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「Lorenzo! Thonvir! Over here!」

Oleena called to us from a table in the leftmost corner of the room.

I carried my bowl of mushroom stew and mug of water and followed her voice alongside the boy.

The longhouse felt a little more cramped with the people we rescued. A grand total of 106 slum dwellers would typically populate this spacious building.

An additional four trestle tables were added to accommodate these new arrivals. You had to practically squeeze your way through to the spot you were pining for.

「Where's Ysolva?」

Thonvir's eyes darted around as he asked.

Oleena was the sole person there, along with some kids I vaguely recognized.

Everyone was neatly dressed in the colorless woolen clothes all the village kids donned.

「She already went back to the dorms. Said she was full after a single plate.」

「That girl hasn't been eatin' a lot lately... I wonder if she's ill...」

「You're probably overthinking it. She seems like the type to have a small appetite.」

The worried boy and I sat down at a table beside a few other orphans. Like a high school mess hall, the cliques tended to be defined.

The Sentinels, the normal village adults, the recovering rescued and the children all gravitated to one another early on; our groups were set in stone.

「Maybe she's on a diet?」

My unsolicited opinion was greeted with laughter from the curly-haired girl.

「More likely she's afraid of you Lorenzo! I don't see why Ysolva would slim herself down!」

「Hey, you never know. She is reaching that age right?」

「Can you believe this guy, Thonvir?! He seriously thinks that—」

The boy's blood visibly ran cold. He played the part of an overprotective brother swimmingly.

「If she's tryna slim down... it has t' be a boy right..? Has she grown up that much without me knowin'? What if she's goin' t' see him now..?」

「Uh Thonvir..?」

Oleena tapped him on the shoulder as he was preoccupied with false ideations of his sister.

In truth, I found it highly unlikely that Ysolva was doing this for a boy.

After all, through months of observation, I came to realize how much she avoided those of a male persuasion, save for Thonvir of course.

A fear of men explains why she's afraid of speaking to me... even after all this time...

Both Oleena and Thonvir were unaware of the fact though.

「Excuse me. Sorry. Don't mind me. Could ya move a lil'? Thanks.」

As our idle conversation was interrupted by Thonvir's mini-breakdown, our resident healer paid us a visit and sat beside us.

He was not one to conform to this tidy arrangement of groups.

「Oh, Maksa. What brings you here?」

「Mm, just wonderin' if ya'll stop by th' infirmary later. I'm lockin' up early if there are no visitors.」

「Hmm, I'm sure those two would want to stay there for a while. Right Oleena? Thonvir?」

I confirmed with the girl, who shifted away from Thonvir and nodded in response.

「I don't know about Thonvir, but I'm certainly visiting mama tonight.」

After two years, her mother had still not woken up. She was one of the only four people who stayed comatose following treatment.

Maksa assured us her life wasn't in danger, but I could tell Oleena was heartbroken.

Even then, she trudged on, hopeful that one day her dear mama would open her eyes once more.

「Mm. Noted. Also, Lorenzo...」

「Yeah? Is there something else?」

「I ran into Melyn while walking here. Said she needed to see you by the underground dorms.」

「Huh... did she also leave dinnertime early? Is there some diet fad going around?」

Maksa shrugged and took a spoonful of the mushroom stew.

I stared at my bowl and thought about the origins of our current food source.

The Hlanu District...

It was shortly after the drug factory raid incident.

The topic of the Lakua food shortage and rescued slum dwellers was brought up during the ensuing emergency District Master meeting.

I wasn't present, but ostensibly the Viridescent Queen and Shadow Blade vouched to aid the Lakua District even before Rysef had fully explained the situation.

Out of pressure from these two, the rest immediately followed suit.

90% of the food we consumed to this day came from other districts. Asthos' hunting team and the thief division Sentinels barely contributed as a result.

It made me sick to the stomach.

Rysef had transformed his former master's district into a dying faction entirely dependent on the other District Masters.

I angrily scarfed down the stew and stood up.

「Lorenzo! Where are you going?!」

Oleena asked me as I attempted to trudge out. The urgency in her tone told me she was aware of my bottled-up frustration.

That girl knew me like the back of her hand.

「I don't want to keep Mel waiting. You should head on with Thonvir to the clinic.」

I forced a beam and exited the longhouse.

Every second I enjoy myself here is a second I'm assenting to this backwards set of circumstances.

Pole-mounted torches were lit up by patrolling members of the Sentinels. It illuminated the path ahead of me.

The village had stayed largely untouched in these two years. Only difference was the construction of a proper entrance to the Warrens in place of the old well behind Rysef's manor.

It was akin to a subway entrance—a stone stairwell connecting the surface to the tunnels below.

Upon reaching the underground corridor, I happened across Melyn. She was sat down against the wall and had fallen asleep while waiting for me.

A small puddle had formed beside her. The thief girl had a habit of not properly drying her hair. The droplets continued to fall as her head leaned to the side.

She's not exactly mature herself. Her 17th birthday is coming up and she's still no better than a kid.

I sat down beside her and took out my handkerchief. Wiping her glistening green locks came second nature to me.

There was a saying I heard once—"idiots don't catch colds". It was mere superstition, but one I was inclined to believe after living with this girl for so long.

「Mmm... Zozo...」

She mumbled in her sleep before resting on my shoulders.

Splat!

With no warning, my left sleeve was drenched. Irritated, I lightly whacked Melyn on the head to wake her up.

「Oi! Get up, you slob! You're ruining my clothes here!」

「Mmm... hm..? Zozo..? How long have you been here..?」

「Never mind that! Just get off me!」

The thief girl, dazed, sat up and rubbed her crimson eyes.

「Where's... Ysolva..? She was here a minute ago...」

「Ah, she was with you?」

「Yeah... we were talking about ways of losing weight...」

So it was about dieting...

The sconces showered the room in a warm and inviting light. I could see how she could doze off as easily as she did.

「That aside... Maksa said you needed me for something?」

Her yawns echoed through the hallway.

「Ah... I just wanted to say sorry for kicking you in the loins and laughing at your expense. I panicked and lashed out like a wild animal when you almost did me in. The adrenaline prevented me from apologizing back then...」

「Huh... Rare for you to apologize.」

「Well... this time... I felt like I'd regret it if I didn't let you know now... A bad feeling like that manifested then... or something.」

An odd whim of hers, but an indicator of how far we've come as partners. Gone were the days she'd ruthlessly smash in my gonads and make fun of me senseless.

It was a development. A development I deeply appreciated.

「I never take offense to anything you say, Mel. I can take a joke you know? Even if you're being ridiculously irksome, I'll brush it off as a Melynism. Or something to that effect.」

「Melynism eh..? Are mom jokes out of line then?」

「T-that was different okay? It was a matter of TPO. And wait... Oleena totally ratted me out on that, didn't she?」

She giggled as I scratched my head in embarrassment.

「In any case! Don't forget Thonvir's touching speech back then! Let's not overdo it with the apologies and stay good friends who can dish out good banter, okay?」

I jokingly huffed.

Splat! Splat! Splat!

Following that, Melyn mercilessly cuddled up to me.

「Idiot! W-what are you doing?! You're getting me wet! Even dogs know to dry themselves!」

「Come on Zozo, I haven't done this in a long time! Cut me some slack! Ehehe...」

「Don't "ehehe" me you mop!」

Soon, I gave up and allowed myself to drown in her affection.

「Say Zozo... I noticed this back when we were fighting, but you're getting pretty tall. No wonder my attacks didn't hit as well...」

「Where's this coming from..? It's been that way for a while. I overtook your height last year remember?」

「Still can't get used to it, you're less of a little brother now and more of a big little brother...」

「Sure, sure. After you're done huddling up against me, could you dry my clothes with a heat enchantment or something?」

「Eeeh? That takes effort though...」

Whap!

I bopped her on the head and lent her my handkerchief.

And on that note, another peaceful day passed in the Lakua Village.

With the upcoming meeting looming over me, I inevitably had to grease up the rusted gears of fate.

That night, I tossed and turned in my sleep, ill with a sense of foreboding. It wasn't enough to deter me, but it did invoke an unfathomable uneasiness within me.

Somehow, from the depths of my heart, I knew the climax was nigh.

And I'd be the one to unveil it with an iron conviction.

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