I had barely dropped on one of the couch-like seats of the living room of my current home, only catching my breath and feeling a wave of calm for this so-called errand to end when I heard someone knocking on the entrance door.

{Who the fuck is it?} My thought was reasonable, especially as the only people I expected, and wanted to meet, would definitively not knock. And indeed, why would Kierra and Angelique knock if they had the key and had no idea about my premature arrival?

Obviously, my mood wasn't the best as I opened the door - why would it be? After all, I planned to rest and calm for a bit, as well as to think about why the two meetings went so smoothly as they did - but my half-scowl and prepared tirade, disrespectful and probably misdirected, were quickly replaced by a smile and a welcoming gesture, "Soni, Dart, come on in, don't stand at the door."

***

While I had already learned that Sonifreda was anything but shy and reserved, unlike Azar thought and told me, I had not expected her to come along with Dart to express her thanks for the escort I provided. But she did. Still, after the words of gratitude and my refusal to take any money for this so-called escort task, I noticed no intention from her side to leave. And that made me recall another facet of the horned, red-skinned woman in front, {She knew Aison and Arxibiela! She also mentioned buying their stuff before. Which says that..?} Following this thought, I arrived at another one, nothing else than the logical conclusion of what I learned from our previous interactions and my current knowledge- {She may be a member, hidden as Aison himself, of the [Royal Hounds]!}

"Soni, you should know that I hardly did anything but just travel along-" Emphasizing the [should] part, I made a pause to check on her reaction, which amounted to nothing, actually, "-so while I am happy to receive your, misdirected, thanks, I know you did not need to come here to give them. So, I will ask you directly, what did you, you two, come for?"

"Ehh-" It was interesting how a red-skinned demi-human blushed, her already red face tinted by a tinge of a harsher crimson as she did, yet even if it looked bewitching, it confirmed that my question hit the spot.

To her defense, I should say that she regained her calm quickly, thought her following words were just another signal for me that the visit was hardly one of mere thanks, "I should have brought some wine, shouldn't I?"

"...ah?" Yet again, Soni lost her calm as I summoned a small gallon-like container of wine along with three wooden cups, all with a nearly unheard whisper of the [Storage] spell, giving the impression of it appearing from thin air. Though, to be accurate, it did appear from thin air! As for using [Storage], that was a sensible choice. Wasn't it? No reveling of anything, not of my secrets, at least!

"Well, the wine you didn't bring? I do carry." As I looked directly into her purple eyes, I repeated my previous question, "Now, tell me, what did you come here for?"

I should be able to call it intuition, but I am unsure if the word can apply to just a simple guess based on the presence of both Soni and Dart for these unrequired thanks of hers or theirs, if we consider Dart to have anything to thank me for, maybe expect the food. In any case, that doesn't matter. What does is that even before Soni, having drank nearly a liter, two big cups that downed the gallon-like clay jug by over a fourth, revealed what she wanted from me, I had imagined it to be something like that.

"Arx promised to help me with the registration of Dart here in Megvuroz, part of why I rushed his buyout and the escort..." Sonifreda, while filling her third half-liter wooden cup, again went silent, now to chug this a new portion of wine.

But this time, I didn't wait, interrupting her half-said plead, attempting to confirm my guess, "But because of one of the situations happening around here, she is not able to, right..?"

A nod being the answer to my question, I continued, "And as you, by chance obviously, know about my four-person permit for this house decided to ask me to register Dart as a member of my household." With Soni already shaking her head and opening her mouth, I quickly added, already aware of what she would say, "And it will be temporary, just until you find someplace else. Right?"

Soni meekly nodded, her face blushing into that dark shade of crimson again as she did, "You are right, and yet, I don't know how to ask you about it."

"Why?" Honestly, I had no idea why she didn't ask me directly before bringing the wine up. After all, it wasn't like I would definitively say no. Or was it?

"You refused money for the escort!" Probably surprised by the question, Soni shouted out. But after a few moments, she forcefully calmed down, exhaled, and continued in a more calm voice, "If you had accepted the money, I would have at least a way to offer you something for this favor... but now?!"

"You could have just asked, couldn't you?" As someone who battled the need for papers before and more or less aware of what was a bought-out slave status, even if not having an idea of what was to be a slave, I only shrugged, still unable to understand why the rejected pay played any role in her will to ask or not.

"You don't understand, right?" Soni asked me in an exasperated manner as if she was trying to pull me through something nearly everyone should understand. Still, seeing that in answer to her words, I only shook my head - she blurted out, in something like a tired shout, as the ones meant for kids that don't understand something easy as hell, "But it is a favor! One that I can not repay you in any way, not now that you denied even money!"

"Maybe ask first? Only then confirm if I need something in exchange?" Yet again, I shrugged, but this time while taking a sip from the wooden mug that Dart had been so kind to fill up for me. {Pretty good for cheap wine!} Even if unrelated to what was happening, I couldn't notice that what the tavern servers mentioned as a cheap wine had nothing wrong. Far from the best, but it was neither the worst nor had any unplanned flavors, smells, or aftertaste. Am I getting a tongue for wine? Hell, who knows, right?

"But... But..! A favor is something to be repaid! And if I am unsure about it, what if you ask me for my body?!" As Soni turned into an even darker shade of crimson, Dart nearly choked on his wine, his head turning towards her as his eyes went wide as if plates they were.

"...Not that I would be very against it." She nearly whispered these last words, but I did hear them, though I would choose to ignore them, no matter how attractive, even with her size and non-human traits, Soni was, answering as if I didn't hear anything, "And what if I would say that the favor would be free from any cost?"

Still, with her not answering and me feeling like teasing what was an attractive woman, no matter if she was my height and probably slightly more muscular than myself, I looked into her purple eyes while adding, "I wouldn't refuse a date, but I will not ask for it just because of a favor, you know?"

"You!" Between her intonation and the glare she rewarded me with, I could be sure she didn't expect me to hear, or to answer, that last words.

"Your words, so what do you want from me?" Taking another sip, I found myself shrugging, repeating the same nonchalant action I overused so much today.

***

"It will be no trouble for me to register him, but for the living part..?" I had nothing against Dart, but as Soni explained her favor further, somewhere amidst my constant throwing her out of balance and her exasperation about it, the matter about him being present in MY (or our, with the girls) house was something unexpected, no matter how ready I was to help.

"And that is why I said I am unsure how to ask you, with no clear manner of repaying you." Puffing out a cloud of smoke as she smoked her pipe, Soni repeated with a mix of sadness and tiredness, this last one probably caused by my constant prodding.

"I understand, but I can't agree right away." Before Soni could add anything, I quickly continued, "It's not like I would refuse Dart to live in one of the empty rooms, but..." I paused, carefully choosing my words, as I had nothing against Dart or his silent presence. Only as I did, I explained my lack of agreement to the favor she asked me for, even if I myself said I would not really refuse or ask for payment for what was in my power to do, "...I don't live alone, so I would need to ask the girls first. You do understand they don't know him, and he's not the average roommate - no offense Dart - for bringing him in without asking."

***

In any case, by the end of our unexpected drinking session, one during which I actually summoned a second and then a third (and last) gallon-worth clay jug of wine, I tentatively agreed, from my side only, leaving the girls, something I am not proud of, to decide if Dart will be part of our household for his registration, and most importantly, if he would be able to live with us.

As I found out thanks to Soni, during our talk, any non-human, no matter if it was an accepted demi-human, or even a beast, required a citizen of the Kingdom, or at least a resident of one of the cities, to recommend the being, as well as house him, her, or it along with himself for a few months.

Only after 24 'weeks' or six 'moons' a non-human became a [Resident] like she herself was. Though, in the case of non-sentient beings, or at least non-fully civilized ones as beasts, the residence status was tied to the [Owner], [Contractor], or [Guarantor] for any of the many issues, including criminal and unbecoming conduct.

Not that I had to worry about that with Dart, considering he was good as any. Hell, if not for his muteness and the few visual-hitting details, I would take him as anyone else. Damn, he was probably better than half of the humans I met! No offense to him for comparing him to them, heh.

With half of the deed, even if she expected to get a complete answer, done, Soni visibly relaxed, even sending Dart out to bring more wine, using the money she prepared to pay me. Not that I didn't wonder just how she expected a mute to do so.

And while most of our talk after me passing the decision to Kierra and Angelique was random small talk, with things like weather (with me learning that the scalding sun was part of the usual [Scorching] of [Rophedoa] title and namesake month) and so on, it was when she sent Dart out that Soni touched a topic I myself started but never continued, "So, you wouldn't refuse a date with me, huh? Even with me being a [Horned One]?"

"Honestly?" Waiting for her to nod in response before answering, I said the truth, even if I did attempt to, somehow, mention Azar, "Why wouldn't I? You are attractive, so I would definitively ask you out if not for knowing someone who likes you. Oh well, and considering the latter a friend, sort of."

"Azar?" Women rarely missed their fanciers, and seemingly non-human ones weren't so far from it as Soni immediately understood who I meant. Yet, in place of saying anything about the only mage I was actually acquainted with, she only laughed, restarting the topic as if Azar's name wasn't even said, "But to not look at my race, or my horn, or everything else, aren't you a womanizer, eh, Lindar?"

"What can I say in my defense?" It wasn't like I didn't consider Soni like a woman, so my answer and wink were far more flirtatious than the one of a good friend. Blame my lack of anything but promises since I arrived! Failed promises, if I may add!

"Hearing that, I have to wonder why you didn't take the chance to get acquainted with the [Rope'graz]! They would have been pleased to meet someone with no qualms over race." Still chuckling, Sonifreda joked. Though, I am unsure that she meant it as a joke.

"Stuff happened..." Unsure of how much she did know, I resorted to the most manageable answer before adding the bits of knowledge I had, "And who knows what they would think of me! I am unsure Aison's words about their like of tall males were true."}

***

With wine coming and our talk being enjoyable, I didn't notice how quickly the time went on, at least not until Soni stood up, saying something along the lines of, "As lovely our talk was, we will leave now, with the matter of Dart's housing for the day still around."

She probably would have continued with something about how she expects me and the girls to answer as soon as possible if not for me noticing the reddish sunset light coming inside the room from the paired windows, "It is so late?! Where are they then?!"

"They? You mean the girls you live with?" Soni asked right away, but I didn't even pay attention, my mind replaying Arxibiela's words about them going to receive a simple cloth shipment.

{It can't take that long, can it? Xiela said they were to receive a shipment and then would come back, knowing I would be here by night, so..? Where the hell are they?! Did something happen?!} Having known Kierra for some time, I was sure she would think of preparing a feast or something, even if along with a lecture for me failing to return quickly, so indeed, it was impossible for them not to be around by the sunset - by now!

With Soni forcefully prying me out of my inner questioning and dialogue, I snapped from it to explain what I knew about their task. Still, seeing my state, probably my worry even latching to her, she took command, immediately deciding what to do, "I will Arx's, see if she knows something or if they stopped by her place. As for you, shouldn't you rush towards the east gate? The guards should know about the merchants that arrived, so ask them about cloth ones. See if you can find the one Arx mentioned!"

***

Soni's ideas and commands were good as any, so I didn't even think much about them, rushing out nearly as she said it, merely stopping for a moment as she called out to me, "Dart will come with you." She even continued with a command to the latter, one the guy accepted with a nod while putting himself right behind me, "Take care of him! Help in anything that is required. I and the others should be able to care of anything if you have to cross the line."