Chapter 27: There’s No Place Like Home

When Leon first started living with them, he found that every day was unexpectedly enjoyable.

Each morning, as he lay in his first-floor bedroom, he would hear the faint sounds of Shou stirring awake upstairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Soon, the gentle clatter of cookware and the soft bubbling of soup would fill the air, signaling the start of breakfast preparations. By the time the rich aroma of the soup spread through the house, Falco would descend from the second floor.

After completing the breakfast prep, the three of them would gather outside to practice swordsmanship. Having a strong opponent nearby at all times was a great advantage. Shou, too, would silently swing her sword. Though she practiced only out of necessity, she had a surprising knack for it. Likely due to her earnest and observant nature, she absorbed skills quickly. As evidenced by her slime-hunting method, Shou had a sharp eye for detail. Watching Falco and Leon train every day likely contributed to her rapid improvement.

Shou had a habit of taking a bath first thing in the morning, washing away the sweat from training. Apparently, she came from a culture that cherished baths—her delight upon discovering the hot spring was proof enough of that. As Shou finished up the final touches on the soup and prepared ham and eggs, Falco and Leon would set the table, slice and warm the bread, and lay out the jam.

Before Shou came into their lives, slicing bread wasn’t even a thought. If you didn’t slice it, you didn’t need jam. Meat and bread, washed down with soup—that was enough.

Falco had been the same way.

Yet, even with the same soup, Shou’s version always seemed packed with different ingredients, creating new flavors each day. And the eggs—beaten and folded into a fluffy, runny omelet, or expertly rolled into neat spirals. Sometimes fried sunny-side up with a hint of spice, served atop tomatoes and greens. Other times, dropped into the soup, transforming into a soft, spoonable delight. Not to mention the ever-changing fruit jams she would spread onto the bread—ingredients she often gathered while collecting herbs.

And at the heart of it all was Shou, always bustling about. Watching her move so cheerfully was a sight that even softened Falco’s expression. Perhaps it was like having a younger sister and brother. With Shou smiling and saying, "This is delicious!" every morning, breakfast became even more enjoyable.

After a lively day of hunting, they would return to town to find Shou waiting for them at Gina’s inn, where she helped out. Even if they ate dinner there, there was still plenty of time in the evening. Shou would brew tea, and they would sit together, sharing stories about their day. Sometimes, Falco and Leon would drink together, and on occasion, acquaintances from the inn would join, turning the gathering into an impromptu drinking party.

It had become an unspoken rule that guests would bring a small gift for Shou. During such nights, she would quietly retreat to the small sitting area on the second floor, enjoying her own time with snacks and tea.

If the gifts were rare or too plentiful, she would take them to the younger children in town the next day. The veteran hunters, pleased by the little ones’ gratitude, always seemed satisfied with this arrangement.

Shou had a secret stash—a shelf always stocked with baked goods and dried fruits. While Leon and Falco often bought her treats, she also frequently visited the bakery, clutching a handful of coins earned from hunting slimes. How did he know? Well, children’s secrets are never really secrets. The reason word of Shou’s existence spread so quickly in town wasn’t due to the Guildmaster or even Falco. It was the town’s intricate information network—people like Yona—who made sure everyone knew about the children’s activities.

Even the High Priest, Sain, visited often. Shou would stay downstairs when he came, since he could handle his alcohol well. He was the type to communicate through sheer physical presence rather than words, which made him get along well with Falco and Leon—aside from his occasional lectures, which the two simply endured, considering he was Shou’s mentor, after all.

For Falco, who had always lived alone, sharing a home with someone other than Shou was a new experience. What about his mother? Well, imagine if there were two Falcos—that would give you an idea of what she was like.

Yet, with Leon, everything felt oddly natural. Maybe living separately—one on the first floor, the other on the second—helped. The attached sitting area next to Shou and Falco’s rooms allowed her to bring in a small magic stove, letting her brew tea and cook simple meals upstairs as well. When Leon had guests of his own, they would sometimes retreat to the cozy upstairs space, squeezing into the small room together—something that made them surprisingly happy.

From morning training to dinner, Leon and Shou spent nearly every moment together, but he didn’t mind in the least.

As the days grew colder, a decision was made: that winter, not just Falco but also Leon, along with hunters Jene and Bival, would serve as the Northern Forest’s guardians. With four of them, they could take turns returning to town.

Falco considered sending Shou to stay with Gina or Sain for the winter.

But Shou simply tilted her head and said, "Huh? I'm going with you."

Four men alone in the wilderness—it was hardly a place for a young girl. Looking back, Falco couldn’t fathom how he had left her alone the previous winter. Not to mention in such questionable attire. Now that I actually understand my responsibilities as a guardian, I realize how ridiculous that was.

But before he could protest further, Shou casually held up a guild contract.

With four men, the plan had been to rely on guild deliveries and minimal self-cooking, much like Falco had done last year. Hunters could handle their own survival, and as for the mess… well, ignoring it was always an option.

"Hmm, let's see… Live-in cook, laundry, and cleaning services? Half pay due to being a minor, with some flexibility on performance expectations? What the hell is this?"

"I asked the Guildmaster to approve it," Shou explained. "I was going to take care of Falco anyway, so I figured I might as well make it official. But since I can’t do as much as an adult, my pay is a little lower."

"You requested this yourself?"

"Yeah. I told them it’d be better than leaving you all to eat whatever scraps you’d come up with. If I’m there, Falco can work more efficiently. Plus, as an apprentice healer, I’ll keep everyone in good health. Oh, and I’ll also provide regular herb and slime deliveries."

"Isn’t that a lot to handle?"

"Why? It’s all fun for me. And I get paid too."

"You’re really okay with this?"

"Yep."

There were only nine years left until adulthood. Until then, Shou had decided to stay by Falco’s side. Otherwise, this kind man would keep trying to push her away, thinking it was for her own good.

But she knew what would happen if they separated—Falco would suffer the most. And so, she would secure her place by his side on her terms.

Falco worried about the burden, but for Shou, compared to the exhausting workdays of her past life in Japan, this was nothing short of an endless vacation. She spent her days roaming the mountains, gathering herbs, healing people, and cooking meals—all of which she found utterly enjoyable.

And best of all, she even got paid.

That’s why, from time to time, she exchanged slime cores for coins and went shopping—not for sweets, of course. Just to feel the reward of her labor.

Meanwhile, the guild was more than happy with the arrangement. When news spread about the four hunters stationed in the Northern Forest, the town’s women—ranging from twenty to a hundred and twenty—were abuzz with excitement. Many had their eyes set on securing a spot in that household.

But Shou’s proposal changed everything.

At first, they were skeptical. Could an eleven-year-old really handle the job? But her track record of managing two grown men, along with glowing endorsements from Gina and the apothecaries, quickly erased any doubts.

And so, just two weeks before their departure, she appeared.

Lyla.