CH 101

My daily routine starts with Riche’s morning stroll, then taking care of the livestock and tending to the fields just before noon. After lunch, I renovate the house at Canum, catch some of the black spirits deep in the forest at dusk, then name them in my house in the evening. I hole up at the library whenever it’s raining.

I have tea with Ash once every three days, and a drink with Dean and Retze once every two weeks.

The sanctuary in the forest is still untouched, but Roza and the chief members of the Gold-rank party already went to the citadel city, so I resumed my activities in the forest.

I’m not sure if I’m busy or not, but the days passed by in a blur, and Dinosso’s family finally arrived. The spirits never contacted me, so I guess they were more or less safe, but nothing beats seeing them in person to feel reassured.

「 Hey. 」

「Wait… You! 」

I greeted Dinosso’s fam with a smile when they visited, but he covered my mouth and dragged me into the house. The three kids were looking at me dumbfounded.

「No, that’s not it! Shiva! 」

So he made a mistake, huh. I did question why he had to attack me.

「Yes, dear. — Children, hush, okay? Now, Jean, let us bother you for a bit, alright? 」

Shiva said while shifting her gaze from us to the children.

Hmpf, so he made a mistake with whose mouth to cover, huh. Is it because the kids wanted to say something?

「Haaa……」

The entire family entered the house, and after Shiva closed the door, Dinosso let go of me before collapsing and sighing deeply.

「Jean! 」

「Jean! Why?」

「Jean! How did you get here!? 」

The kids came swarming towards me when Shiva released their shoulders.

「You, just try to hide a bit, will you…」

Dinosso looked tired.

「Nah, I think they’re already aware that I moved out. Besides, if they ask around here it’ll definitely be exposed that I’m here. 」

「Argh!…Is this your house? 」

「Yup, in a sense? 」

I patted the trio’s head as they nuzzled their heads on me as they beamed..

It’s been a while since I felt somebody’s body warmth. Well, maybe it’s more accurate to say that I barely have memories of being hugged, much less hugging somebody else. I have a faint memory of clinging to my Grandma way back before, but that’s it. Most of them are made with this family. Oh, that drunkard Dean isn’t counted, though!

「In a sense, huh… You… Even though I told you to hide. 」

「It’ll be a pain in the neck trying to hide from my friends, no? 」

「Yeah~… 」

「Now, now. Jean, since when did you come to this place? Is it okay with you if we say that we met you a few years ago? 」

「Erm, lemme see, I think it was last year, around autumn? Wait, was it summer? 」

I have been teleporting here and there since I came to this world, so my sense of seasons has been quite a mess…

It was early winter when I came to the island, but if I remember correctly, the seasons have changed since I was teleported to my house.

「Then, let’s just say we first met more than a year ago. Tina, En, Vak, if somebody asks when was the first time you met Jean, just say that ‘it was long ago’, or ‘back then’, alright? You can’t say the exact date, okay? 」

「Okay! 」

「Yes! 」

「Yeah! 」

Shiva warned the kids, and they enthusiastically agreed….Sorry for the trouble.

「Alright. How about a meal? 」

「Done. 」

「Oh dear. If I knew Jean would be here, we wouldn’t have eaten. 」

Dinosso answered me curtly, while Shiva held her cheek with one hand and said with regret.

Well, people don’t visit other people’s houses on an empty stomach, I guess.

「I’m gonna eat! 」

「If it’s Jean’s cooking then of course I can! 」

「I also want a spoonful! 」

「Eh, then count me in. 」

Hey Dinosso, what are you doing, joining the kids like that?

「Okay, then I’ll make it in bite-size pieces. How about your luggage? 」

「They’re at the inn along with the horse. 」

It’s great that the horse seems healthy, too — oh, what if it turned out to be a different horse, huh.

「Do you plan to stay at the inn throughout your stay? 」

「Nah, it’s just a one year contract, then we’re considering renting a house. We got kids, after all. 」

Dinosso and I had talked after leaving the happily giggling kids to Shiva.

「Then, how about checking the one next door? 」

「Next door? 」

「Yup. It’s a conditional rental house. It’s fine even if it’s just until you find the rental house you wanted, but won’t it be more comfortable staying there? I’m going to cook, so you can check it out for a while. 」

I then led him to the back door in the kitchen. We went out to the alley and I led him there.

「Neighbor! 」

「Neighbor~ 」

「If we’re neighbors, then we could still be together even if you get married! 」

Dinosso followed behind me, with the kids behind him, and Madam beaming behind them.

「Here’s the key. 」

It was a huge, old fashioned key. It’s totally different from the thin ones of Japan, being bulky as it is, but I still quite like it for the romantic vibes it gives.

「So you had the key, huh. 」

「It’s my house, after all. 」

「Hey, are you a landlord!? 」

Hohoho!

「This place is quite near the Magic Forest, and the wall had been destroyed once, apparently. There are no families with kids around here. Consider those things as well. 」

「Gotcha. 」

I returned to the kitchen to whip-up something light. They could probably energetically discuss the pros and cons if I left them on their own.

Alright, what to make now?