With Kayla's bout of sadness the mood changed and as any good businessman would, Leeman tried to recover the situation. "...Well, maybe a new home is what you need to brighten your mood!"
Whilst the sentence itself neither improved nor worsened her mood, Kieran grunting with disbelief before clipping him round the ear, did make her giggle even though it was a bit forced.
"...It's fine really, I do want to see it and I think a new home would be nice." It was a thinly veiled attempt at hiding the fact she was hurting and Jonah could see it better than anyone.
He knocked on her head lightly as though it were a door and picked her up. "Lies are bad child, it is natural to feel sad in the wake of loss, do not mourn, I assure you it is the quickest path to wasting your life."
Kayla leant into him and he couldn't help but feel hypocritical again, afterall, wasting his life because of loss was exactly what he had done. Aside from that, he also felt horrible, he felt like he was trying to convince her to give up on going home.
He didn't have time to dwell on it though, the others started filing into the house and the moment he stepped inside, he was a little concerned about how quickly he refocused.
The door opened into what must have been the lounge/entertaining area Leeman had mentioned with a staircase to the left that led up to a balcony with chest high balustrade. It was a good-sized space, rectangular with the width from the staircase to the right wall being about nine metres and five metres from the front door to the back wall.
In the back corner to the right was a door, that Leeman said led to the kitchen and private dining area and the another that opened to the space beneath the staircase which he explained led to the basement area.
When he asked what they'd like to see first, the three of them decided to start at the bottom and work their way up.
It was incredibly dark until Orcette's bucklers started glowing bright enough to render the candle that Leeman was retrieving redundant. "...These bucklers you made me are great Jonah, shame you can't bless my weapon though."
"You can bless it with primordial energy when you get the hang of it, now lead the way please."
The descent was quick, but it was a bit awkward for Jonah to keep his wings furled tight enough to not drag them down the wall.
"Hey, Jonah, should I pick up the feathers you're losing?"
"Try to avoid them, we'll collect them on the way up. Leeman, would they be acceptable as payment?" Jonah clearly asked it as a joke, but it didn't stop Leeman from nearly falling down the stairs and taking it seriously.
"Surely you jest! To take a piece of the heavenly realm as payment would be blasphemy a-" He was silenced by Kieran squeezing his shoulder.
"Of course he was joking, you idiot, now keep moving before you drag us all down the stairs." Kieran laughed.
"Actually, could you two please go and inspect upstairs for us? We can't distract each other that way." Jonah said, if only to make good on his word to create an opening for Kieran.
"Right, sounds like a plan, we can't all be swayed by the salesman's silver-tongue that way." Kieran laughed, jumping onto the excuse quicker than he probably meant to.
"Okay, if that's what you want, we can swap after and we'll borrow that candle to come down and inspect the basement after you."
"Sounds good!" Orcette called back, before wishing them both good luck under her breath.
The space was much larger than they expected and sensing their positivity, Leeman moved into his sales pitch. "Ah! nice to see you all so pleased, since we didn't see the kitchen/dining area, you didn't see how far back the property and its private garden stretch..."
He explained that the basement spanned the entirety of the property boundary, all one-hundred and thirty-five square metres of it, most of which was open space bar a few stone pillars for support.
At the far end of the basement, there was a walled-off section with two doors. "...That walled-off section is the toilet, on the left and the bathroom is on the right. If I had to guess, it would take roughly ten silver for basic bath and finalising the plumbing and heating."
"How much for a luxury tub out of curiosity?"
"Ha! Any tub is a luxury, but I believe the artisans have recently begun selling them made of enamel or some such material. I confess I'm not an expert, but to my knowledge, I believe they are roughly five times the standard price which would bring it to forty-two silver."
All three of them remained silent, but he could see from the determined nods that they seemed stalwart in their desire to own the best bath tub they could above anything else.
"Right, well..." Leeman wanted to change the subject and decided to gamble on the likelihood that they would enjoy what he considered a sophisticated toilet that the house boasted. "...If you like that, I'm sure you'll be ecstatic to know that the toilet is also top of the line."
He opened the door to reveal the "toilet", which was just a wooden bench with a cushioned ring surrounding a circular hole. An incense burner also hung from either wall, which was indeed considered a luxury... Unless you happened to have come from a sophisticated society with flushable toilets.
"I think we need to speak to the artisan about the toilet." Jonah said, destroying what little understanding Leeman had of their standards and priorities in the process, especially as the other two agreed with what sounded like urgency.
"Well, so far we're off to a good start, just needing a couple of tweaks." Orcette offered, seeing his bewilderment.
"Are we?..." Leeman asked, feeling like it was his first day on the job, but cheering up a bit. "...In that case, let's go and see the upstairs!"
The others smiled and followed as he recovered some of his prior optimism and hopped ahead to lead the way back up stairs before remembering that Orcette was the one lighting the way.
As intended, they gathered the feathers on the way back and as a bit of personal growth, Jonah was able to keep his wings furled tight enough to avoid losing more. It was strange, but he found that they moved independently from his arms, which meant he was actually having to adjust to a whole new group of muscles that responded to his subconscious as much as his consciousness.
As they emerged, they couldn't help but notice the smiles on Lottie's and Kieran's faces, but decided that was between them.
"How did it look upstairs?" Jonah asked them, not shying away from the double entendre.
"What!?..." Lottie shrieked momentarily before realising the true meaning of his words. "...Oh, right, it looks good, no wood rot or mortar cracks. We did notice one of the balusters was a bit loose, but that isn't a bad thing, if there is ever a fire blocking the stairs, you can just kick that out and drop down."
"Thanks, but maybe we should mark it to avoid someone falling accidentally." Orcette said as she looked at Kayla.
"Splendid idea! It would certainly be a handy escape and I know adventurers and the like are fond of escape routes in case of emergencies. Why don't you three explore up here, I believe Miss. Helman will be more scrutinising of the structure than my last tour group."
It was clear that Lottie and Kieran were about to ask what that meant, but the trio in question simply said "Sounds good, I think we can show ourselves around."
With that they quickly went to explore the kitchen and dining area, which was far from humble. spanning the width of the property, the kitchen was simple, but equipped with a log oven, good amount of bench space for prepwork and dishing up and a double-door larder.
The dining table could easily seat ten, but was only surrounded with eight chairs to provide a spacious seating arrangement.
As for lighting, every metre or so of the ceiling was lit overhead by the same cradled lanterns they saw in the guild's dining area and directly opposite the door was another that opened into the Garden that was more like a deck made of slabs, but would be perfect for summer gatherings.
They were pretty much already sold and just waiting to hear Lottie's foundational report, which they could hear her forming as they stepped into the entry lounge where her voice echoed up to from below.
"Sounds like she's going to be a while, so why don't we go look upstairs?" Orcette grumbled, a little bit ungratefully Jonah thought, considering how accommodating everyone was being.
"Yeah! Can I pick my room please?" Kayla asked as though they had already brought it, which made Orcette start asking that first question again.
"We can go look at all of them, but I don't actually sleep apparently, so I'll just take whatever room is left, or the smallest since I also don't have weapons or armour to display, maintain, or the equipment for those things that need somewhere to be stored."
Orcette suddenly realised why Jonah was so early and eager to go, having still been too asleep to really register when he spoke about it earlier and apologised if she seemed apathetic to that predicament.
Jonah just laughed it off, then led the way upstairs and opened the door right at the top, which opened into a room approximately four metres by five with a balcony big enough for a small table and a single chair.
With no furniture it seemed pointless venturing in too far, so they moved to the second door that was dead centre of the property, which opened into a room three metres by five with the same balcony.
"Who wants to bet the next room is about two by five and has a balcony?" Jonah quipped as they moved to the far right of the building and he opened the door, being proven right immediately.
They all chuckled about it when the streets suddenly came alive with the rhythmic hoofbeats of horses, which seemed to excite Kayla. "Can we go see the horses!?"
"Best not, they might be important and we don't want to be seen as a nuisance. We might end up getting our own horses though, chances are we'll go exploring, or travelling with the guild before long."
"Yeah, I guess, at least I know there is a stable somewhe-" Kayla was interrupted by the sudden blasting of trumpets and everyone below practically stumbled over each other getting to the top.
"Was that trumpets!?..." Kieran shouted, continuing the instant they nodded. "...Downstairs, outside and follow my lead. Now!"
The three of them followed orders without question, but as soon as Kieran opened the door and stepped out three steps, he made to kneel before being stopped.
"Don't you dare kneel to me Kieran, not right now!..." The speaker marched past the frozen mid-kneel Kieran and right up to Jonah, Orcette and Kayla. "...You three, I owe you a debt!"
The man was clearly an important figure, one who wore finery unlike anything they had seen thus far, but something was definitely familiar. The crest that rested on the left breast of his tailcoat was one of those represented on the heraldry hanging around the courtyard.
"Lord, apologies, due to the events yesterday..."
"No matter, first of all, you refer to me as Roderick. My full name is Roderick King-Mason. I am a duke and you sir, saved my poor boy..."
Jonah considered the words and situation, but decided it could be a test and chose honesty. "Apologise Roderick, I am Jonah, an angel as you can no doubt tell and these are my charges, the Orc, Orcette and the human girl, Kayla. I fear however, that I simply don't know how I supposedly earned your good graces."
"Are there lingering effects?..." Duke Roderick looked about as if in search for an answer on the faces of those present or even the building they were viewing. "...No? The bloodied feather Lord Jonah, it lifted the curse that had plagued my cousin, though my wife and I raised him since infancy and so he is more like a son."
"So, that's what he meant by "popular man"..." Jonah looked into Roderick's eyes and measured him.
His clothes and the way the others acted were proof of his station, as was the intricate heraldry depicting a craftsman carving a statue wearing a crown.
His hair and facial-hair were both well tended and trimmed neatly, his bold eyebrows gave his eyes a depth that made it difficult to tell if they were piercing you, pulling you in or both. While his physique and posture would have been a clear sign of military service in his old world.
"...Apologies, I find myself undeserving of such thanks, Lord Roderick, I sought only to help whoever most needed it when I gave the feather to Lucas. I didn't set out specifically to save him in that instance so accepting thanks for doing so would be a lie in a sense."
Jonah was trying to decline politely, getting caught up with a noble ranked as high as a duke was sure to have advantages, but at the same time, it would inevitably strip them of any anonymity.
The issue, was that declining outright would have undoubtedly offended that same high-ranking noble.
"Roderick, accepting a reward in exchange for that bloodied feather would be akin to using them as currency, a blashephy I simply refuse to-"
"Orcette, you are his charge, no?" The sudden change of approach made Jonah uncomfortable and for a second, his wing twitched to shield her from him, until she pulled it down gently.
"I am Lord Roderick, as is Kayla. here" Orcette was overly aware of the fact that she hadn't actually received direct permission to address him casually, so she made a point of using his title.
"Oh, nevermind the titles, I did mean all of you when I said to call me Roderick. I find myself in a good mood, from what I was told at the guild, you are here to view the property? How did you like it?"
"Truth be told we loved what we saw, we had yet to hear Lottie's assessment of structural integrity though."
"Nevermind that..." Roderick looked past them all into the property. "...Unfurnished, simply won't do. Miss. Helman and Mr. Locke, you are to get a sense of their tastes and vision and then accompany my attendant to the furniture store and if necessary the laborers guild to arrange for repairs or modification."
Lottie then surprised them and spoke out, she didn't have his thanks as they did, neither did she understand their reluctance to accept and yet she felt she owed them enough in light of a discussion with Kieran. "Duke Roderick, sorry, I can't assist with forcing this on them."
"Miss. Helman, you are a good friend, but you misunderstand. This is no longer thanks or gratitude, this is now simply me maneuvering to win our kingdom a boon in the form of a charitable angel's presence. Surely an Angel can't deny his charges a place to call home."
Suddenly his attendant stepped forward. "Sir, do tread lightly, that last sentence bordered on heresy..."
The attendant was a man in his mid-thirties or early forties, similar to the duke himself but whereas the duke was large and military, the attendant was more lanky and bookish.
His ensemble was more similar to what Leeman was wearing, except the colouring matched the Duke's heraldry and the crest was displayed proudly across his torso.
"Lord Jonah, may I please make a proposition without my Lord's enthusiasm and forcefulness?"
Jonah was already feeling like this was going to end up in a distasteful situation if they didn't, so he agreed to listen.
"What he failed to mention and what is likely a petty mortal affair beneath your understanding, is that if he fails to reward the man responsible for saving his adopted son, it will undoubtedly become a mark on his reputation.
As gracious as you are, I'm sure you will help others and if they believe your kindness has gone unrewarded it could become a political matter later on, one I'm sure that we would all rather avoid.
There is also the matter of a country to the west, known as Avalon, a theocratic nation dedicated to worshipping the heavenly realm. If they decide that we have been treating you poorly, there is a chance for much graver political complications."
Jonah had to wrestle with himself to hide his joy. "Truly? I didn't know, my origins as an Angel are somewhat unique and mostly unknown to me. I am almost entirely ignorant of this world and its ways and was unaware of those points.
If it is agreeable and necessary to avoid larger complications, I will accept your gift and would also like to make a further request."
"Name it." Roderick said bluntly, clearly overjoyed by the sudden U-turn and beaming with gratitude towards his attendant.
"As was just proven, I could have caused an international incident, I would like some books and tomes with which to educate myself. A copy of a territory map stating regime and relationship to this kingdom would also be beneficial so I can avoid accidentally approaching an unfriendly territory with my charges." Jonah stated the request as eloquently as he could.
"That sounds very interesting, but if you have mysterious origins, you wouldn't be able to tell me more. As for the materials, I'd say his majesty would insist on you receiving them, better than angry Avalonians at any stretch. We will see it done, so as I said before..."
Lottie and Leeman both bowed and then the Duke smiled and disappeared as quickly as he had arrived, leaving his attendant behind shaking his head.
Jonah could sense the emotions of everyone who was peering through windows to investigate the commotion and Jonah bowed to apologise for the early morning disruption, but then the attendant stepped forward and done so as well, essentially pushing responsibility onto the Duke's house.
"Apologies for my anonymity, Lord Jonah. I am Duke Roderick's attendant, Calum Mason. I am his Uncle in actuality, my wife and I raised him..." Calum stopped and cleared his throat. "...Apologies, I won't bore you with what you will soon read about. Now, why don't we discuss your vision for your new home."
For the most part, Jonah stayed quiet, but when it came to his room he asked for the the balcony to be replaced with a ventilated extension so that he could have an alchemy station installed, some ingredient organisers and a bookshelf and draw.
"...An alchemist Angel? Surely your concoctions would be highly valued."
"If I do make anything for resale, I would rather give the sales rights to a trusted alchemist, Dubio maybe..." Jonah pinched his chin thoughtfully. "...I hope he is trustworthy, but I'd need to vet any candidates fully. The wrong choice could cause a slew of other issues. Regardless, my chief objective is only to while away the girl's sleeping hours and see them well supplied with basic treatments."
The girls had much more specific requests for the private rooms and communal areas, but aside from his room, he also took control of the kitchen which he simply said, "Just make this space as functional and well-equipped as possible.
When they finally got to the bathroom and toilet, that was the first time they all had exactly the same vision and left Calum with the same sense of confusion as they had given to Leeman.
"Well, I'd say we're just about done here..." Lottie sighed, before looking around to make sure nothing had been overlooked. "...Kieran, why don't you head back with them to Lucas, we'll try to have everything ready for them upon their return."
"Yeah, that sounds good. Leeman, it's been a pleasure as always. Calum, please tell Roderick patrols have been dispatched to scour the woods and rivers as per Jonah's recommendation. Lottie, I'll see you later."
With that, they both became lightly flushed and Kieran headed out ahead of those he was supposed to accompany.