have a few other residences. One of them is right next door to the Star Hall. If you need it, I can transfer it to you." The whole time she spoke, she kept watching Renan's expression, and she added one last line. "Naturally, at market price. Eight million Valis."

Renan turned it over in his mind and didn't refuse. "That works for me. It saves me from hunting down anyone else."

Neither of them was slow about things. Since the deal was settled, Astraea immediately pulled the boy beside her to his feet. "Come on, let's go see the house you'll be living in."

Compared with the sprawling Star Hall, the villa next door was really just a two-story cottage for living in.

From the walls of the villa to the outer fence, there were fewer than five meters. Added together, the whole property was only a little bigger than the Star Hall's own training ground.

Even so, a detached little house like this was more than enough for Renan.

All he'd ever needed was a fortress to protect the body he left behind whenever his consciousness crossed over. The size of the house was the least of his concerns.

—Not to mention that in the Harry Potter world there was the Undetectable Extension Charm, a spell that could, in theory, expand space without limit. If he ever really ran out of room, magic could solve the problem.

As for now…

After a circuit of the first and second floors, Renan nodded in satisfaction. "This one will do."

Seeing that he'd made up his mind, Astraea's smile grew two shades brighter. She clapped her hands together. "Then tomorrow morning I'll have someone come and clean the villa, and after that you can move in."

Renan shook his head. "No need."

As he spoke, he drew the short wand hanging at his waist and swept its tip a half turn forward. "Scourgify!"

The next second, a gust of wind sprang up out of nowhere in the ground-floor hall where they stood.

In the blink of an eye, it swept the dust that had gathered on the floor, the walls and the furniture into one place and sent it into the trash bin.

For the next three minutes, Renan did the same everywhere, cleaning all six rooms on the two floors and the living room with spells.

Astraea stayed at his side the whole time, her bright eyes fixed on the black-haired boy. Deep within them, some dangerous feeling seemed to be taking root.

Only when the last room had been cleaned did the brown-haired goddess let out a long breath. She reined in her emotions and applauded. "The magic you awakened is rather convenient, in every sense of the word."

Renan smiled at that. The magic of the Harry Potter world had a fairly high floor and an equally high ceiling. After all, it was a plane that could even achieve immortality. The price of doing so was just a little steep.

"If Lady Astraea needs any, I can make you some rune scrolls for everyday convenience too," Renan offered, taking the opening. "Of course, they'd be free. Consider it my thanks for just now, when you saved me from Hephaestus."

Astraea covered her mouth and let out a silvery laugh. "If Hephaestus were still here and heard you say that about her, she'd be furious. She'd cry and throw a tantrum."

Renan shrugged. "Who told her to try to drag me into her Familia by force, without my consent?"

Astraea and Renan had only met three times, but she already had a firm grasp of the boy's character. Unless it was necessary, he most likely wouldn't leave the Soma Familia. More precisely, he was treating the Soma Familia as his umbrella and his camouflage screen.

But still…

"If, and I'm only saying if, one day in the future you really did decide to leave the Soma Familia." The brown-haired goddess parted her cherry lips, and her expression held an anticipation anyone could read. "Between the Hephaestus Familia and the Astraea Familia, which would you choose?"