This place feels like home the moment they walk in. It's fully furnished, and immaculately polished, but the wood work has the feeling of being lived in, not just being a public building for a Guild. That's the feeling they were going for.
There's a young Dwarven woman, perhaps still a girl, it's hard for Cain to tell, cleaning in the kitchen, and two young maids with Grey feathery wings on their backs and feathers in their hair, working near the entrance. The long round noses make Cain smile, these are Tengu, he is certain of it, even if their skin is not red.
"Did this location recently become available?" Cain asks, assuming the trio were sent here by the Property Manager to clean and maintain the building.
"No, the Dwarf is Tanya Southall and the two winged girls are Ciara and Clara. They're orphans that nobody would accept, as Tanya is a Duergar or Dark Dwarf, and most think the Twins are a form of demon. I've been letting them stay here, as they had a year long work contract, signed just before the last residents moved out five months ago." The Real Estate agent explains.
The building isn't massive, but it's very large. Ten bedrooms fill the second floor, along with two baths. The main floor has large common areas, plus a stocked library and an indoor swimming pool. There is a fancy dining room off the kitchen, which has magic run appliances, no hauling firewood here. The front yard has a collection of short flowery bushes Cain assumes are the Pixie bushes and two big Oak trees. The back is all fruit trees set on islands of manicured grass, with white stone pathways linking it all.
"Is there a basement?" Char asks. "I don't see much for storage rooms, but I saw servants halls hidden throughout the house."
"Yes, there are twenty small rooms downstairs, plus a lounge, forge room, alchemy labs, a second kitchen and the pantry below ground. Would you like to inspect?"
Twenty small rooms? How luxurious was the original owners life that they employed twenty servants?
The lounge has fine Dwarven couches and deep rugs, the secondary kitchen is covered in evidence of the last meal prepared, half cleared plates and all. Clearly cleaning upstairs in preparation for tenants took priority. They look into a few rooms, finding them like prison cells. Steel doors, bare stone walls and only two meters wide by three long with a bed against one wall and an armoire.
There's a large room at the far end of the basement, past the pantry that the agent recommends they not enter yet as it hasn't been cleaned, but Cain ducks his head inside after sending everyone else back upstairs. It was the old dungeon, signs of torture still mark the walls and floor, with associated apparatus still present.
Best leave that room alone until he can clean it himself. Cain bars the door and ties it shut with a length of rope from his inventory. That should dissuade the others for a few days.
Everyone is chatting happily upstairs about the history of the city. It seems this was a precinct guard house and prison when it was first built a few hundred years ago, then it was bought by a Noble, then later turned over to a guild when the nobles retreated to the inner city. Quite the past for what looks like a simple manor with a beautiful yard.
"Any objections to buying this place outright?" Cain asks the party.
"None." They all agree. "But we should find out the employment terms for Tanya, Ciara and Clara. It wouldn't do to miss payday."
The terms are, frankly, exploitative. They each get 2 silver coins a month plus room and board. 2 silver coins wouldn't even cover groceries in this city if they had to pay their own. Heck, the new shirt Mythryll bought today cost more than their combined months wages.
"Can we alter the arrangement?" Cain asks and he can see how nervous the twins hiding in the other room are.
"As new owners of the property, you'll need a fresh contract anyhow. Write your terms and I'll see that they agree to it." The agent smiles, producing fresh contracts from her inventory.
Misha pulls the old contract from Cain's hand, looking it over, then passing it around so everyone gets a good look at the existing terms.
Cain does some quick math in his head and writes a number on the fresh page, handing it to Misha who nods her agreement.
"Well, that settled, I'm sure they'll have no problems with their new contract. As you can see, they're dedicated workers and kept the house in great shape."
There's cheering from the other room when the Agent brings them the new contract and they all come in to thank the group.
"You have no idea how much this means to us. 25 silver a month is an employee craftsman's wage. It's uncommon for domestic staff to do so well." Tanya bows on behalf of the group and Elmira giggles.
Char pulls a coin from her inventory and passes it to the Dwarf, likely the oldest of the group. "Gather up what you need to stock the house as we'll be here for meals and the contract said you're our new chef."
Tanya is just staring at the gold coin, blinking slowly.
"Is it not enough? I thought it would get everything we need, the place looked fully furnished and equipped." Char says holding out another gold coin.
"Sorry Miss, I just got flustered there. I've never held so much money. One is more than enough." Tanya smiles "Best believe you'll be eating well if you're willing to pay like this."
They got about 10 gold coins between them from the dungeon today, not including the items they sold. Higher level adventurers really do live like kings, as the folk in the starting town told Cain.
The bow he bought also cost 10 Gold Coins, to many of those not entering the dungeon, the price of a simple gear upgrade would make up years of their wages.
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