Chương 124: Chapter 122 – Decrepit Lair.

'I need to do something… You can do it Lira! Just speak!"

"S-sir how about we… ack!" She was about to speak, but the man stepped forward. His armor screeched slightly, making her jump. Even before bringing him here, her nerves had been close to breaking. She was stuck escorting this strange man who looked like an armored bandit. Then there was the strange white ant-like creature on his shoulder. While it seemed cute, its sharp mandibles made her uneasy, and it kept staring at her in a way that felt almost hostile as if it did not like her talking to the armored man.

"Uh…" The man vanished into the building after she opened the door, making her heart skip a beat. She slowly leaned in and saw nothing but darkness. The interior of this home was quite dim, with only faint slivers of light filtering through the broken roof and cracks in the walls. Dust hung heavy in the air, disturbed by the armored figure's steps as he moved further inside without hesitation. Lira swallowed nervously, clutching her papers tightly against her chest.

"Uhm… sir?" She called hesitantly. There was no response, only the sound of shifting debris as the man inspected the remains of what had once been a home. The floorboards creaked ominously under his weight and she could hear him shuffling around the premises. Lira took a cautious step inside, her ears twitching at every sound. The scent of damp stone mixed with decay filled her nose, making her wrinkle it in discomfort.

'This place is falling apart, there is no way that anyone would buy this…' Her heart raced as she forced herself to step inside. The property did not belong to this man, so if anything collapsed, she might be blamed for it. Her mind was consumed with worries, each thought another problem piling on. For a moment, she wondered if this was some kind of setup to get her fired—or worse, a trap to leave her vulnerable to assault by this strange man in a desolate part of the slums where almost no one ever came.

Lira stepped cautiously into the murky interior of the dilapidated property. The air was heavy with dust and the scent of damp decay. Shadows clung to the corners of the room and every step she took echoed on the creaking wooden floor. Suddenly a loud clatter startled her. Before she could recover, the armored man emerged from behind a crumbling column. His heavy armor gleamed in the stray beams of light and his voice resonated in the silence.

"I will buy it."

"No please, I'm too young to… wait, you'll buy it?"

"Yes, that's what I said." He declared with unwavering certainty. His sudden appearance made Lira jump, her hand clenching the scattered papers that had fallen from her grasp. For a moment the room seemed to freeze as she stared at him in shock. Then, as his deep tone filled the space, she began to regain her composure.

"Um... are you sure?"

'Is something wrong with his brain? Why would he want this wreck? It's going to cost a fortune to repair, and then there are also the orcs…' She knew one of the reasons this place was in such terrible shape was because of orc raids. Sometimes, monsters and barbarians would attack the city, and this house, being close to one of the walls, had suffered more than most. Creatures would climb over during assaults, causing damage after the area had been evacuated. One more attack, and the house would surely collapse.

But she could not tell him that. If she did, he would never buy it, and she could lose her job.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? But how much does it cost?"

"Ah! The papers, here." She handed over some paperwork that she was handed from her superiors earlier. She was still too shocked to properly process what was happening. Of all the possible outcomes, this was the last thing she had expected. The man went through the papers which also had the price on them and didn't seem to be perturbed by it.

"This will do." Lira blinked.

"It… it will?"

"Yes." Rusty confirmed.

"We can finalize the contract now." Lira hesitated, her tail flicking nervously. She should be relieved. This disaster of a property was about to be off her hands. But something felt off. No one in their right mind would buy this place at such an absurd price. Did he know something she didn't? Was he actually rich? No, that didn't make sense. A noble or merchant wouldn't be caught dead in this part of the city, let alone in a suit of battered armor.

'Or… is he planning something illegal?' A cold shiver ran down her spine. Had she just handed over an abandoned property to someone who might turn it into a hideout for criminals? But then again, did it really matter? It wasn't her business what he did with it. Lira cleared her throat.

"Alright! I will, uh… I have all the papers here, we can either go back to the town hall and sign them there or do it here."

"That's great, could you wait a moment?"

"Um? Sure?" The man seemed rather happy with her reply and suddenly decided to vanish into one of the other still-intact rooms. She was left alone to wonder if he would return with a dagger to slit her throat. Instead, after a minute, he reappeared with a large sack.

"This should do it, right?" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. She grabbed the sack and could feel its weight. Her hands trembled slightly as she loosened the drawstrings, peering inside. A glimmer of gold and silver caught her eye, the unmistakable shine of real coin. Lira's ears twitched in disbelief. Her tail stiffened as she quickly tightened the sack again, glancing around to make sure no one had seen.

"This... this is the correct sum." She stammered, struggling to process the fact that she was actually completing this sale. Her skills allowed her to instantly calculate the amount of coin inside the sack without even opening it. A glowing representation of the total hovered above the money-filled sack, a skill that had secured her this job. Simple mathematics and calculation skills were essential, something most people at the town hall were required to master.

Lira's fingers tightened around the sack, her pulse quickening. This was too good to be true. Nobody bought this place, not even the desperate. Yet here he was, throwing down a sack of gold without hesitation. A part of her wanted to run straight back to town hall and sign the deal before he could change his mind. But another part of her hesitated.

"Alright, um… we should sign the papers." She said, clearing her throat and almost fumbling the sack making it fall to the ground.

"You just need to write your name here, here, and here. Then the property will officially be yours." The young girl wrestled with the idea that this person was simply foolish and being duped into making the purchase. He spoke in rather simple terms, but his appearance was anything but ordinary. There was also the possibility that he was part of the thieves' guild and that this place would soon become a new entrance to hidden tunnels.

She had heard rumors of such guilds always operating underground or within abandoned buildings, which made her think twice before asking too many questions. If the man was indeed part of that guild and realized she had uncovered his secret, her life could very well be at risk…

Rusty took the offered quill and, without hesitation, scrawled his name across the parchment where Lira had indicated. His handwriting was rough, almost jagged, as if he wasn't entirely used to the motion. Luckily he had Edmund's hands equipped which allowed him to mimic the dead man's handwriting. The ink bled slightly into the old paper, but the signature remained legible. Lira stood there without moving like some kind of scared animal and only moved after he was finished.

"It's done. The property is mine now, correct?"

"Yes… yes, that's correct, I'll just have to take these papers back. We keep a copy of the deed there and the main one is yours."

"Good!"

"(•̀ - •́)""She isn't an enemy." Gleam stared at the young woman with some intent as if she was a potential enemy for some reason. Rusty didn't know why but the girl seemed rather harmless. She had no battle class nor was she an adventurer, with one sword swipe he would be able to defeat her. Thus, Rusty suddenly stepped toward her, his heavy armor clanking with each movement. She flinched, gripping the sack of gold tightly.

"Will you be fine alone, with all that gold?"

"Ah… Yes, it will be fine." The girl brought out a different satchel and placed the sack of gold inside. He could feel faint traces of mana from within.

'It seems to be an advanced spatial bag, with an arcane lock on it, even a higher mage would have trouble opening it.' Aburdon commented as the sack of gold vanished into the enchanted space. No one would be able to tell she was carrying anything valuable, and her clothes still bore the emblem of the city's nobility, making it unlikely that anyone would dare to attack her.

"Very well then, so this is mine now, right?"

"Y-yes, Sir Edward. Enjoy your new home." The girl forced a smile while glancing at the half-destroyed house, trying not to let her doubts show. There was an odd pause between them. Lira clearly wasn't sure if she should say something else or just leave. The transaction was complete, yet for some reason she hesitated.

"Well… I should be going now," Finally, she said awkwardly.

"Good luck with your… uh, new home." With that, she turned on her heel and hurried out the door, her tail swishing behind her as she disappeared into the darkening streets. Rusty watched her go before turning his attention back to the ruined building. He trailed his fingers along the worn stone walls and if he had a proper face, he would be smiling now.

"This will do nicely" Gleam let out a small, approving chirp.

"Really? This? How is this a proper 'Lair' for a demon king to live in!" Aburdon finally gave out a large sigh of dissatisfaction.

"Rusty isn't a demon king… but this place will need some work." Alexander replied, but he did not seem too fond of the place. Rusty did not really care. After the girl left, he used the key she had given him to close the door behind her. The red sunlight shone through as twilight approached signifying the end of the day. He was not concerned with how the place looked or that it had cost him all the money he had gathered again.

Instead of worrying about that, he headed for the basement, something he had glimpsed while the girl was awkwardly entering his new home. Rusty descended the crumbling staircase leading to the basement, his armored boots sending small clouds of dust into the air. The wooden steps groaned under his weight, threatening to collapse at any moment. He paused briefly, evaluating their integrity before proceeding with careful precision. The air grew cooler the further he went and soon he was there.

When he reached the bottom, he found himself in a surprisingly spacious underground chamber. The stone walls were old but sturdy, showing fewer signs of decay than the rest of the building. A few wooden crates and broken furniture were scattered about, remnants of whatever previous purpose this space had served. Most importantly, it was secluded. Hidden. Secure and also was connected to a chimney.

"This will be my smithy!"

"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)" He proclaimed in an enthusiastic tone, and Gleam wiggled her antennae in agreement. She skittered from his shoulder onto a stone slab, inspecting the space with her ant eyes. The small creature let out a soft chirp of curiosity before moving further in to explore every nook and cranny.

"(•̀ - •́)""Oh? You want to take care of them?" As expected, there were other residents in the old building, ones resembling the monstrous rodents they had faced during their travels, though much small er, as they were just regular rats. Gleam hurled herself at the little critters, still remembering the larger variants she had battled alongside Rusty. The rats scattered in all directions, but she was much faster, and soon the slaughter began.

"Just don't eat them, Lady Gleam. They might be carrying diseases," Aburdon commented while Rusty stepped forward to examine this new lair of his. Gleam skittered about, ruthlessly dispatching any rat unfortunate enough to cross her path. The cool stone walls, the sturdy foundation, and most importantly, the chimney that extended all the way up to the ruined roof—it was perfect. It would take effort, but this space could become a proper forge.

He brushed dust and cobwebs off an old workbench that had long since collapsed under its own weight. The room smelled of damp wood and rusting metal, but that was nothing that fire and time could not fix.

"I suppose after cleaning this place up, assembling a forge will be plausible."

"I knew you would agree with me." While it looked bad to someone like Aburdon, Alexander who was a former craftsman could see the potential here. There was enough space for a forge, smelter and even a proper workspace for repairs and crafting. The chimney would serve well as a means of ventilation, though it would need cleaning before any flames could be lit. Rusty ran a gauntleted hand along the old stone walls, feeling the cold surface beneath his fingers. It was solid. That was all that mattered.

Gleam scuttled back toward him, her mandibles clicking in satisfaction. The last rat had been dealt with, and she proudly stood atop its tiny, lifeless form like a victorious warrior. Rusty let out a small chuckle at her enthusiasm before stepping toward the center of the room. His armored boots echoed in the underground chamber, and he could already imagine the glow of the forge lighting up the space, the steady rhythm of hammer against metal filling the air.

"We will need materials. Proper bricks for the forge, tools, and, of course, fuel for the fire," Alexander remarked and Rusty nodded. This was the start of his new lair and now he just needed to complete it as the framework was now established.