Chapter 25: I Bought My Wife a House

The next morning, Reinhard woke up with one thing on his mind.

A house. More specifically, Emily’s house.

He had spent most of the night before scrolling through property listings and rejecting most of them almost immediately for being too small, too far away, or too dark. Lily had eliminated several more because their kitchens were too small.

"I want a big kitchen," she announced as they headed out to the van.

Maki looked at her. "You’re not choosing the house."

"Why not?"

"Because you’d pick it based on how many snacks fit inside."

Lily looked genuinely offended. "That’s an important consideration."

Reinhard laughed as he opened the van door. "Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your snack storage is protected."

"See? Reinhard understands me."

"I didn’t say that."

"You implied it."

Maki sighed, and Emily smiled quietly from her wheelchair. Reinhard noticed. She was excited, and that alone made the trip worth it.

...

The first house was huge, expensive, and had far more rooms than they could ever use, and Lily fell in love with it immediately, especially the kitchen.

Maki didn’t. "It’s too expensive."

Reinhard looked around. "She’s right."

Lily’s face fell. "Traitor."

"The kitchen is nice, though."

"See?"

"But the living room barely gets any sunlight."

Emily glanced at the windows. "Next one."

The second house was cheaper, with a decent kitchen and a large yard, but its hallways were too narrow for Emily’s wheelchair. The third had plenty of space, but it sat beside a busy road, and a truck roared past while the realtor was still talking.

Then they reached the fifth house that was in a very well off neighborhood called Leyline Manor.

It wasn’t the biggest or the newest, but the difference was obvious the moment they stepped inside.

Tall windows lined one side of the living room and filled the floor with sunlight, the hallways were wide enough for Emily’s wheelchair, and the kitchen was big enough for Reinhard to cook without constantly bumping into someone.

There was a quiet, fenced backyard with room for a small garden, the bedrooms were spread out enough for everyone to have their own space, and Emily’s room was on the first floor.

Reinhard looked around again the Leyline streets.

The neighborhood was quiet, and the nearby houses were far enough away for privacy. Ever since Cassian’s warning, he had started noticing things like that. It wasn’t a fortress, but it was already much safer than the apartment.

Then he looked at Emily. She had stopped in the middle of the living room, with sunlight spilling across the floor in front of her.

"You like it?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. "I do."

They spread out through the house. Maki inspected the kitchen and bathrooms, Yuna checked the backyard, and Lily disappeared upstairs almost immediately.

"THIS ROOM!"

"You don’t get to claim a room!" Maki called after her.

"Why not?"

"Because we’re not children!"

"I’m still choosing one!"

Reinhard called up toward the ceiling. "Congratulations. It’s a closet."

"IT’S A ROOM!"

"For now."

He laughed and followed Emily back into the living room, where she had rolled closer to the windows. Sunlight caught her silver hair, and for several seconds, she simply sat there.

Then she turned to him. "I want this house."

Reinhard smiled. "Then we’ll buy it."

She blinked. "You decided that quickly."

"You already decided."

Emily smiled. "That’s true."

...

The realtor met them near the front door, and after going through the property’s history, he finally reached the part Reinhard cared about. "The asking price is thirty-two thousand five hundred."

Maki’s expression tightened. "That’s a lot."

Emily glanced at Reinhard. "Maybe we should look at the others again."

Reinhard didn’t answer right away. He was doing the math. He had $28,340, and even if he emptied every account, he would still be more than four thousand short.

Then he smiled. "Let’s take a closer look first."

He activated the Merchant King’s Lens, and information spread across his vision.

[Asking Price: $32,500.]

[Structural Damage Detected.]

[Window Frame: 12% deterioration.]

[Drainage System: 18% deterioration.]

[Kitchen Plumbing: 7% deterioration.]

[Estimated Repair Cost: $4,300.]

[Effect on Property Value: -$8,700.]

Reinhard’s eyebrows rose. Well, isn’t that useful. None of the problems were serious, but together, they gave him exactly what he needed, a reason to negotiate.

He turned to the realtor. "Thirty-two thousand five hundred?"

"That’s the asking price."

"That’s too high."

The realtor’s smile tightened. "The property is in an excellent area. Considering the size and condition..."

"I’m not questioning the property." Reinhard pointed at one of the windows. "That frame needs work."

"It’s a minor repair."

"I agree." He pointed toward the backyard. "So does the drainage."

The realtor’s expression shifted.

"And the kitchen plumbing," Reinhard added.

He calmly went through every issue the Lens had shown him. He didn’t exaggerate, and he didn’t pretend the house was falling apart. He simply explained what the repairs would cost.

Eventually, the realtor sighed. "Did you bring an inspector with you?"

Reinhard tapped the side of his glasses. "I am the inspector."

The realtor stared at him, then sighed again. "How much are you willing to offer?"

Reinhard glanced at Emily, who was still sitting in the sunlight. He already knew the answer. "Twenty thousand."

The realtor stared. "Twenty thousand? That’s twelve thousand five hundred below the asking price."

"I know."

"That’s quite a reduction."

Reinhard shrugged. "The house has problems. Nothing serious, but the repairs still cost money." He let the silence sit for a moment. "You can keep it listed at thirty-two-five and wait for someone who doesn’t notice." His smile widened. "Or you can sell it today for what it’s actually worth."

The realtor looked around the living room for several long seconds, and then he sighed. "Twenty thousand. Final offer."

Reinhard held out his hand. "Deal."

They shook, and Lily’s mouth fell open. "You actually did it."

"Of course."

Maki stared at him. "How much did you save?"

"Twelve thousand five hundred."

"You negotiated twelve thousand five hundred dollars off a house?"

"The original price was too high."

Lily laughed. "That’s insane."

"Another compliment."

"Don’t push it," Maki said.

Emily looked at him. "You didn’t have to do all that."

"I know," he said, looking back at her. "I wanted to."

She went quiet, and a small smile settled on her face.

...

The paperwork took a while, but eventually the realtor set the final document in front of Reinhard, and he signed it. Then the payment screen appeared on his phone.

[Available Funds: $28,340.]

[Purchase Price: $20,000.]

[Remaining Funds: $8,340.]

Worth it.

[Payment Confirmed.]

The realtor handed him a ring of keys. "Congratulations. The house is officially yours."

Reinhard closed his fingers around them and turned to his family. "Welcome home."

Emily looked at him. "Home," she repeated quietly, as though she were still getting used to the word.

Then the System appeared.

[Investment Objective Completed.]

[D-Grade Investment Successful.]

[Calculating Returns...]

Reinhard’s eyes lit up. Finally. He had been waiting for this.

[Legendary Reward Granted: $50,000 Credits.]

[$8,340 → $58,340.]

His eyebrows rose. The pattern was holding. He wasn’t rich yet, but every dollar he invested in Emily seemed to come back with interest.

[Additional Reward Granted: Physical Body Enhanced.]

A strange sensation spread through his body. His muscles tightened, then his bones, and then something deeper, as though every part of him were being packed denser and stronger. Reinhard slowly clenched his fist, feeling the difference. Not bad.

[Additional Reward Granted: Mana Reserve Increased.]

[Effect: Doubling the Mana Reserve]

Reinhard felt his own mana reserve doubling before the next notification came.

[Additional Rewards Granted: One Year – Mana Infusion.]

Another wave rushed through him as mana poured into his Gnosis, and for a moment, everything felt normal.

Crack.

Another crack echoed out as Reinhard felt the container of his Gnosis shattering. The mana rushed out and went into the new container, far larger than the one before.

It was the size of a small kiddy pool.

He instantly realized, he had surpassed D-Rank Awakaner.

Reinhard blinked. C-Rank? He hadn’t been an Awakener for very long, and he was already C-Rank.

[Additional Reward Granted: Mana Reinforcement Enhanced.]

[Effect: Further strengthens the user’s physical body when mana is circulated through it.]

A slow grin spread across his face. "Now that’s interesting."

He circulated mana through his body, and his eyes widened. The difference was enormous. The strength of his upgraded body seemed to multiply the moment mana entered it, and he felt lighter, faster, stronger, and far more responsive.

Yeah. I’m definitely not an ordinary C-Rank.

He had barely finished the thought when he noticed two people staring at him. Yuna and Emily had both felt the surge.

Yuna narrowed her eyes. "You’re a C-Rank?"

"Apparently."

"You just awakened."

"Apparently."

She stared at him, and Reinhard shrugged. "I must be a genius."

Emily giggled, and Lily rolled her eyes. "Don’t encourage him."

Maki’s lips twitched.

Reinhard looked at Yuna. "What rank are you?"

"B-Rank."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Good."

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Good?"

"I’m catching up."

Emily laughed, and Yuna shook her head, but a smile stayed on her face.

Reinhard looked down at his fist. "Can you help me figure out how strong I am physically?"

"How?"

"Give me something to hit."

Yuna stared at him, then jerked her head toward the back door. "Outside. I’m not letting you break the house on the first day."

...

They stepped into the backyard, and the rest of the family followed. Yuna held out her palm. "Fine. Don’t hold back too much."

Reinhard circulated mana through his arm, activated Magic Reinforcement, and punched.

BOOM!

His fist struck Yuna’s palm, and her hand was pushed back slightly.

Reinhard blinked, and Yuna lowered her hand, her expression changed. "Do that again."

"Why?"

"Again. With everything you have this time."

Reinhard smiled. He flooded his fist with mana and punched without holding back.

BOOM!

A shockwave rippled across the grass, and Yuna slid backward several meters, her heels digging two long lines into the lawn before she stopped.

She stared at him. "You’re only C-Rank?"

"Yes."

"Your mana is C-Rank."

"Last time I checked."

"Then why does your physical strength feel like that?"

Reinhard smiled. "Maybe I’m talented."

Emily’s eyes widened. "For him to hit that hard with just a punch..."

"Peak C-Rank," Yuna finished, looking at Reinhard. "That means he’s close to six times stronger than an early C-Rank Awakener."

Emily looked at him with open admiration. "Reinhard, you’re amazing."

Lily groaned. "Don’t tell him that!"

He laughed. "Too late."

Reinhard looked down at the two long gouges Yuna’s heels had left in their brand-new lawn. Peak C-Rank strength, and he had only just reached C-Rank. His grin widened. This was getting fun.

"You’re fixing the grass," Maki said.

Reinhard’s smile faded slightly. "...That’s fair."

...

By afternoon, moving day had officially begun. Boxes filled the old apartment, and furniture slowly made its way down the stairs.

Lily came out of her room carrying a box nearly as big as she was, and Reinhard looked at her. "Need help?"

"Nope."

She took two steps, and the box tipped sideways. Reinhard caught it before it hit the floor.

Lily looked at him. "I had it."

"Obviously."

"I was testing you."

"Of course."

She took the box back and marched off.

Maki watched from the hallway. "Don’t encourage her."

"I’m not."

"You are."

"I’m having fun."

Maki sighed.

Emily watched the chaos from her wheelchair. For years, moving had been something everyone did around her. This time, she wanted to help. She picked up a small box and carefully set it on her lap.

Maki noticed immediately. "Emily, leave that."

"It’s light."

"You don’t have to carry anything."

Emily looked around at everyone working, then down at the box. "I know." She paused. "But I want to."

Maki’s expression softened.

"Then carry it," Reinhard said with a smile.

Maki turned to him. "Reinhard."

"It’s light."

Emily nodded. "I’ll be careful."

Maki let out a breath. "Fine."

Emily carefully made her way through the apartment with the box balanced on her lap. It wasn’t much, but she was helping, and for Emily, that mattered. For the first time in years, they weren’t just moving into a new house. They were building a home.