When Haimer pulled a brass key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and gave it a light twist,
Click
A crisp metallic sound rang out.
The heavy black wrought-iron gate opened in response.
"Come in."
"This will be our home from now on."
Haimer stepped aside and made a welcoming gesture.
For a moment, everyone who had still been a little lightheaded from the alcohol unconsciously held their breath when they saw him open the door, then filed in one after another.
They passed through the black iron gate and entered the carefully trimmed front courtyard.
Walking ahead, Haimer stopped before the heavy double oak doors and pushed them open.
Creak
The doors swung inward.
The next second, a faint scent of greenery mixed with warmth drifted toward them.
Once again, everyone's breathing seemed to stop for a beat.
What came into view before them was an astonishingly spacious hall.
Underfoot was polished hardwood flooring, smooth enough to reflect light, with a warm honey-colored sheen.
Above, several antique-style brass chandeliers cast down a soft glow that illuminated every corner of the room.
But the part that drew the eye most was straight ahead.
There was no wall there.
Or rather, the designer had boldly abandoned the traditional load-bearing wall and replaced it with an open floor-to-ceiling structure.
From the hall, one could see directly into the central courtyard behind it without the slightest obstruction.
There, beneath the moonlight, stood a great laurel tree.
Its branches were lush and full, swaying gently in the night breeze.
On both sides, corridors decorated with black wrought-iron railings stretched deeper into the residence, connecting to the rooms farther inside.
"Wow…"
No one knew who breathed out that first note of amazement.
But once it started, it was like some hidden switch had been flipped.
"Th-this is way too beautiful, isn't it?!"
Mary covered her mouth, and her eyes looked as though two sparkling stars had been tucked into them.
And not just her.
The other girls behind her also looked as though they had all been frozen in place. They were stuck there at the entrance, unable to take another step.
After all, just look at them now.
Their spirits were high enough, but as for their appearance, their clothes were still dusty with the peculiar stink of the Dungeon, and in a few places there were even dried bloodstains.
Then look at this honey-colored hardwood floor.
Even Kyoubou looked timid now.
The huge black bear lifted one giant paw and held it in midair, as though seriously worrying that if it stepped down, it might leave a dirty paw print on such beautiful wood. In the end, it could only whine pitifully and draw its paw back.
Watching the girls crowd together at the doorway, their eyes full of longing but none of them even daring to breathe too hard, Haimer couldn't help shaking his head with amusement.
"Come in."
He stepped onto the floor first, the sound of his shoes making a light tap.
"This flooring is made from specially treated ironwood. It's a lot sturdier than you think."
"It's not that delicate."
"If it couldn't even bear this much weight, then it wouldn't deserve to be laid down in a place like this."
"And besides, this is home."
"At home, there aren't that many rules."
"If even the owners are afraid of it, then how are people supposed to live here?"
Haimer turned around and beckoned to them with a smile.
Hearing their god say that was like swallowing a calming pill.
The girls' tense shoulders finally loosened a little.
Still, the moment they stepped into the hall,
"Hmm?"
Tsukuyo seemed to sense something through the soles of her shoes.
"Lord Haimer…"
Lowering her head slightly, she spoke with a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Underneath…"
"There seems to be a heat source?"
"There's a very steady warmth coming up from beneath the floor."
The others were taken aback.
Only after Tsukuyo pointed it out did they finally realize it too.
Although it was already a late autumn night and the wind outside had turned piercingly cold, it still felt warm inside here even with the doors open.
And when they stepped on the floor, there wasn't the slightest chill. Instead, a pleasant warmth rose straight from the soles of their feet.
"It really is warm…"
"Feels so cozy."
Rin crouched down and pressed a hand against the floor, her face full of curiosity.
"Tsukuyo's senses really are as sharp as ever."
Haimer nodded in approval and casually shut the heavy oak doors, sealing the night outside.
"Beneath this house is a complete magic stone circulation system."
He lightly tapped the floor with his foot, producing a low thud.
"It's not just for lighting."
"The floor heating, the round-the-clock hot water supply, and even the magic-stone stove in the kitchen that doesn't need fire…"
"all of it runs on the energy circuit buried underground."
"That system automatically regulates the output of magical power from the stones."
"So even in the dead of winter, or in the middle of the night during a heavy snowstorm, this place can maintain a constant temperature of twenty-four degrees."
The girls could only let out a chorus of impressed little gasps, not quite understanding but still feeling that it was incredible.
But among everyone present, there was one true professional.
The captain of the Hephaestus Familia,
Tsubaki.
The moment she heard the words complete magic stone circulation system, she immediately understood just how valuable this place really was.
Tsubaki walked to the center of the hall, crouched down, and pressed her palm firmly against the floor.
Feeling the stable, even warmth coming up through it, she muttered in realization,
"No wonder…"
"I was wondering why the property prices in this area were so ridiculously high. They're even more expensive than our Familia's storefronts in the commercial district."
"So they're not just selling the house. They're selling the technology too."
"Eh?"
"What do you mean?"
Hestia, who had completely failed to understand any of this, shuffled over and blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it just a little warm?"
"I can make a fire too."
Tsubaki rolled her eye at Hestia with the same exasperated look Hephaestus often wore.
"Lady Hestia."
"This isn't just lighting a fire."
"A large-scale magic stone conduction circuit like this is not something you can put together by grabbing a few bricklayers off the street."
"You'd need a master craftsman with at least decades of experience specializing in magic stone conduction just to calculate and design the thing."
"Even before construction starts, the design drawings for a system like this would already cost a fortune."
"And turning those drawings into reality is even harder."
"You have to perfectly embed those fragile magic conduction devices inside the stone and wood."
"If there's even the slightest bit of error, "
Tsubaki suddenly flung both hands wide in an exaggerated gesture.
"Boom!"
"The whole house goes straight into the sky!"
"So the fact that this system is still operating perfectly means the one buried underneath is functioning flawlessly."
"That's incredible…"
"Normally, a full-house magic stone conduction system of this level can only be found in the central headquarters of the major Familias."
"I never expected to see one fully installed here."
"Not only that."
Haimer smiled and smoothly picked up where she left off.
"I think, for all of you right now, there's one place in particular that's going to catch your eye."
With that, he turned and headed deeper into the corridor.
They passed through the spacious hall and followed the carpeted hallway farther inside.
Very soon, Haimer stopped before a frosted glass door decorated with beautiful wave patterns.
"This is it."
He wrapped his hand around the gilded doorknob and pushed lightly.
Huff
The instant the door opened, a cloud of warm steam rushed out.
Inside was an enormous stone bath large enough to hold more than ten people.
The water was crystal clear, and white steam rose from it in curling wisps.
On the walls around the pool, several lion-head spouts poured out a constant stream of hot water.
Haimer pointed toward the bath.
"For all of you, there's probably nothing more important after a day of fighting than a hot bath."
At that moment, the girls' eyes shone even brighter than before.
After all, after spending an entire day crawling through the Dungeon, covered in sweat, blood, and the stench of monsters, the appeal of this bath was stronger than anything else in the world.
Before Rin, Mary, Warabi, and Satori could fully brighten and cheer, a sudden cry rang out first.
"I've decided!"
Hestia, after taking in all of this, suddenly threw herself toward the huge velvet-covered sofa in the resting area beside the bathhouse entrance without a second thought.
Whump!
She landed in it with a muffled thud.
Her whole body sank into the sofa in a spread-eagle shape, and because the cushions were so springy, she even bounced twice. Her famous twin-tails bounced right along with her.
"I'm not leaving!"
"Even if you beat me to death, I'm not leaving!"
Hestia buried her face deep into a pillow and shouted in a muffled voice.