At precisely nine, Casper started from Backlund to view the properties. Inside the carriage, along with them Dyrch too accompanied them.
Casper was seated towards the rear of the carriage, his eyes half lidded in thought. Adem leaned against the window, bored, while Sera sat quietly beside Casper, gloved hands folded in her lap.
Dyrch was seated at their front, his back facing the wall off the carriage.
The carriage rattled forward, gray buildings flashed past them as the morning fog was starting to clear out.
Finally, the realtor cleared his throat lightly. "We'll be visiting the southern property first," he said, drawing their attention, "It's the closest of the three."
Casper gave a faint nod, barely acknowledging the man, instead his gaze drifted outwards.
He watched a group of young children darting around, their laughter muffled by the heavy bustle of Backlund. Further down the block, an elderly woman struggled with a heavy crate of wilted greens, her back hunched by decades of unglamorous labor. Beside her, a young man in a frayed coat hurried toward a factory gate, his face one of desperation.
Ahead, two girls no older than Adem wearing an ironed school uniform were hurriedly dragged by their mom.
Casper's expression hardened, he let out a heavy sigh as he averted his gaze away from them.
How many? he questioned himself, How many will die from my selfish desires. I could easily warn the Churches about the smog, hell I could even intervene and try to stop it.
...But I'm too weak… far too weak. Interfering in these matters will only result in my death, so, I can only run. He thought with a self depreciating chuckle, I'm damning everyone here for my own survival.
Casper's fingers tightened imperceptibly.
The smog would roll in and the Churches would act. The Lord of Storms would eventually blow the air away, and the Evernight Goddess would descend to destroy the catalyst of this entire event.
But not before hundreds — maybe thousands — choked in their sleep, or woke coughing blood, or simply stopped waking at all.
He could easily walk into the nearest cathedral and confess about the approaching catastrophe. Perhaps his message would allow the Church of the Lord of Storms to dispel it early.
But the moment he opened his mouth in any meaningful way, he would draw unwanted attention.
He would be captured and tortured at best… or he might turn out like Antigonus, becoming their helpful omniscient puppy at worst.
He was no hero nor did he claim to be one, in the end Casper was human — and humans were nothing if not selfish.
The carriage jolted to a halt, snapping Casper's mind back to reality.
"The property is just ahead, Mr. Walsh," he said professionally, "we've repaired quite a lot of the damage. The only thing remaining is repainting it and some minor carpentry on the upper floor. The structure itself is perfectly sound."
"Let's see it, then."
The door swung open.
Immediately a sharp blend of soot, river mud, and briny air struck him at once.
Casper stepped down first, he straightened his coat, his expression shifting back into its normal amused state. Adem followed, stretching his arms as if shaking off the carriage ride, while Sera gracefully descended last.
The house stood before them behind a wrought iron fence.
It was larger than most residences in Backlund. The house itself appeared intact and well cared for. Aside from the faded paint along the outer walls and a few exposed beams near the upper windows, nothing about the house seemed particularly amiss.
The roof tiles were properly aligned, the chimney stood straight, and the windows — though old — were unbroken. Fresh boards had been fitted where necessary, their lighter color standing out against the older wood.
Dyrch unlocked the gate and led them inside.
The front yard was modest but clean, the ground recently leveled and cleared of debris. A narrow stone path led to the entrance, where the door bore faint scorch marks.
Inside, the house felt surprisingly ordinary.
The sitting room was spacious, sunlight filtering in through tall windows. The walls were bare and had to be fitted with a new coat of paint. Along the ceiling, wooden beams showed signs of recent carpentry.
"The fire damage was concentrated mainly on the upper floor and kitchen," Dyrch explained. "Most of the repairs have already been completed."
Casper walked through the rooms at an unhurried pace, his eyes taking in the details. The floors were level. The walls were straight. And there were no creaks.
Upstairs, the restoration was more apparent. A few rooms had unpainted walls, and the scent of fresh wood lingered in the air. Some railings and door frames were clearly new, fitted carefully but left unpolished.
Adem glanced around, impressed. "Although it's unfinished, it's quite impressive."
Casper turned towards Sera and asked with a gentle smile, "What about you, Sera? Do you like it?"
After a brief pause, she too shyly nodded.
"Me and Adem can play here comfortably!" She said happily.
"I like it too," he answered simply after a brief glance.
Casper's reasoning was quite simple.
The second house was out obviously. He only had a debt of 900 pounds to collect and his current assets didn't exceed 50 pounds. A price of 1050 pounds was simply too expensive.
The third house was quite far away from Backlund, although it would provide them with sufficient protection against the smog. Travelling to and fro Backlund would cost him a hefty sum.
As such he was more inclined to buy the first house if the restoration was sufficient otherwise he'd purchase the third one.
But lo and behold, the first was indeed suitable to purchase!
"We'll take this!"
Dyrch immediately nodded, "Sir, this house costs 910 pounds."
Casper nodded, "Okay," after a moment he added, "When do you estimate the repairs will be fully completed?"
"Within ten days at most," Dyrch replied without hesitation. "That includes repainting, polishing the carpentry, and final safety inspections."
"That's acceptable," Casper said. "We won't be moving in immediately."
Dyrch visibly relaxed and made a note on the documents in his hand. "In that case, once the payment is settled, we can proceed with the transfer of ownership. The Association will also ensure the remaining work is supervised properly."
Adem wandered toward a corner of the room, already imagining how he might use the space. Sera followed closely, peeking into one of the adjacent rooms.
Seeing this, a pronounced smile appeared on Casper's face.
"When can we sign the papers?"
"This afternoon, if you wish," Dyrch answered promptly. "Otherwise, tomorrow morning at the latest."
"Tomorrow morning," Casper said after a brief pause. "Have everything prepared."
"Of course, Mr. Walsh."