The house for the four of them, no…… the five of them including Alistair, was indeed big.

  “It used to be a magic tool shop. See,” Kyaro pointed after we’d entered the house. It certainly did look like a shop; there was a counter that looked like it belonged in a bar, behind that were several shelves, and below that were some shelves with locks on them. Also, there was another door, and there were some counters in front of the counter at the back, and I could see that goods were supposed to be put there.

  Currently, everyone’s belongings were tossed messily in a corner.

  “And at the back of the shop is, up you go,” Kyaro carefully placed me on the counter. My body was definitely that of an infant because I got excited when I sat in high places.

  “Lei likes high places,” Clyde bragged.

  “Really?! I’ll put her on my shoulders next time.”


  “Wyaro shmaww.”


  “Stupid. Being short has its perks for being. Hey Lei!”


  He got a little angry. Kyaro hopped near the counter, then he went inside and held me on his left before opening the door.

  “Woah!”


  “Right? It’s a little dirty, but we’ll clean it later so you can play here.”


  In the square room that was as big as 33m

  , there were built-in shelves, miscellaneous tools packed away, and tables and chairs near the back. The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the whole room.

  “Dushthy.”


  “Haha. Well, we don’t really use this room at all. We’ll need to clean it first.”


  “Ai.”


  “Next is the quarters.”


  “Aai.”


  We went out from the counter, and this time, he opened the door next to the counter.

  “Here’s the dining room.”


  “Wow, ah, aai.”


  “What’s wrong?”


  Kyaro looked at me, which was in his arms.

  “Dirthy.”


  “Huh, really?”


  “Oiw shthicwy.”


  “But we do wash the bowls.”


  “We’ll prepare a chair for you.”


  “Ai.”


  “Say, Lei, don’t you want to walk?” Alistair fidgeted as he said. I looked at the floor. It was sticky.

  “Don’th wanna.”


  “Cause, don’t you wanna walk upstairs? The bedrooms are on the 2

  floor.”


  “I’ww go!”


  I had Kyaro put me down in front of the stairs.

  “Alistair, don’t worry. I won’t take your Lei,” Kyaro said while laughing.

  “I-it’s not like that. But, Lei likes walking. Right?”


  “Wiwe wawwing.”


  “See?”


  But a test was waiting for me.

  The stairs were dirty.

  “Lei, what’s wrong?”


  “Handsh wiww geth dirthy. Cawwy.”


  “Oh well, fine.”


  Alistair held me while smiling and continued up the stairs while Kyaro giggled behind us.

  After we’d climbed the wide stairs, there were several doors on both side of the hallway.

  Alistair explains while putting me down, “Before the shop closed down, they had a lot of employees and apprentices, so they made a lot of rooms for them. So we still have a lot of rooms left even if we have our own rooms.”


  “This is my room.” The room Alistair pointed at was right next to the stairs. When he opened the door, I saw a snug room with wooden pillars and ceilings with white mortars on the walls. He had a simple bed, a small writing desk and a chair. The room looked big only because he had very little belongings.

  “Lei, you can stay with me, alright?”


  “Lei shweep awone awwaysh.”

  was what I was trying to say. But Alistair bent down and hugged me.

  “It’s okay. I’m here with you now, so you’re not alone,” he said.

  “If you get tired of Alistair, then you have me.”


  “Me too.”


  Kyaro and Clyde, who were peeking in the entrance, said.

  “Clean your rooms before you guys say that.”


  “Shyt.”


  “I don’t want to be told that.”


  The room filled with laughter because of Alistair’s rebuttal.

  “Let’s make a small bed.”


  “Yeah. Let’s try making one during our breaks.”


  Alistair turned around and said, “Can I help?”

  While I was worried, Bart said, “Hey, our food’s here.”


  “Food!”


  “It’s food!”


  Kyaro and Clyde shouted as they ran down to the first floor. Alistair and I looked at each other and laughed. This time, I slowly walked down the stairs without holding his hand.

  “Should we put in hand railings?”


  “We should.”


  That was also Kyaro and Clyde. I looked at them curiously, and Kyaro pointed at himself and said, “We’re carpenters.”

  “Eberywon hunther.”


  “Oh, Lei’s smart,” Bart grinned.

  “But you know, you can’t be a hunter when you get older. Hunters earn a lot, but there’s no guarantee it will last you your whole life. That’s why a lot of hunters have other jobs when they’re not hunting. And they continue to do that job when they retire from hunting. By the way, I work at a magic stone shop,” Bart said shyly.

  “Bwed.”


  “Yeah, we’re going to make it for you,” Kyaro said, and Clyde nodded.

  “Me? I help out at a restaurant. I’m a chef.”


  “I haven’t decided yet, but I’m helping at Brendel’s magic stone shop.”


  “Lei?”


  An awkward silence filled the room.