Chapter 11 …
The first thing I checked was the sofa.
The “Healing Mood Fabric Sofa” had a soft, cream-colored linen cover.
It looked like it would brighten up the living room, but the downside was that it would stain easily.
‘Leather really is the better choice.’
That way, it’ll last longer.
“Since I’m buying one anyway, I should get something sturdy—oh.”
That was when something immediately caught my eye. A leather sofa in a calm, toned-down teal color.
It wasn’t too bright, so it would resist stains, but it also wasn’t dull—fresh and elegant at the same time. I liked it instantly.
‘Wow… this is nice. And it’s cheap.’
It was 77 coins at a massive 90% discount. Ninety percent off! That was practically a divine revelation telling me to buy it.
‘Alright, this one it is!’
I made the decision immediately, put the teal sofa into the cart, and continued browsing the other furniture.
A low table to place in front of the sofa, a drawer cabinet that seemed like it would come in handy, and even a shoe cabinet that would be perfect near the front door…
‘This too, and that as well.’
By the time I dumped everything into the cart, the total came to 687 coins.
‘That’s cheaper than I expected? I won’t even need to spend all 3,000 coins.’
Lastly, I chose a wardrobe and a bed. Since I still had plenty of budget left, I splurged a little and went for the more expensive options.
An elegant solid-wood bed frame with a mattress. The description emphasized how exceptionally plush the mattress was.
‘You should never cheap out on a mattress. Otherwise, your back will suffer.’
As for the wardrobe… I hesitated between several options, but ultimately chose the most expensive one—a dark wood color that matched the bed frame perfectly.
“And… hmm, I should get curtains too.”
Lace or chiffon?
As I pondered, I turned around to ask my cohabiting water droplet and worker for their opinions.
Both of them were staring at me blankly from one corner of the living room.
Only then did I realize how strange I must look, muttering to myself while staring at empty air.
“She sometimes just stares into space like that! Maybe she’s communicating with a god?”
“Hm… for something the water droplet said, that actually makes sense.”
“What did you just say, you punk?!”
Communicating with a god, huh…
Well, it might not be entirely wrong.
I still didn’t know what the system really was, but anything capable of causing phenomena like this might as well be a god.
‘Let them misunderstand however they want. Explaining it would be a pain.’
I walked over to the two, who were still bickering, and asked,
“I’m thinking of hanging curtains on that window. Which is better—lace or chiffon?”
They stopped arguing and turned toward me in unison, answering almost simultaneously.
“Probably chiffon—”
“Lace~! Master! Nini likes lace!”
I had expected that, but sure enough, their tastes clashed. I could already picture them insulting each other for having no sense of aesthetics.
And, as expected—
“Obviously chiffon. Lace? Seriously? This is why water droplets with no sense of beauty—”
“What?! Lace is way brighter and prettier! Don’t you have terrible taste?!”
I knew this would happen. I waved my hands frantically to stop them.
“Enough, both of you. Let’s roll dice and decide fairly.”
“Master! But we don’t have dice?!”
“…….”
Right. There were a lot of things this house didn’t have. I’d momentarily forgotten.
“Then let’s do rock-paper-scissors. Nini, you can make hand shapes, right?”
“Of course, Master! Nini is very capable!”
“Good. I’ll count, and you throw on three. One… two—”
Three!
The moment I shouted it, Ninabel quickly formed a hand sign—scissors. And Rician…
‘…A fist!’
That was a clear win for Rician.
However, Ninabel refused to accept the result.
“You threw yours late! I saw it! Something was weird!”
“Please don’t be so petty, Miss Water Droplet.”
“P-petty?! That’s not it! Something really felt off! My intuition—!”
The spirit kept insisting that Rician had cheated, but it wasn’t convincing. To me, it looked like they’d thrown at the same time.
Still, since Ninabel was a spirit, she might have sensed something I couldn’t.
I narrowed my eyes slightly as I watched Rician, who was playing innocent.
Looks like he’s hiding something again…
But… there wasn’t much I could do. If he wanted to keep it secret, prying would just be rude.
“Anyway, Rician won, so we’ll go with chiffon.”
“Hwaaang…!”
Ninabel flailed around in despair, scattering water droplets everywhere, but I ignored her.
After adding a safe, cream-colored chiffon curtain to the cart, I chose the remaining décor items on my own.
If I asked those two for their opinions again, they’d definitely start fighting.
Once everything I needed was selected, I went to the cart and hit the payment button.
Total: 1,687 coins.
I’d splurged freely and still hadn’t exceeded my budget—actually, I’d barely used half. A successful shopping trip.
‘…But how exactly do they deliver furniture?’
The screen displayed a [Payment Complete] notification. After about three seconds, another message appeared below it.
Please designate the location where the furniture will be placed.
〈Tip〉 Use the same method as when designating a ‘Cultivation Zone.’
‘Oh, that I know.’
I’d done it several times already.
“Let’s start with the sofa.”
I measured the spot with my eyes and traced a rectangle in the air with my fingertip.
Just like when I designated cultivation zones, the area glowed faintly blue, and then—
‘Healing Mood Fabric Sofa’ delivery complete!
In the blink of an eye, the sofa appeared and occupied the space.
“Wow… that’s amazing.”
“Master…? What did you just do?”
I was gaping in awe when Rician asked in a stunned voice beside me.
Once again, I brushed it off without giving a detailed explanation.
“Divine blessing.”
“Oh.”
That single phrase was enough for Rician to accept it without question.
It’s convenient that he’s so easy to fool… but seriously, is it really okay to live as such a hardcore zealot?
“Master~! That’s incredible! Are you bringing in more furniture too?!”
“Yeah, things like a wardrobe and a bed.”
“Nini is so happy that Master’s nest is becoming cozy~!!”
As always, Ninabel flew around in excitement, making a huge fuss.
I grabbed the noisy, bouncing water droplet and tucked her under my arm, then placed the next piece of furniture in front of the sofa.
Luxurious Solid-Wood Low Table
As I continued placing furniture and decorating the house, how much time passed?
The once-empty house gradually transformed into a properly furnished home.
“Wow… it really looks like a place people live in now.”
It had a vibe that felt like a perfect mix between a countryside home and a vacation pension. It felt even more special because it reflected my tastes exactly.
I sank into the cloud-like soft sofa, hugging a cushion as a content smile naturally spread across my face.
“I think I could live here forever.”
“…If that’s what you wish, Master.”
Some people might scoff and say the house was too small, but I was 200% satisfied.
Sure, a bigger house would be nice. But this was more than enough for me.
“Now let’s cook something delicious. I need water, so Nini, come here for a bit. Rician, sit there and rest.”
“What? While you do housework, Master, I can’t just sit around—”
I said, “Just rest, okay? You were exhausted from chopping wood earlier. Sit. Now.”
‘Holy Breeder’ effect activated! (Chance: 9.8%)
The target obeys your command.
Of all times, the obedience effect triggered right then. Rician hesitated briefly before walking over and plopping down on the sofa.
‘He looks like a dumb puppy.’
His flustered expression was so cute that I laughed a little, then gently ruffled his cream-colored hair.
“Good boy. Stay put and wait nicely.”
“……”
Rician looked up at me, his golden eyes trembling like candlelight.
As I turned away with a faint smile, the system notification appeared again, as usual.
The target’s affection toward you has increased!
????🖤
I had no idea what he was feeling affectionate about this time… but it didn’t seem like a bad thing.
At least, he didn’t look like he hated me.
‘If that question mark means a pure four-digit number…’
That would mean his affection was at least over 1,000. Did that even make sense?
Especially when he’d been like that from the moment we met?
‘…Seriously weird.’
I went into the kitchen, boiling bird eggs while peeling potatoes. A cheerful hum escaped me naturally.
People really do need a spacious kitchen.
‘The studio kitchen I had in my previous life was way too cramped.’
I loved cooking, but whenever I wanted to make anything, I had to pull out two folding tables.
If I grilled meat, the entire room would fill with smoke, and ventilating it was a nightmare.
So having a kitchen this wide felt amazing. I should cook more often from now on.
“Hmm~ hmm~”
As I dropped the neatly peeled potatoes into the boiling water, a system notification appeared.
Congratulations!
You have achieved the achievement
〈Residential Space Upgrade (Stage 1)〉!
As a reward, you receive 100 coins and 50 reputation points.
‘Reputation?’
Another new thing popped up. What does a farm owner need reputation for…?
From Residential Space Upgrade Stage 2 onward, reputation will be consumed.
Please refer to the following information.
1st Stage: Slightly livable single-story house (Required Reputation: 0)
2nd Stage: Decent two-story house (Required Reputation: 1,500)
3rd Stage: Quite spacious three-story house (Required Reputation: 3,500)
4th Stage: Small landowner’s four-story mansion (Required Reputation: 5,500)
5th Stage: Large landowner’s five-story mansion (Required Reputation: 15,000)
6th Stage: Lord’s castle (Required Reputation: 50,000)
※ The more people remember your name, the more reputation you can accumulate.
※ Spread your name far and wide across the world!
(♪˶´・ᴗ・` ˶♪)
‘No, thanks… I’d rather not.’
I’m perfectly fine living a modest, self-sufficient life like this. Truly.
Becoming famous doesn’t just bring good things. You also end up dealing with all kinds of ugly nonsense.
But the fact that Stage 6 was called “Lord’s Castle” bothered me.
There was no way the system put that in without meaning something…
‘To become a lord… wouldn’t you have to perform some great service and receive a title from a king or emperor?’
