Buying A House

"What do you think, Tinka?"

"The house is a bit pricey…" Tinka couldn't help but say, not wanting to burden her husband too much.

Rinka had no concept of money, so she naturally wasn't concerned about this, but Tinka naturally wasn't the same.

"Don't worry, I'll find a way." Minos smiled, taking his wife's hands into his own, his gentle smile filled with confidence, as if to say her worries were unnecessary.

"Honey… Okay!" Tinka finally agreed, causing Rinka to let out a yelp of joy.

Laughing, Minos paid the first deposit before signing the contract and receiving the keys from the young lady.

"Would you like me to give you a tour of the home?" The young lady asked.

"No need, it's already late so I'd rather not waste your time." Minos smiled, declining gently.

Looking at the small family leaving, the young lady couldn't help but look at Tinka enviously, wondering when she would meet such a handsome man willing to take care of her.

Of course it would be better if the man was a little bit more rich, but if he was as good-looking and tall as Minos, she would be willing to let that slide.

…

Meanwhile, just as the sun was about to set, the family finally arrived at their new home, Rinka running inside with flailing arms.

Flicking the light switch on, the medium sized living room was relieved, already furnished with a few basic items.

Looking around, Tinka couldn't wait to refurbish the entire home, but realizing Minos's money predicament, she held back her words, knowing that if she said anything, Minos would immediately make it come true.

Her husband was already paying a hefty price on the rent, so she decided to make do with the place as it was for the time being.

After the family gave the living room a quick inspection, they headed through the rest of the house, checking each room.

"Dad, I want the room with the big window facing the backyard!" Rinka said, having fallen in love with the room the moment she walked inside.

"Then it's yours." Minos said, pinching his daughter's chubby cheek.

Giggling, Rinka ran off to her room, wanting to immediately get to work making it her own.

"I guess that leaves the master bedroom to us." Tinka said, gently running her finger up and down Minos's chest.

"I guess so." Minos smirked, picking Tinka up in a princess carry causing her to giggle, before heading to the room.

…

The next morning, the family woke up bright and early for breakfast, gathering around the large dining room table.

"What's the plan for today?" Tinka asked as she enjoyed her honey-covered bread.

"I'm going to head to the Office of Immigration and see what I can do, in the meantime, you guys go out and have some fun." Minos said, handing a large bag to Tinka.

"Shouldn't we come with you?" Tinka asked, not even looking at the bag.

"No point, I still have to figure out what exactly we need to do in order to qualify for permanent citizenship, and heaven only knows how long the wait will be. Besides, the house still needs plenty of work." Minos smiled.

"Work? What do you mean?" Tinka asked.

"Why don't you look in the bag." Minos said.

Listening to her husband, Tinka opened the bag, revealing the glimmering shine of hundreds of Nux Stones.

"My heaven's, how could you give so much!" Tinka said with astonishment.

"The furniture in this place is a bit shabby, and both you and Rinka need new wardrobes, after all, you're city girls now, I can't have people looking down on you." Minos laughed.

"Honey, this is too much, take it back." Tinka said, pushing the bag back to Minos.

Gently taking her hands into his own, Minos looked into his wife's eyes gently for a moment before finally speaking.

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do…"

"Then don't worry about money, I'll figure everything out, just go out and have fun." Minos smiled, rubbing his wife's hands softly.

Seeing the confident smile on Minos's face, Tinka finally gave in, taking the bag back under Rinka's cheers.

"Yay, with so much money we can buy a thousand bags of candy!" Rinka said happily.

"This money was earned with your father's sweat and blood, we'll only use it for the things we absolutely need!" Tinka scolded, causing her daughter to shrink back down.

"Don't be so harsh, what does a little candy count for?" Minos said, rubbing his daughter's long head of white hair.

"Fine, but only a few pieces!"

"Yay!" Rinka said, happy at anything.

"Well then, I'll head out.Take care." Minos said, giving each of his girls a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

"Bye dad!" Rinka said, waving fiercely.

"Take care honey, and try to be home in time for lunch!" Tinka added.

"Got it." Minos said, waving behind him before shutting the door.

…

Back on the streets, Minos asked a few people before finally determining the location of the Office of Immigration and heading directly towards it.

Seeing the large building, Minos was about to head inside, but just before he stepped through the door, a man reached out to stop him.

"Do you need something?" Minos asked.

"Hey buddy, no cutting in line." The man said.

"Line?"

Hearing the questioning in Minos's voice, the man pointed behind him, revealing a long line that stretched out for hundreds of people, causing Minos's jaw to nearly drop.

"You mind telling me how long you've been waiting?" Minos asked.

"Hmm, all in all, I'd say about three months." The man answered.

"Three months!? How did you keep your spot in line that long?"

"Just head to the back of the line, there's a person from the Office of Immigration over there who will give you a stamp which you can use to save your spot in line."

"If that's the case, why not just wait at home until your turn comes?" Minos kept asking.

"Hahaha, if only it was that easy! The Office of Immigration will check the line occasionally, and if you're unlucky enough not to be there, they'll cut you from the list and you'll have to start from the back." The man replied.

"Damn, is there really no other way?" Minos couldn't help but ask, not wanting to spend three months waiting.

"Of course, but that isn't stuff peasants like us can access. But if by any chance, you're related to one of those higher ups, you could get citizenship in a snap, just don't forget about me if that were to ever happen." The man laughed, clearly joking.

"Thanks for the advice." Minos said with a sigh, before heading down the long line towards the back.

While walking, Minos couldn't help but think of other solutions, not wanting to waste three months just for a slight chance of getting his application accepted.

Reaching the back of the line, Minos found the Office of Immigration person that fellow from before had told him about.

"Are you here to join the line?" The man asked.

"I am, but I also have a few questions." Minos smiled, not forgetting to slip a few Nux Stones into the man's hands discreetly.

"Oh? Go ahead and ask." The man smiled, tucking the Nux Stones into his clothes.

"I was just wondering if there was any way to avoid this line?"

"Hmm, there are a few ways, but each one's pricier than the last. First, you could just hire someone to stand in line for you, of course, if you want to avoid the wait completely, there is a way…" The man smirked, rubbing his fingers together as he did so.

Realizing what he was asking for, Minos slided him a few more Nux Stones, and only after giving him a dozen was he satisfied.

"Well, if you really don't have the time to waste, you don't necessarily have to apply for citizenship, instead you could head to one of the guilds and have your skills verified." The man said before continuing.

"If you can obtain a Four-Moon certificate, then not only will you automatically be given an offer of permanent citizenship, but so will your family. Not to mention all the other perks that come with a Four-Moon Certificate."

Of course, even though he said all this, he didn't think much of Minos, not that he knew him, but rather, how rare was a Four-Moon auxiliary cultivator?