“Ah, let me explain... For starters, no one can live in Lycoris without the right of permanent residency. Those without may stay here for a certain amount of time, but once that time passes, they must choose to either extend their stay or leave. Extending one’s stay costs quite a bit of money, and on top of that, visitors do not have the right to purchase their own home, nor are they allowed to build anything anywhere within our territory.”
“So, by having the right of permanent residency, I’ll be allowed to have my own house, even outside the town?”
“Exactly. It’s quite dangerous outside of town, though, so I doubt anyone would want to build a home out there. But housing aside, the most important thing is work. Only permanent residents are allowed to work a job for an extended length of time. Their lodgings will also not be limited to inns.”
“I see... They really are treated as guests, then.”
“Right, though there’s nothing wrong with being a guest, of course. Residents have a duty to pay taxes, and in return, this town—and I—furnish the population with guards to protect the folks living here, and their livelihoods as well.”
“I think I’ve gotten the picture about permanent residency now. But I do plan on going to the royal capital one day, so I don’t think I’ll need such a thing.”
“But you do wish to live here for some years, correct? Rose has taken a liking to you as well. I’d be more than happy if you chose to stay in Canna. Besides, even just granting you the right is meaningful on its own. We’ll issue you identification papers, and you’ll be able to call this place home. Of course, you’ll still have to find a way to pay for your living expenses, but I believe you’re strong enough to do whatever you wish even if you choose to live outside city limits.”
“Doing...what I wish, huh?” Had it finally come to me? The slow life I’d been longing for even back in my past life, before I’d reincarnated?
“Lycoris is a vast land, its bountiful wilderness stretching far and wide. It’s so immeasurably extensive that even I’m not certain I have a grasp on exactly how large it is. This town is nothing but a tiny part of it. So long as they had the drive to, a person with permanent residency might even build a village of their own outside these walls.”
“What? That’s allowed?” Now this was a surprise. Could I really start a village from scratch? And was it actually all acceptable to grant a foreigner like myself permission to do that, especially so casually? I mean, someone could easily get out of hand if they were allowed to do whatever they wanted.
“Well, it would be a problem if you played at banditry or something like that, but it would actually be quite convenient if you did some trailblazing. I suppose it’s a bit embarrassing for me to say this, being the governor of these lands, but the cost of opening up the wilderness for development is quite heavy indeed, both in terms of money and manpower. It would be to our benefit if someone else managed all that. And if a new village was founded, the taxation would improve our cash flow, and that would in turn improve our citizens’ lives. It’s a win-win situation—assuming such a project is successful, of course.”
Now that he’d explained it, I could see the logic. If the citizens themselves could reclaim the land and develop it further, then it would reduce manpower and financial costs for the government. Even if the attempt were a failure, there would be no onus on the governor to take responsibility or financial losses either—though I guess it sounded bad, putting it that way. Conversely, if it was successful, their purse would only grow fatter. There would be a need to expand administrative duties, but I doubted that was difficult to do for a small village.
“So, I do hope you’ll accept this gift of permanent residency. But don’t worry, I’m not intending to force you to help with land reclamation or anything. It’s not as though having permanent residency means you must obey my every order. I simply think it’d be wonderful if you could help, and I’m certain that having the right to reside here will eventually help you in turn. Even if it doesn’t, it’s probably still worth having.”
“Lord Lycoris... Thank you so much. I’ll accept this courtesy you’ve given me.” I bowed to him, honestly expressing my gratitude. It was exactly as he said—having permanent residency would one day be of use to me. After I reunited with Azalea in the royal capital, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take advantage of my status as a citizen here in Lycoris and start my new, slow life.
“Then I’ll have the documentation prepared for your residency issued within a few days. Until then... Right, yes. You may feel free to stay at my residence.”
“Here, in your manor?!” I was startled.
“Oh my, oh my! Father, that’s a wonderful suggestion!” Rose gave Claus’s offer an enthusiastic round of applause. Unfortunately for me, however, my eyes were wide-open in surprise as sweat began to drip down my face.
It was true that I could keep expenses down for a lot of things by staying at the manor, and I wouldn’t want for anything while I was here. The manor was in the center of town, so it’d be easy to get to the adventurer’s guild no matter where it was located. But still, wasn’t he being just a little too trusting with someone he’d met only hours earlier? It was a little nerve-racking for me to be staying in a manor full of unfamiliar faces too.
“Oh, please do say you’ll stay, Lord Hisui! We’ll have everything prepared for you—your meals, your baths, and even your room.”
“Uh... I don’t know. I don’t think I could impose quite that much...”
“Come, it’s no trouble at all. I know I’ve said this quite a few times already, but you’re our savior. You needn’t be so reserved. In fact, what if we have your sisters come here to stay for a while as well? We’ve plenty of spare rooms,” Claus insisted.
“Wha?!” Was he really saying he’d have rooms prepared not only for me, but for Armeria and Cosmos as well?! That cinched it, then. Whether Claus really wanted to pay me back that badly or just thought I was useful to keep around, the offer was simply too good to pass up.
Besides, I’d kinda been intending to take advantage of him from the start anyway... Though now, it was a little less of me taking advantage and more of him practically begging me to take advantage. And since he wanted me to, I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about it. I wanted to get Armeria and Cosmos out of that house right away too. Mngh...
I turned the offer over in my mind for a while. Claus and Rose simply waited quietly for me to finish my deliberations and give them my answer. It probably took a solid five minutes. I’d tried to decide as quickly as I could, and the answer I arrived at was...
“Thank you, Lord Lycoris. Please let me take you up on your offer.”
I ended up succumbing to the temptation.