Chapter 37 Quiet Days with No Problems Whatsoever Arc Part 9

It was the next day and Michael and Aqua had left their room in the motel, to find a new home.

It was the next day and Michael stood in front of said new home.

It was the next day and Michael couldn't believe that what stood in front of him was his new home.

"Aqua," Michael turned to the grinning and preening goddess, whom he seriously considered putting a tracking spell on to watch her 24/7. "This morning you suddenly came to me and said you bought a house. Are you sure it is this one?"

The reason for Michael's skepticism and slow building dread was that the place was just...too fabulous. It was a large manor, two stories. It looked like it had multiple rooms, and the garden was vast and green, with a well built brick fence around it.

It was too grand, too well maintained, and simply too good to be true to have been something Aqua bought. Michael felt a tad guilty for the thought, but he's not gonna lie about what results Aqua and money usually brought together. This mansion was simply fantastic.

At least on the outside. Michael wonder if maybe the other shoe dropping will be that the inside of the place was horrible. Then he noticed a figure at one of the windows, behind a curtain that disappeared after a few moments. Michael didn't feel, nor see with his eyes, a person was there. At least not a living one. Okay, the place is haunted. If two other flaws at this level turn up then I'm relieved.

Usually if you can find three flaws in something too good to be true, that would usually be it. How bad those flaws were, was a different matter, but the point is, if the other flaws in the place weren't too bad, then Michael had a feeling he can accept this place.

"Yep, I'm sure. I checked it out before buying and everything." Aqua answered his earlier question. "I have the contract with the correct listing and all." Aqua showed him the contract, and Michael was surprised to find, that yes, everything checks out.

Getting more suspicious.

"Sensei, can we enter now?" Megumin asked with her bags with her. Yunyun stood at her side, and Schwanhild stoically stayed in the background next to the Crimson Demons.

"It's...really big...and scary." Yunyun muttered.

"In a minute, Megumin." he said back like the parent to an impatient child. "Yunyun, this is gonna be your new home, so don't think of it as big and scary, but as spacious and full of fun surprises to be discovered." Michael said to the nervous girl.

"Y-Yes!" Yunyun replied with a bit more cheer, now being reassured, and excited by Michael's words.

"Okay...good." Michael said to Aqua as he crossed his arms, then stared in restrained frustration and intrigue at the manor. "You know, even if you used the money you got cabbage quest, you would still need Darkness's share to just straight up buy a house like this." He said, trying to sound like he wasn't digging for information.

"Oh yeah, when I told Darkness that if I lose all the money, you would be mad at both of us. She said she would take all responsibility and gave me all the money right away." Aqua pumped her chest in pride at her 'smart' thinking.

Darkness currently wasn't present, as she was called back that morning to her family home. Something about a meeting with another noble family that required her.

Darkness assured Michael that she will reject any marriage offers, and return to his side to continue being his student. She slipped up and said 'slave' first.

Michael asked Darkness to please not trouble her father, and to just get married. She refused (admittedly he only told her to 'get married' in annoyance to her equating her tutelage under him to delicious masochistic abuse).

"Please don't be proud of that." Michael deadpanned.

"Hm, hm, hm," Aqua gave a reserved noble lady's laugh.

"Don't do that either." It creeped Michael out. "Okay, so you had more than enough money for a down payment. But something like this should have cost more than a few hundred mil at full price." He pointed out.

"Oh, but when there were several factors on why it's price was lowered." Aqua raised one finger. "One, the place is has a reputation for being haunted."

"Hmm, so nothing out of the ordinary." Michael supposed haunted mansions shouldn't be a big deal in this world with Priests. "Why is that a big deal?"

"For a while, it seemed like spirits kept reappearing no matter how many times they're exorcised. However, that's mostly because of the lonely ghost girl living here calling them."

"You can tell all that, Lady Aqua?" Asked Schwanhild.

"Of course, as a Goddess and an Arch Priest, I'm an Anti-Undead Expert." Aqua raised her hands which began to glow, and closed her eyes. The girls awed at Aqua's performance. "Yes, I can see her. She was a child born in this mansion from a tryst from a noble making a move on the maid, partly in fun, and that illegitimate was confined here. Her father had a weak constitution, and when he died from an illness, the mother also went missing. The girl stayed at the mansion, and died of the same illness as her father."

Looking around, and Michael saw the disappointed reaction from Megumin, the polite disbelief of Yunyun, and even the ever steadfast Schwanhild looked like she thought Aqua was just making stuff up.

Seeing the reaction, Michael decided to end the demonstration of Aqua's priestly prowess. Mostly for the sake of Aqua's reputation.

"She died lonely without ever knowing her parents' faces. The girl's name was Anna Filante Estheroid. Her favortie things were dolls and adventurers' stories. She isn't a bad girl though. Oh, wait, while she's a child, she likes things that are a bit--" While Aqua was getting into tell the lonely ghost girl's story, Michael interrupted by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Aqua."

"Eh?" The glow from Aqua's hands receded, and she opened her eyes to look at Michael.

"How about leave the Anna's story for later. We have a long time to get to know her, if we're gonna live here. So, you said that ghosts were the first reason why this place was cheaper. That shouldn't have been an issue for a while now though."

"Yeah," Aqua nodded, then slyly smirked. "But they probably didn't realize that though. They likely thought the place still gets haunted."

"...That's a bit legally dubious, but okay." He turned to look at the mansion. "Although why is Anna still around?"

"She's probably tied to the place, so she didn't end up dragged into the spirit purifying field at the nearby graveyard." Aqua replied.

Huh, so graveyard is near this place. Likely the second reason to why it's cheap. Michael thought.

"Err, Sensei, you sound like you believe Aqua about the ghost girl?" Said Megumin.

"Oh, there is a ghost girl in the mansion. I saw her through one of the windows, but that's not relevant right now." Michael said nonchalantly and turned to Aqua. Michael ignored how every one of the girls in his party present--sans Aqua--went ramrod straight and pale faced. "Okay, any other reason for the low real estate?"

"...Nope. None that I can think of."

Michael gave a dry look at the obvious lie. Aqua was looking away, trying to whistle innocently and failing, and she started sweating bullets.

"Oooooooii!"

And then at that moment, Michael heard a voice that had him wishing he was hallucinating.

Please tell me that's not reason number three. 

He opened his eyes, and with dread matched by the three girls next to him, he turned to look a certain Axis Priest coming out from behind the end of fence, next to their new home.

Michael walked back a few paces to see if there was a building next to his possible new home.

He dreaded it. He wanted to run from it. Yet it was there.

A decrepit old Axis Church.

Now home to one lolicon..."appreciative" nun, Cecily.

That was the third reason the price on the mansion dropped.

"Hello, neighbors!"