Chapter 2033: Shopping Houses

Their agent’s next choice took them beyond Sarthal’s walls, up a winding road through wooded hills. By the time the mansion appeared, Quinlan could no longer see the city behind them.

"The grounds extend to the stream below," she explained, opening the gate onto a lawn. "The nearest neighbors are on the other side of the hill. You’d have complete privacy here."

Birdsong reached him from the trees. Blossom’s ears perked, and several of his women drifted toward the terrace to admire the view.

The house itself looked comfortable. Quinlan let the others explore while he stayed with their guide.

"Where’s the nearest guard post?"

"At the city gate, sir. The owners employ their own guards when they’re staying here."

Quinlan glanced back down the road they’d climbed.

"This is too remote. I’d like to stay inside Sarthal."

"Of course. I thought you might prefer the seclusion."

"I do, but this is too distant. Could we find somewhere with private grounds inside the city?"

He wanted anyone attacking his home to have Sarthal’s powerful dragonkin defenders to deal with too. Out here, the entire fight could be over before the guards even heard about it.

The agent turned to another page in her folder. "Inside the walls, with private grounds. Yes, I can show you another."

"Much appreciated."

At his call, his women returned from the terrace. Kitsara glanced between him and their guide before taking his arm.

"Too quiet?"

"Too far from anyone I’d like to share my problems with."

The foxkin merely giggled at that.

...

Back inside Sarthal, their third stop stood at the end of a private lane off a residential avenue, with a spacious garden enclosed by high walls and mature trees.

"The owner wanted a retreat," she explained as she opened the gate. "The trees screen the neighboring properties, and the approach belongs to the house. You wouldn’t have people passing your windows."

Quinlan followed his women through the gate, pleased by how much room they would have to themselves.

"How far is the nearest guard post?"

"At the corner of the avenue we just left." The agent pointed back toward the gate. "The patrols pass the end of this lane regularly."

"Do they come up to the house?"

"Only if there’s trouble or they’re called for, sir. These are private grounds."

"Good."

His wives could sunbathe in the garden without every passing bastard stopping to stare. Yet if someone attacked the house, powerful dragonkin would be close enough to reach it within moments.

Veshara had given him an excellent demonstration of their strength. They could do some fighting for him for a change.

Ayame’s amused voice rang in his head. <You look pleased with yourself.>

<I’m but a humble husband, hoping to have others solve my problems for me.>

<The lizards?>

<Yep. They might be arrogant, but they sure can fight.>

Her quiet laugh accompanied him up the path.

He would still take his family home to Iskaris. Rosie and Jasmine would expect their visits, and he had every intention of enjoying the home he’d already built with them.

But he was the one who opened the gates. If he left Sarthal on an expedition while some of his household stayed behind, they couldn’t simply retreat to Iskaris whenever trouble arrived. The servants would need protection, and his women needed somewhere they could defend without worrying about an inn full of strangers.

Even with him present, he refused to assume that his escape spell would always work. Some enemy might interfere with spatial magic, interrupt his casting, or knock him unconscious before he could open a gate.

Veshara had put him through a floor. After that introduction, underestimating Thalorind’s denizens would be impressively stupid of him.

A fortified home would give his family somewhere to fight from, shelter the wounded, and hold out until help arrived. Their safety would depend on more than his ability to get everyone through a portal in time.

And since they would be living here, he wanted to come home to a comfortable bed, good food, and happy women. He’d earned the right to be demanding about all three.

"The owners moved away," the agent explained as she unlocked the front door. "Some of the rooms need attention, but there’s plenty of space for your household, including servants’ accommodation."

Inside, the agent opened the rear doors for Aurora, who leaned out to inspect the overgrown flower beds.

"Oh, we could do so much with this!"

His alchemist was already smiling over the nearest bed when Quinlan joined her on the step.

"You like it?"

"I’d have to clear these first. But yes."

<Not every local Avaranth herb can be grown back home. I can study them much better here.>

<Makes sense.>

At the far end of the garden, Blossom tipped her nose into the air. Kitsara waited until the dogkin noticed her, then gave an exaggerated sniff of her own.

"Stop messing with Blossom!!"

"Huh? But I’m innocent."

"Kitsara is anything but! She needs to be spanked!"

"Oh, bad girl education? I’m ready whenever my lord husband is~" Kitsara purred, shaking her butt.

"!!!" Blossom jolted, unable to believe this bitch could accept being labeled a bad girl - an utter travesty - so readily.

Leaving the women to have fun in the garden, the agent took Quinlan through the rooms adjoining it and upstairs to the bedchambers.

From the largest room, Quinlan could watch his wives discussing flowers in the garden.

He could get used to coming home to that.

"Some of the fittings would need replacing," the agent said behind him. "We could arrange for craftsmen to visit, if you’d like estimates before making a decision."

"Thank you. I’ll have a look at it myself first."

"Of course, sir."

Back downstairs, they found Kaelira crouching beside the stairs to examine the masonry.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

Kaelira rose with a pleased smile, about to praise the building when her eyes caught his.

Her cheeks warmed as her gaze shifted to the agent waiting beside him. Catching herself before the praise escaped, she cleared her throat.

"...Ahem. It needs work."

The agent’s welcoming smile faltered.

"Work?"

"The mortar’s crumbling here."

Kaelira rubbed a fingertip over the join she’d been examining. Pale grit fell into her other palm, and she held it out for the woman to see.

"Some of the joints will need cleaning out and filling again."

"Of course. It’s an older property. The main structure is sound, though?"

"The structure is sound," Kaelira agreed. "But that doesn’t repair the joints."

Quinlan nodded gravely to his smith.

"Quite right."

She glanced at him again before approaching the nearby window. When she pressed its frame, the wood shifted against the surrounding masonry.

"This needs refitting. There’s a gap along the side."

"That can be handled before you move in," the agent offered.

The shutter caught against the sill when Kaelira tried to close it.

"These hinges are loose too. I’d want to check the other windows before moving anyone in."

The elf’s professional confidence had returned now that she had actual repairs to discuss. Quinlan listened with immense satisfaction while their guide began writing them down.

He could have fixed that window frame with a touch.

"We do expect to arrange some repairs," the agent said, looking up from her notes. "The owners have allowed for that in their asking price."

"May I see?"

She turned the folder toward him. Quinlan studied the figure, then glanced at Kaelira, who was giving the window a final, disapproving inspection.

"There’s more to do than your description suggested," he said. "Still, I like the grounds, and my wives seem happy here. If the owner will come down... hmm... Let’s say a measly twenty percent, I’ll take it off their hands and handle the work myself."

"Twenty percent?"

Kaelira cleared her throat again. "I noticed these issues at first glance. If you’d prefer, I can spend a few hours looking a lot more thoroughly..."

The agent looked at the smiling elf, then down at the offer she’d begun recording.

"I’ll speak with the owners, sir, madam."