People always say that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I remember my grandfather telling me that once, and it stuck with me.
He might be right....
[Hmmm] I was told by the inkeeper lady yesterday that there is a lot of vacant land here just waiting for someone to claim. Some of those even have houses that their previous owners have abandoned. As lucky as I want to say that I am, she sounded too vague with her suggestions.
Are these houses even livable? Are they damaged beyond repair? Or perhaps is the house... haunted?
I could only cross my arms as I looked at the rustic house in front of me. Beside me was a balding man in his 40's, he is the town's mayor by the way.
[It is with the neighborhood's effort that this house still stands, and the front and backyard are not that taken over by weeds] (Ernie)
The two of us stood in front of the rustic old two-story house. The house's exterior is still in good condition, but some parts surely need repair as I could see visible damage around the place. Some windows are missing their shutters, the paint has degraded, and the roofing shingles are missing some. Yep, this is it.
The house sits at the outskirts of the town since it also has a huge plot of land in front as well as at the back. To put it simply, the house is located in the middle of what seems to be an overgrown farming land.
The huge tree near the house is what sold me on taking it, because it is a species of tree that is a great indicator that there is a mana vein underneath the land. I don't remember the species, but I remember Merlinda talking about it one time.
The problem here is that the entire place was overgrown with weeds, and probably the neighbors might have used this place as a landfill some time ago due to the presence of trash such as broken bottles, broken carts, and many more.
There's a lot of lumber here that is rotting away from the mushrooms that have grown....Maybe I could use this.
[This is doable. I think I will settle with this one, sir.]
[Really? I think you might like the other places we have yet to visit] (Ernie) He scratched his chin as he inspected the place.
[To be honest, I think this place is fine. Just a little repair and I can live here]
[Well...Judging from your tone, I can't change your mind. Come follow me, I want you to see the interior] (Ernie) He smiled before going inside the house.
Ernie is a bit old as he has been the town's mayor for over 2 decade as he has told me as we were looking around the house.
[It is tough being the mayor, but the town needs someone who manages its logistics and relays the words from the lordship himself] (Ernie)
I have heard from him that the lord of the land is a young man in his 30's, almost the same age as me, with just a 5-year difference. I have yet to meet the man, but judging from how Ernie described him, the lord seems to be a good man.
[With that, would you like to stay at this house and do the repairs?] (Ernie)
[Hmmm...The house and land are free, as for the tax, you say that it will only apply after a year?]
[Yes, the lord introduced that system for people who would take the land and transform it into a farm. That is because he thinks it would and should help starting farmers to take a solid grasp of their business. Farming, after all, is not an easy task as it requires time and patience to grow crops and raise animals for their produce] (Ernie)
Wow. So I get to take the land, the house (to be repaired), and the furniture inside?
[It is a steal, I will take it]
[Then! I, the mayor of Goldenvale, proudly announce that you are now the owner of this plot of land and everything in it. It sure is nice to have new faces around here, that is for sure! Hahahahaha] (Ernie)
And so....
I got myself a house to renovate and an entire farm to plant and grow crops. As for raising animals, that should come later....I am just proud that I am now seeing the vision that I have for the farm that I had in mind.
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With a bucket full of water, a wet rag, and a cloth tied to my face as a mask, I started the cleaning regimen.
The place is soooooooooo dusty, like it really had caked up because of how much time has passed since someone has inhabited and has taken proper care of this house.
I could use magic, but that will kill my enthusiasm, so I will not use it fully but only to fill a bucket with water or to heat the water.
And so....
That was the only thing that I did for the rest of the day, cleaning the house.
My muscles are sore, but tomorrow will be the day that I will start the renovations and repairs for the house. Realistically, with how huge the house is, it should be called a manor.
The house has 2 floors and a huge basement. The basement alone is bigger than the area of the house, as it is extended towards the backyard and the barn. That means there is an access point at the barn that allows anyone to enter the basement. I still need to find it, but that will come at a later date.
My source of light in the house is from the magic lamps that I bought before my departure from Miruzo City. They offer quite a decent level of illumination around the house, so I placed about 5 inside and 3 outside. They don't need any fuel other than mana being injected into the magic crystal. It is a very nifty invention by a hero a few decades back.
[This is it, huh, the thing that I am yearning for] How odd. I found myself sitting outside the house, admiring the stars that twinkle in the night sky.
The restless days of being an adventurer are over, the days when I was forced to fight for the safety of many are over. I am now just me, a man trying to live his life the way he wanted to be. Thinking of that, I let a small chuckle escape from my mouth.
I could not help but reminisce about the days of my youth spent facing danger.
[Well, I am now just Tom, a humble farmer in the boonies] I pat my pants and go inside the house to take my well-deserved rest.
Tomorrow will be another day, and the house renovations and repairs will begin once I secure the materials.