However, when the residents of the Fish Market District saw Durin appearing in his mage robes, their eyes were filled with surprise and confusion; they couldn't understand why a mage would show up in the Fish Market District.
As Durin smelled the air thick with the scent of cheap beer, the sweat of men and women, and low-grade perfume, and saw the groups of laborers in crude canvas trousers and sleeveless pullovers lining the streets, he suddenly realized he couldn't use his old way of thinking anymore. His status was different now, and he needed to rent a room that befitted his current identity.
Thus, Durin left the Fish Market District and began searching through the streets and alleys of the Harbor District.
Until he passed the entrance of a single-story house and spotted an enticing rental notice posted on the pitch-black metal gate.
It read: One bedroom and one bathroom for rent. The bedroom is approximately 10 square meters, exquisitely decorated, with cooling equipment for summer and hot water for winter. 6 silver lun coins per month. Priority given to doctors or mages. Interested parties may contact via communication tube.
communication pipe contact address: House 45, Gryllweir Street, second pipe.
Although the rent in Piltover was four times the price of the room Durin had rented in Zaun, the room was larger and featured high-end renovations.
Most importantly, this was Piltover, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold—comparable to first-tier cities like Hangzhou or Shanghai before his transmigration. The rental ads posted on public bulletin boards had even more outrageous prices; for instance, a room of the same size with basic furnishings cost 8 silver lun coins a month simply because it was located in the Academy District.
In comparison, 6 silver lun coins a month for a room in the Harbor District was already a fair price.
Yet Durin still hesitated, feeling the rent was a bit expensive. After all, expenses would increase significantly after becoming a Mage Apprentice, and he still hoped to save where he could.
Durin lingered in front of the iron gate for a while when suddenly, the sound of a latch turning came from the pitch-black, metallic gate.
*Creak!*
A middle-aged man with slicked-back black hair and a thick beard walked out with a woman carrying a bag.
Durin overheard their conversation, which seemed to revolve around phrases like "Can the rent be any cheaper?", "This is already the best price," and "I can't do anything about your daughter's problem."
After the middle-aged man said goodbye to the woman, he noticed Durin lingering at the door and asked, "Hello sir, are you looking to rent a room? I'm the landlord of this building."
Durin sized up the man. He wore a white shirt under a gray vest, with miniature cogwheels decorating his collar.
Though his attire exuded a middle-class temperament, a deep weariness was hidden in his gaze, and there were obvious dark circles under his eyes.
"Yes, I'd like to rent a room. I was wondering if there are any vacancies?" Durin replied.
"There are." A flash of excitement flickered in the man's eyes as he asked with some uncertainty, "Are you a Mage Apprentice?"
His gaze had fallen upon the dark bronze badge on Durin's chest and the gray mage robes he was wearing.
"Yes," Durin didn't intend to lie about this. "Is there a problem?"
"Of course not. It's like this: I have a daughter who recently came down with a strange illness. Her emotions are quite unstable. I've taken her to many doctors and used the most advanced equipment for check-ups, but the doctors all say there's nothing wrong. I thought that as a Mage Apprentice, Mr. Durin, perhaps magic might have a way where science has failed."
The middle-aged man sighed and explained, "So, if Mr. Durin can solve my daughter's strange illness, I'm willing to lower the rent and lease to you long-term."
Lower the rent?
Durin was somewhat surprised and asked, "Could you tell me how much of a reduction?"
"First, regarding the rent, you can choose to pay weekly, monthly, or yearly—I can give you a discount for a full year. The weekly rent is 1.5 silver lun coins, the monthly rent is 6 silver lun coins, and for a year, you can just give me 2 gold cogwheels and 18 silver lun coins."
"If you can help me solve my daughter's strange illness, I can give you a 15% discount on the monthly rent, or a 30% discount on the annual rent. That's the best offer I can make," the middle-aged man said, staring at Durin with a sincere attitude.
That much of a reduction?!
This was too good a deal!
Durin quickly did the math. A 15% discount on the monthly rent would be only 5.1 silver lun coins. A 30% discount on the annual rent would be only 46.2 silver lun coins, which averaged out to only 3.85 silver lun coins per month.
In a place like Piltover, the City of Progress, this price was practically giving it away!
But the always-cautious Durin still had some doubts and asked, "What kind of strange illness does your daughter have?"
"Sigh, it's just that my daughter... she can hear voices, many, many voices!" The middle-aged man let out a long sigh, his voice slightly raspy. "These aren't external sounds like we hear; she keeps saying she can hear the voices in everyone's hearts, that everyone's soul is a song. Heh, sounds absurd, doesn't it?"
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