I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 7

“Really? Why?”

“Because it’s cute. A little vegetable garden! It’s perfect for growing just enough crops to cover one person’s meals!”

Kais stared at me silently.

I met his gaze without looking away, facing him with equal enthusiasm.

Our staring contest continued for a while before Kais suddenly let out a snicker, bringing it to an end.

“You have remarkably modest tastes, don’t you, my dear customer?”

“I suppose I do.”

Pretending not to notice that he was making fun of me, I returned to our original conversation.

“So, I like this place. What are the conditions for moving in? Things like a down payment or a loan, for example.”

If I took out a loan, I needed to borrow as little as possible.

After all, reducing the burden of interest payments was the top priority if I wanted to settle down in the village quickly.

“Hmmm…”

Kais twirled his pen between his fingers.

He seemed to have lost interest almost immediately after realizing I wasn’t going to borrow a large sum.

“Fifteen thousand gold to buy it. The down payment is two thousand upfront.”

“Hmm…”

Fifteen thousand gold.

If my saved data had remained intact, I could have paid that amount without any trouble.

But right now, I don’t have a single coin to my name.

Keeping an eye on his reaction, I tentatively broached the subject.

“Would it be possible to… not buy it, but…?”

“Rent it?”

“Yes! Could I do that?”

In the past, once we’d grown a little closer, Kais had sometimes been the one to suggest that I rent a place instead.

I wondered if that would still work now.

“Why? Planning to rent it for a month and then leave the village?”

Kais asked with a joke that sounded only half-hearted.

“No!”

I vehemently denied it, then quickly continued.

“But I was told that no matter how small the amount is, I should be careful when borrowing money.”

“Who told you that?”

“My grandmother.”

The moment he heard my answer, Kais closed his mouth just as he was about to argue.

A moment later, he replied with a frown.

“…A thousand gold for the deposit, and fifty gold a month for rent.”

“A thousand gold…”

That was an amount I could probably borrow.

“It’s not much of a deposit, so I don’t see why you can’t borrow it right away. What do you think?”

“Yes. If you give me the paperwork, I’ll look it over.”

The moment I took the documents he handed me, I quickly skimmed the first line.

Let’s see. The interest rate is…

[Maximum Loan Amount: 1,000,000 Gold, Regardless of Creditworthiness]

My mouth fell open.

A million?

The cottage cost fifteen thousand gold, yet I could borrow up to a million.

If I borrowed the maximum amount, how on earth would I deal with the consequences? I’d never be able to pay it off, even if I worked my entire life.

The loan that had nearly driven me into bankruptcy before was much smaller than this.

Shocked by the very first line, I forced myself to concentrate and read the terms carefully.

[Purchase Loan: Building Purchased with the Loan and Labor Contract as Collateral. Interest Rate: 40%]

[- Repayment Within One Year]

[Security Deposit Loan: Covers Rental Deposits. Labor Contract or Creditworthiness Required as Collateral. Interest Rate: 20%]

[- Monthly Installments (Repayment May Be Deferred Up to Three Times)]

If I borrow a thousand gold for the deposit, that counts as a security deposit loan, so the interest rate is twenty percent…

I put my brain to work and calculated it in my head.

Assuming I only pay the interest and leave the principal untouched, that’s two hundred gold in interest every month. On top of that, I have to pay fifty gold in rent…

That meant my essential monthly expenses would be 250 gold.

Back when I first played the game, I’d nearly fallen into a mountain of debt after blindly accepting Kais’s casual suggestion.

The bitter memory of spending quite some time studying real estate terminology in the hospital afterward was still fresh in my mind.

“You’re giving it a lot of thought for a thousand gold.”

Kais’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked up at him and asked, “The interest is two hundred gold a month, right? And I have to pay fifty gold in rent separately.”

“That’s right. You can defer the payments three times without much trouble, so don’t worry too much.”

Kais tossed a cracker into his mouth and licked the crumbs off his lips.

“It’s not like I’m going to eat you alive just because you miss an interest payment, is it?”

He said it as though he were joking.

But what that really meant was that every condition written on the paper was genuine.

The interest rates weren’t this high before, were they…?

I couldn’t help feeling taken aback.

Can prices and interest rates rise in a game, just like in the real world?

After thinking it over for a moment, I came to a conclusion.

This world probably wasn’t exactly the same as the game I’d experienced.

For one thing, I could act freely without being restricted by the system. And the villagers’ reactions had become more varied and realistic, too.

“…Thank you for explaining everything.”

“All you have to do is leave your thumbprint—”

“Then I’ll come back once I’ve earned a thousand gold!”

Kais had been about to hand me the ink pad, but he stopped and raised one eyebrow.

“Earn it?”

“Yes.”

“How exactly does my customer intend to do that?”

“By working, of course.”

I didn’t know how prices were determined in this world, but the current interest rate was wicked enough that even my grandmother would chase the lender away with her cane.

“Then are you planning to keep living at Siad’s house until you earn it?”

“Don’t worry. I won’t impose on him for long.”

“Hah. You’re awfully confident.”

“Whether I borrow money or not, I still have to earn it myself, don’t I? I might as well work hard.”

My confident answer drew an amused snort from Kais.

I placed the documents on the desk and sprang to my feet.

“Then I’ll see you again soon!”

Leaning back against the sofa, Kais stared intently at me before waving his hand.

“Take care, my dear customer. If you ever find yourself freezing to death on the street, feel free to come back and borrow some money.”

“That won’t happen. Goodbye!”

Click.

I walked out with my head held high, then carefully closed the door behind me.

If I accidentally broke it, I might have to pay for the damages.

The moment I stepped outside, I let out a long sigh of relief.

Wow. Thank goodness I checked the terms beforehand.

Originally, I’d planned to borrow the deposit and rent the cottage if the interest rate wasn’t too high…

But there’s no way I can manage those terms.

I’d decided it was better to save up the deposit through some clever means rather than recklessly borrowing money.

I went downstairs and returned my visitor card.

“Here, I’d like to return the card.”

“Thank you. Have a nice day.”

By the time I left the tavern, accompanied by the employee’s friendly smile, the sun was already beginning to set.

Looking up at the beautiful sky, I made up my mind.

That’s right. Let’s work hard and earn some money.

Peace, relaxation, and leisure. I could only truly enjoy them if I had a home and money.

Whether this was a game or reality.

I stood there absentmindedly admiring the sunset until I spotted the clock tower and suddenly came to my senses.

“Oh, right! I need to get back!”

The clock’s second hand was approaching six in the evening.

I couldn’t break my promise to Siad that I’d return early, so I sprinted home at full speed.

“Huff… Ah, I’m exhausted…!”

Panting heavily, I bent over and braced my hands on my knees.

How many years had it been since I’d run hard enough to leave myself this breathless?

Unable to hide my excitement, I opened the door and stepped inside. The house was quiet, with all the lights turned off.

“Siad?”

Dong—

The sound of the clock tower’s bell rang out in the distance.

Dong— Dong—

It had to be the six o’clock chime, but the house remained silent.

I switched on the lights and called for him again.

“Siad?”

There was no answer.

“Did he go to the herb garden?”

I decided to return to my room and change my clothes first.

Hmm… If he weren’t home, wouldn’t he have locked the door?

Although the lights were off and the entire house was silent, it didn’t have the peculiar chill that usually settled over an unoccupied home.

I went looking for Siad’s room and stopped in front of it.

A plaque bearing a cross hung on the door.

Sensing a faint movement inside, I knocked with the back of my hand.

Knock, knock.

“Siad? Are you in there?”

Just as I was wondering if he might be asleep, I heard something fall to the floor inside the room.

Then came a gentle voice I could never have mistaken for anyone else’s.

“Would you please wait a moment?”