Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Seeing that Shard didn't understand any of this, Priest Augustus stopped walking, and together with Shard, they looked out the window at the morning scenery of Dawn Square:

"Shard, you obviously can't supervise the workers all day at home. Though the construction team I recommended is reliable and won't cause you trouble, how will you handle any issues during the construction process? Have them report daily? And do you really feel comfortable letting a group of strangers stay in your home?"

"This..."

Old Cleric patted Shard's shoulder:

"Ah, young people are really not reliable in these matters. In that case, I will assign a supervisor from the church as your representative to assist you with the house maintenance during the construction process."

"Then how should I pay him? Daily or weekly?"

Shard immediately asked.

"Salary?"

Priest Augustus looked at him curiously:

"Why would you pay a salary?"

"Hmm?"

"The church helps believers, and most of the time, it does so without a salary. Not to mention just supervising; even if you want to find someone to perform an exorcism or to participate in a church-organized believer's fellowship, or to officiate your wedding or funeral, would you expect the church to charge you?"

Actually, they would charge a little, but very little.

"Rejed's Hamilton, you are a core believer of the Dawn Church in the Tobesk Parish, there is no need to talk about money over such a matter."

The cleric concluded the conversation and led Shard to find someone to help. Young priests and nuns passing by in the corridor greeted Priest Augustus respectfully, as he held high prestige in this parish.

"However, since your house is known as 'the Haunted House' under the church's name, if any issues arise in the future, it's better not to handle them 'yourself' but to involve the church instead."

He emphasized some of the words, and Shard nodded in understanding:

"However, once I've lived there for a few years and it remains incident-free, No. 6 can no longer be called a haunted house, right?"

"That's hard to say."

The priest wasn't optimistic:

"Look, the former detective, Sparrow Hamilton, also lived there for three years before anything happened. So, if you want to prove that your house isn't a haunted house, you need to live there longer than Detective Sparrow did, and be able to move out healthy."

Shard calculated; he had only lived at No. 6 for two months. And if he wanted to sell the house at the same price as his neighbors', he would have to stay there until at least the summer of 1856 of the Common Era Calendar.

"However, I have great confidence in you. Your current situation represents a process of rapid asset appreciation. This is more reliable than any investment, even more than the most profitable investment projects rumored among the nobility—the participation in exploration groups venturing into the New World—not to mention the real estate returns at Saint Delan Square."

Priest Augustus said with a smile, which deeply resonated with the outlander:

"Yes, I had forgotten, it's not just the house, the real estate at number six is also mine... Indeed, no matter where, no matter in which era, real estate is always the most stable investment," Shard Hamilton remarked.

"It's not easy for young people to realize that," the Old Cleric responded, stroking his chin.

Since the Outlander had no house in his hometown, he had no experience in maintaining and renovating buildings.

He had thought it would be a simple matter, just signing the formal contract and meeting the supervisor sent by the church. However, once construction began, he had to make decisions on a myriad of issues regarding the layout of the house, because in addition to restoration, he also wanted to renovate it.

Moreover, that afternoon, Miss Galina's horse-drawn cart team transported loads that clogged half of Saint Delan Square, nearly causing traffic chaos in the nearby blocks.

Shard had not expected that Miss Maid would bring him so much furniture. All he wanted were simple wardrobes, beds, and tables, yet the maid had even chosen the styles of the curtains, the gas lamps, and the oil paintings on the walls.

The furniture was first delivered to the basement, waiting to be arranged after the renovations were complete.

Apart from the furniture transport team, Miss Galina, on a whim, also hired masons to redecorate the walls and fireplace of Shard's house and sent carpenters from the manor to make shelves and a few bespoke pieces of furniture for him.

Thus, the masons and carpenters, who usually maintained noble manors, convened with Shard's renovation team recommended by Priest Augustus, along with the gas company and Steam Company's pipelayers, and together they agreed on a brand-new house renovation plan.

Of course, there were no additional charges, as Shard had already paid a premium.

Due to these complex and chaotic matters, Shard spent all of Monday busily tending to his house with his cat, without a moment's rest. This was even more tiring than adventuring in Coldwater Port, where he at least had some downtime.

Fortunately, the house renovation documents were approved. Someone had spoken to the officials at the city hall on Shard's behalf, and all documents were stamped and filed in one day.

By the evening, when everyone had left number six, the specific plan for maintenance and renovation was finalized. Thereafter, they just needed to follow the plan, and as long as there were no heavy rains that could affect the roof's waterproofing, the project was expected to be completed within the week. Then, all the rooms at No. 6, Saint Delan Square would be fully accessible to Shard.

The extensive renovations, although they did not require Shard to pay extra, had still attracted the attention of the neighbors. Although Saint Delan Square had no neighborhood committee, renovations that might cause prolonged noise and the presence of strangers required the consent of the neighbors.

So, that evening, Shard, carrying a proposal form, visited his neighbors. Due to his unusual working hours, it was his first time meeting them.

The residents of number five were Elder Mr. and Mrs. Smith, both in their fifties, who owned three small dogs. They politely invited Shard for a cup of tea and, upon learning that it was only a minor renovation, signed their names on the document.

The couple knew Detective Sparrow, who had lived there for three years, but they only learned of his recent demise through Shard. After all, when the detective had been alive, he was not very close to the neighbors.

As for Mr. Elder Smith and Mrs. Smith, the former was a retired civil servant who had previously worked as a secretary at the Kingdom Treasury Department. The medals framed on the walls were all honors he had received, among which Shard recognized the "Draleon Iris Knight Medal," "Saint George Loyalty Medal," and the "Kingdom Special Contribution Medal." In the Draleon system of five levels, the first two were Level Three medals, and the latter was a Level Two medal. This indicated that Mr. Smith was no ordinary department secretary before his retirement.

Mrs. Smith worked for a non-profit public welfare department in Tobesk City, belonging to the category of volunteer workers who receive the minimum wage.

Their two children also lived in Tobesk but had started their own families, so they only visited occasionally.

The Smith couple knew about "Rejed's Hamilton" and praised his loyalty, wishing to invite Shard for dinner, but he politely declined.

From the conversation, Shard also learned that the elderly couple had seen him before but had never spoken to him, so they naturally accepted his takeover of the detective agency.

It was a good thing that Detective Sparrow had not allowed the previous owner, Shard, to interact too much with people; otherwise, someone would definitely have noticed how drastically Shard Hamilton's facial features and demeanor had changed in just a few months.