Grog immediately put on a pitiful expression.
But no matter how Nathan looked at it, this place didn't seem like it could possibly house a decent home.
"This place was originally meant for my retirement, for me to enjoy my old age. Now I'm giving it to you, and you're still complaining!"
Grog's tone grew increasingly dramatic, practically turning into a resentful wife.
Nathan and Lily couldn't take it anymore watching from the side.
"Alright, alright, cut the act. What's the situation here? Take us to see it already."
Finally, Nathan couldn't stand it and quickly told Grog to stop acting and get on with it.
Grog chuckled and led Nathan into the woods.
From the outside, since it was already dark, you couldn't see anything clearly.
But once they stepped in, Nathan was shocked—this place really was something special!
Inside the woods, there was a small gravel path.
Faint lights lined both sides of the path—not very bright, but just enough to see where you were going.
Due to the trees and bushes blocking the view, you couldn't tell from the outside that there were lights or even a path inside.
The weather wasn't too cold, and occasional insect chirps could be heard.
In an instant, Nathan felt as if he had stepped into another world.
"Boss, how about it? Doesn't walking this path feel different already?"
Grog walked up beside Nathan with a grin.
Nathan was genuinely surprised—who knew that under Grog's greasy exterior was a man of such taste?
"I've gotta say, you're full of surprises. I'm actually getting kind of excited now."
While secretly impressed, Nathan grew increasingly curious about what lay ahead.
Just the vibe of this path was already so captivating—surely whatever came next wouldn't disappoint.
Following the path for a short distance, they arrived in front of a wooden gate.
It wasn't very large—about the size of an average courtyard entrance.
There were two lanterns hanging on either side of the gate.
"A wooden gate?"
Nathan asked, puzzled.
"You underestimate me, Boss~"
Grog said as he pulled a remote-like device from his pocket, about the size of a phone.
"Open."
Grog spoke into the remote, and immediately the gate opened automatically.
That instantly caught Nathan's attention—this was a perfect fusion of traditional style and modern tech!
Grog might not be much at training Pokémon, but when it came to living well, he clearly had skills.
As the gate opened slowly, the lights inside turned on.
In the dim forest, a large area suddenly lit up.
Even someone as worldly as Nathan was shocked at the sight.
And Lily beside him? Her jaw had already dropped in awe.
As the lights continued to turn on, Nathan saw a single-story, traditional-style building inside the courtyard.
Though it was nighttime, the glowing garden lights revealed the intricate craftsmanship and detailed carvings clearly.
Upon seeing the place again, Grog felt a pang of pain in his heart.
This was something he had saved for years to build.
Honestly, if he hadn't met Nathan, he wouldn't part with this place for any amount of money.
But after meeting Nathan, everything changed.
Nathan had brought so much transformation to his life—he even met Mira because of him.
Compared to that, this courtyard didn't matter anymore.
Besides, following Nathan, he could earn enough in the future to build another.
"Boss, this courtyard is my life savings. It took me years to—"
Grog started explaining like he was showing off his treasure.
But no one was really listening anymore.
Nathan had fallen in love with this place.
From the size illuminated by the lights, this place wasn't just enough for him—it could house his parents, Lily's parents…
Even if they had dozens of kids, it wouldn't feel cramped.
This wasn't just a courtyard anymore—it was a full-blown estate.
"Well, Boss, do you like it?"
Grog asked proudly. Though Nathan could still see a trace of pain in his eyes.
"Not bad at all. Hand over the keys~"
Even though Grog was hurting inside, Nathan didn't hesitate in the slightest.
No way he'd miss out on such a great place.
Grog tossed the keys over, but when he looked at Mira beside him, he let it go with a smile.
Now that he had something even better, giving this place away didn't matter anymore.
Lily happily explored the place, gasping in amazement every time she discovered a new detail.
Of course, Nathan wasn't going to just take the place for free.
At the very least, he needed to give Grog something in return—it was, after all, his "dowry."
The problem was that most of the stuff in Nathan's system store was for Pokémon, not humans.
Wait a second—
"Grog, come here."
Nathan suddenly remembered a cheap, effective, and valuable item he could give in return.
He leaned over and whispered a few words into Grog's ear, whose expression quickly changed.
"Boss, are you serious?"
Grog asked, stunned.
Nathan nodded confidently. He could definitely pull this off—he was Nathan, after all.
"Relax. I keep my word. But if you want me to help you with this, you'd better work hard."
He gave Grog a knowing smirk as he said this.
Overjoyed, Grog quickly left—after all, it was already late.
Staying any longer would just be getting in the way.
Once Grog left, only Nathan and Lily remained in the estate.
"Um… just pick a room and wash up for the night. I'm turning in too."
Nathan said a bit awkwardly.
When they were younger, they had slept together before, but once they got older and aware of the difference between boys and girls, they naturally stopped.
Now, being alone together late at night like this—it was rare.
Lily giggled and said "Goodnight" before heading off to find a room.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Nathan woke up early.
After all, he had something very important to take care of today.
…
After waking up, Nathan strolled through the estate, now even more impressed by Grog's taste.
When Grog had introduced the place, he kept calling it a "courtyard," but now that it was daylight, calling it that was honestly underselling it.
He hadn't looked carefully the night before since he was tired,
but under the morning light, Nathan was once again amazed by the details everywhere—even the eaves had unique carvings.
The only thing that puzzled him was: if Grog put so much effort into this place, why make it only one story tall?
He figured he'd just ask Grog when he came by.
Soon, Lily also woke up, and the two strolled around the estate together, admiring the beautiful surroundings.
Around 8 a.m., Grog finally drove over.
After eating the breakfast he brought, Nathan brought up his question.
When Grog heard it, he burst into laughter.
"Boss, I thought you'd figure it out without me saying anything!
Turns out you didn't even notice! Hahaha~"
Grog laughed loudly.
"Actually, this place isn't just one story. It's two and a half—the rest is underground."
He said as he pointed to the ground.
Nathan instantly felt like he'd been tricked.
There was a whole underground level and a half!
And Grog hadn't even told him. He was just like that damned system.
"How do you get down there?"
Nathan asked. He and Lily had walked around the entire estate that morning but didn't find any stairs or anything.
"It's in that little hut in the middle of the yard."
Now that he'd spilled the beans, Grog explained it plainly.
"Really? I want to see!"
Lily said excitedly.
But Nathan wasn't in a hurry anymore—he had other things to take care of.
Something important that would affect his future training.
"Here's the key. Go check it out yourself. I've got something to do."
Nathan handed her the remote control and said.
Then he pulled out his phone and called Kelly.
"What did you say!? You want to buy a mystic realm!?"
Kelly was stunned when he heard what Nathan said.
He had thought Nathan was calling about some minor matter,
but instead, it was something as outrageous as buying a mystic realm!
Any newly discovered mystic realm would immediately fall under national management.
So basically, all mystic realms were state-owned property.
(End of Chapter)