The next morning, Lin Yuan signed the final document at the real estate agency.
Several money bags containing 19.5 million J were laid out on the table. The real estate agent and the clerk in charge of the transfer counted the money twice and stamped the contract with their seals.
The original homeowner's name was crossed out and replaced with " Lin Yuan ".
"From now on, the house, the yard, and all the furniture left inside belong to you." The agent rolled up the contract and took out two brass keys. "Two keys in total, no spares. The locks still work, but you'd better change them when you have time."
Lin Yuan took the keys. He put one into his pocket and the other, along with the contract, into the wooden box.
After paying for the house, he only had 40,000 yuan left.
The real estate agent seemed to be seeing someone who had almost spent all their savings on a house purchase for the first time. After a moment's hesitation, he still offered a suggestion. "If you need the roof repaired, I know a craftsman who charges reasonable fees."
"I'll fix it myself."
Lin Yuan left the real estate agent carrying the wooden box and first bought nails, lumber, brushes, and several roof tiles of the right size. When he pushed open the gate to his new home, he found that he had half the money he had left.
Mira was already standing in front of the door.
Two buckets, several rags, and a long-handled broom were placed at her feet.
"When did you arrive?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Just arrived."
Lin Yuan glanced at the things she brought. "I didn't say I was going to pack today."
"You said yesterday you'd handle the paperwork today," Mira said, picking up the bucket. "Are you planning to wait for the dust to leave on its own?"
Lin Yuan opened the door.
Sunlight streamed into the living room through the open windows, and dust motes floated slowly in the beams of light. The room looked even emptier than yesterday; the old table, cabinets, and chairs were all covered in a layer of dust.
The two did not discuss who should be responsible for what.
Mira brought water into the kitchen, while Lin Yuan carried timber up to the roof. The leak wasn't large; two roof tiles were cracked, and the wooden planks below were somewhat rotten.
He removed the damaged parts and recut the wooden planks. When he didn't have the right tools, he used the Nameless to smooth the edges. He stopped the blade with perfect precision each time, making cuts even neater than a carpenter's saw.
As Mira looked up from the courtyard, she saw him hammering the last nail in with the spine of his sword.
"You're even trying to save money on a hammer?"
"It can save money."
Mira glanced at the roof, then at the sword in his hand. "Next time you buy a house, you'd better make a real tool list first."
Lin Yuan sheathed his sword and decided to include the hammer in the expenses for the next mission.
After the roof was repaired, he re-secured the window frames that weren't closing properly and removed the rusted lock from the storage room door. Mira had already cleaned the kitchen and moved all the dusty dishes into the yard to wash them.
Although the old furniture looked worn, the wood itself was not rotten. The long table in the living room was missing a corner, and the cabinet doors were slightly tilted, but after simple reinforcement, it was still usable.
The two were busy until the afternoon.
Lin Yuan cleared the weeds from the yard, revealing the original paved stone path. The broken bench was reassembled and placed near the wall. Mira cleaned all three bedrooms on the second floor, leaving only the largest window open for ventilation.
"Which room are you planning to stay in?" she asked from the bottom of the stairs.
"Anywhere is fine."
"Then why buy a house with three bedrooms?"
Lin Yuan looked at the other two closed doors.
When he bought the house, he simply thought that having more rooms wouldn't hurt. But now, standing here, he realizes he has absolutely nothing to put inside.
"We'll need it later," he said.
Mira didn't press the matter further, but simply hung the cleaned rag out to dry in the yard.
By evening, the house finally looked habitable. The living room was still empty, and the tables and chairs were all different, but the windows could be closed tightly, the roof wouldn't leak, and the stove in the kitchen was lit smoothly.
Mira searched the kitchen but only found an old pot.
What are you having for dinner tonight?
"Back to the guild."
"You've bought a house, but you still have to eat at the guild?"
Only 40,000 left.
Mira was momentarily speechless at this answer, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Before she left, Lin Yuan left the remaining cleaning tools at the door. Mira glanced at the money pouch at his waist, then looked inside the house, without mentioning the spare key.
"See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
The courtyard gate closed again, and the house became completely quiet.
Lin Yuan returned to his old dormitory to retrieve bedding and a change of clothes, packing his entire past life into a single bundle. He leaned the book " Nameless " against the bedroom wall and then placed the wooden box containing the contract and spare key into the top shelf of the cabinet.
As he lay down at night, he could still hear the commotion coming from the guild in the distance.
The sounds, heard from several streets away, made it impossible to tell who was fighting with whom, but they were enough to prevent the unfamiliar room from feeling empty.
The next morning, Lin Yuan pushed open the door and went out.
A newly installed wooden sign hangs beside the door, bearing only a name that has just been carved.
Lin Yuan.