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"Maybe I'll buy a house."
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It's getting cold in the winter time.
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I was in Laura's house, looking up at the cloudy sky and muttering to myself.
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"Isn't Alphonse's house in New Barca Street?
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Laura, the owner of the house, replies to me.
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I shake my head in reply as I sip my hot tea.
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"That thing they call the Barca Palace, right? That's my house, too, but I'm thinking of having a house here in the Orient."
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"Yes, that's right. Now that you're a Protector, maybe that's a good idea.
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"Right? It would be easy to buy a plot of land in this city now. Before, I couldn't afford a house of any size, which is why I settled in an abandoned village outside the city."
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"But there's a problem with that."
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"What? What's wrong with me buying my own house in this town?"
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"What will Mr. Ai do? If Mr. Alphonse buys a house, will he leave?"
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"Well, I guess so."
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Hearing my words, Laura's face turns desperate.
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She looked as if it was the end of the world.
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Well, it's not like I don't know how she feels.
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Laura has had Ai by her side ever since she became a council member and started living here.
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She worked as a secretary to assist the new councilor, as a bodyguard, and as a personal caretaker.
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But recently, Ai herself became a member of the council and the chairman of the council.
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In other words, for Laura, the person who used to be her secretary has become her superior, rather than her equal.
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This means that she can no longer work as a secretary as before.
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That alone would be a hardship, and it would be even harder if she is also forced to leave the mansion.
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Ai's position has been raised externally since she became the chairperson, but inside the house, she still helps Laura with her work and consults with her.
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I'm also dependent on Ai, but I guess that means the same for Laura.
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"Well, but I think Laura is getting used to her job as a councilor, isn't she? You don't need Ai around all the time anymore."
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"Umm, okay. Yes, I understand. It's not good that you can't work by yourself forever. I think this is a good opportunity. But Ai, you will stay here a little longer until Alphonse's house is ready, right?
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"Yes. I think I'm going to be here for a while longer."
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I say this and try to convince Laura.
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It's going to be tough, but she'll do her best.
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Well, I'd better get moving.
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It's hard to move when it's cold.
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Let's just see if we can find a good place to stay.
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And so I decide to make a new base.
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* * *
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The Orient is a walled city.
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Houses are crammed together inside the walls.
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However, the distance between houses becomes wider and more spacious as one moves toward the center of the city.
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This is probably a remnant of the expansion of the original town.
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When I considered buying a plot of land in this town before, I could not find a place where mercenaries could live together.
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That is why I sought land outside of the city.
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But this time, it looks like I will be able to get the land.
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Apparently, a plot of land with a large house has recently been put on the market.
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It seems that a councilor used to live there, but he gave up the house after his untimely death or something.
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Thanks to this, it was rather easy to get a spacious house.
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What do you think, Mr. Alphonse? It was inhabited until recently and is well taken care of, that it is. The garden is large and there is nothing to disturb the surroundings, that there is not. I think it is a good enough place for Mister Alphonse to live, that it is.
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"It looks good, Mr. Banagher. Come to think of it, the buildings in my hometown and those in the Orient are quite different. Do people here prefer wooden houses like this?
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Yes, that's right. The scent of the wood and the view of the garden from the house are considered important, that they are. You might call it the harmony of the house and the garden. We may often evaluate the house by judging the two elements as a whole, that we may say.
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"Wow. So the garden is important, too.
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Of course, that it is. Look, take a good look, that you should. You can see that fine tree over there from this porch, that you can. But not only that, there is a small pond near the tree, which expresses that this is a peaceful place, even though it is in the city, that it is. Whether or not the house can be established as a scenic place rather than just a living space in this way is considered as the sensibility of the owner, that it is.
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I see.
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I'm more inclined to think that anything is fine as long as I can live in it, but it seems that's not the case.
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But maybe that's not enough.
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From now on, I, the Protector, and Ai, the chairman, will be here, and we may invite people.
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Some people may consider such sensibility to be a good character trait.
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I listened to Banagher's explanation with a nod of my head, not out of vanity or bluff, but because I thought it would be better to have a building with a certain level of prestige.
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This place is conveniently located close to Laura's house, so I think I'll just buy it.
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Besides, the garden was not the only interesting thing about this house.
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In addition to the garden and the building, the house also has a workshop.
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The workshop was used by the former owner of the house as a craftsman.
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Looking at the workshop, I had an idea about how to use the house.
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