"That was just a joke. It's my party with Clo, so we should go in a direction like Jankro or something like that—"

"I kind of feel embarrassed about it, but it's not bad."

"No... I'd like to add a bit more flair. Jankro... Junk... Wait, does 'junk' mean trash in English?"

I'm not sure how Jeanne's auto-translate is working, but the word 'junk' definitely comes through as

exactly that. I hear it too.

"Junk means trash or broken stuff, right?"

"Ah. That's a perfect name for me."

"Perfect!? Trash!?"

I didn't understand what Jeanne had in mind when she said that, but the words were familiar to me. Defective, junk, failures... I'd always been called those things by my mother...

Still, calling a party "Junk" felt a bit too self-deprecating, but if Jeanne really wanted to, I didn't see any problem with it.

"So, should we call the party 'Junk'?"

"Let's add something more. Any good words come to mind? I'm not very good with English."

I thought about using French, but she probably had some preference.

"Isn't 'junk' technically called 'Piece of Junk'?"

"And if you add a word after 'junk,' it means something like 'broken X.' Like 'junk mail' for spam emails.""Hehe, I've been bothered by spam emails too."

Spam email?

Could the messages I've been getting actually be spam?

It's different from mass spam sent to random people, so saying it's spam with such confidence takes guts—Jeanne's strong.

"Then again, maybe make it plural, like 'Spam Squad'... or 'Spammer'... no, that's probably not good."

"Hmm, got it. Let's go with 'Battle Junkie.'"

"A battle addict?"

Right, Jeanne's always wanted to get stronger by fighting, fighting, fighting.

'Battle Junkie' fits perfectly.

"Alright, let's register it like that."

Once we become somewhat famous, our names might start selling like that crimson little bottle, so picking a careless name could end up embarrassing us later. But right now, we're both just a bronze-tier rookie party. I think we're capable of handling three layers, but that's beside the point.

Anyway, a party name can always be changed later. For now, let's just call it provisional.

After registering the party, we'll bring up the next requirement.

"In the guild, didn't you used to arrange living accommodations? I think so. I'm looking for a slightly larger room."

"Yes, we do offer housing options for adventurers………… Wait, what? You're cohabiting!?"

"Please, don't go overboard with the reaction…"

This female clerk seems more interested in gossip than being serious.

No, in reality, sharing a room like this is more of a cultural norm on Earth—when a man and woman live together, it's essentially cohabitation. Hmm...

"If we can find a larger property with two or more private rooms. Oh, rent can be a bit higher—it's no problem. We've got the money for it."

"I see. Please wait a moment."

Since we earn quite a bit from dungeon exploration, rent isn't an issue.

Depending on the situation, buying might even be an option, but it feels odd for us, rootless wanderers, to actually purchase a property. ...Well, in any case, we don't have that kind of money.

"Hey, Crow. There's no need to rent such a big room. It'll be expensive, won't it?"

"No, we definitely need separate private rooms, and if we're serious about being explorers, our gear will pile up, so more space is better. Plus, we've got the funds. Leave it to me."

"Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you."

I didn't have to worry about storage space since I had Shadow Storage.

But Jeanne's gear clearly takes up space and requires maintenance too.

At least money isn't an issue right now, and I can always earn more later.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I've found a place suitable for couples!"

"We're not a couple."

The female staff member unfolded the listing, which only had text information, making it hard to tell what kind of place it was.

Anyway, my conditions are clear enough.

It should be within the influence of the Great Water Spirit, close to the dungeon, far from the temple, and ideally near a public bath.

That narrows down the options quite a bit.

In fact, it basically means it has to be near the current inn.

When I explained this, the female staff member looked troubled.

"Isn't this prime location? It's available, but incredibly expensive—twenty silver coins a month?"

"It really is expensive. The inn prices are quite reasonable."

Twenty silver coins would cover over two months at the current inn.

So renting is more expensive than staying at an inn.

"The inns for explorers receive subsidies from the town. After all, this is an explorer's town."

I see. Twenty silver coins is indeed high, but that makes sense now.

I receive a detailed explanation for each property.

There are apartments available, but after considering everything, a detached house with a yard is better.

Actually, detached houses are pretty common here.

"How about this one? It's near the guild, small but has a yard, moderately old, and comes fully equipped with spirit gear. It's specifically designed for high-level explorers."

"Sounds good. What's the rent?"

"Twenty-eight silver coins a month."

That's equivalent to twenty-eight colored spirit stones from the ogre. It's not an impossible amount.

Thinking about it this way, dungeon exploration really is a profitable job.

Well, I suppose it's only natural given the risk to one's life.

"Then, show me the place—if it's fine with you, I'll take it."

"Very well, I'll show you around."

Following the staff member, we went to a real estate agency near the guild, collected the key, and headed to view the property.

The guild itself is located right next to the dungeon, but the place we were looking for was only about a three-minute walk away. Indeed, it's very close.

A two-story stone building, as promised, and it looked clean, with a relatively recent construction date.

The inside was also cleaned, as expected of a high-end property. Though I don't know much about this world, at least the place I'm staying in—despite charging a decent amount—was generally quite dirty. I didn't have the mental bandwidth to clean it myself, so I just lived like that. But now that I'm comparing it, I realize how much better it is to live in a clean space.

This property has a large number of rooms—four on the second floor and two on the first.

With a total of six rooms, it seems designed for exploration parties to live together.

In Earth terms, it's a six-room apartment, or 6LDK.

With a garden included, 28 silver coins might actually be a bargain.

...No, when converted to Japanese yen, that's 4 to 5 million, so it's definitely not cheap.

"Kuro. This is way too big, even for me. You won’t be able to clean it properly without hiring a maid."

"Then just hire one."

"Oh? So it's true everyone in Japan loves maids. You know about it? Are French maids considered improper?"

"……No comment."

Even I have things I’d rather keep private...

When I went to a maid café with Serika and Karen, I kept a straight face to maintain my brotherly dignity, but there’s no need to mention how much I actually enjoyed it.

Incidentally, I think French maids are improper too.

Well, maybe I do need someone to help out, or a maid of sorts.

If financially possible, it might be worth considering, but as Jeanne said, it really is too large.

"Is there no other place nearby that’s a bit more reasonable?"

"Other than here, it'd be quite a distance. Either a much larger property meant for a clan house, or a cramped apartment, or somewhere really on the outskirts of town."

"Are there any additional costs besides rent?"

"No, just the upfront rent. If you're registered with the guild, we'll act as guarantors. Normally, we wouldn't qualify as bronze-level guarantors, but since Hikaru has proven track record, it's an exception."

In a Japanese government office, they'd probably reject you at the bronze level, but here they don't take a rigid approach. In fact, even a regular employee has quite a bit of authority.

After all, in this world, the main expenses are equipment, supplies for exploration, food, and rent. There's no communication fee, and taxes are deducted directly by the guild.

So spending a bit extra on rent shouldn't be a problem.

"Then, let's decide on this place."

"Yes, thank you. Can we start today?"

"Yes, that's fine."

I'd already paid up to the end of the month, so it wasn't a problem.

If there aren't any better options, there's no point in hesitating. I just need to earn money.

If I really put my mind to it, I can reliably make a steady income with just two floors. There's no issue at all.

"Kuro, you're surprisingly decisive."

"Wasting time thinking is pointless. Besides, I was already thinking it was about time to end my stay at a hostel."

"Huh."

　

And so, my new life in this world began.

Thanks to Nanami coming back to life, I felt surprisingly light-hearted.

I wasn't so caught up in the viewers' gaze that I forgot about it, but since Jeanne, who had more viewers than me, was sitting right beside me completely unfazed, I might have been influenced by her calm demeanor too.

Signed the lease agreement at the real estate office and paid the rent for one month in advance.

I still had ten gold coins saved up, untouched.

"Kuro. The rent’s split in half, right? It’s a room-sharing arrangement."

"Yeah, I’ll handle it from next month. This month, I’ll pay. Think of it as a gift from the gem."

"That was something you were asked to retrieve from your sister, so you don’t need to worry about it… Fine, whatever. I’ll return it when the time comes."

"Huh? Then do that."

I couldn’t just brush it off as something requested by Serika.

To me, it was something I would have traded my life for.

If she's determined to conquer the labyrinth, I'll support her all the way to the end.

That's the only way I can repay her now.