“Huh?”
“What?!”
If not for Macro grabbing hold of our shirts and yanking us back, we might have walked right past the house.
This can’t possibly be it… This place?!
“This is our guild! Welcome to our home and the Lanakiller guild!” Rinny says with a lot of pomp and gusto.
This is more like a giant mansion than a home!
I stand beside Claire, my mouth gaping open in shock as I stare at the house before me.
Wh-Who are these guys?! What kind of mid-tier guild can afford a place this large?!
I snap back to reality and quickly look over at Claire. She has the same dumbfounded expression on her own face. I guess this is a shock to her as well. Was it not in her so-called game?
“You seem really surprised, Claire,” I whisper to her. “I thought you knew all about them?”
“I can’t remember every little detail…” she whispers back. “Regardless, it’s impressive. I wasn’t expecting anything like this!”
After finally calming down, we step inside the mansion, following Rinny and Macro while whispering quietly to each other.
So, Claire only remembers general information about the game, the general mechanics, the character profiles, and the story. I hadn’t realized she didn’t know everything about it.
I can’t help but giggle as she stares in wide-eyed amazement while looking around the inside of the mansion. She’s muttering to herself under her breath, and I catch snippets like, “I remember seeing this place before!” and “I get it now! I didn’t realize it looked like this!” as if this wasn’t her first time here. It was odd, considering we’d never been in this city before.
“With all that said…it’s pretty dusty,” Claire remarks loud enough for the other two to hear.
“Because of how big it is, cleaning is a chore and a half,” Rinny says.
“We usually stick to just cleaning the kitchen and living room, plus our individual bedrooms,” Macro explains.
Dust coats everything like a thick blanket, from the main entrance to the living room. The space seems fairly well ventilated, but I quickly understand what Rinny meant when he said cleaning was a chore. The sheer size of the mansion means they have their work cut out for them. Considering they have to keep the guild running as well, it’s clear there’s simply not enough time in the day to get things done and keep the place clean. I make a mental note that this should be one of the first jobs we do for them.
“At the very least, you should try and get this main hallway into a more presentable state, you know?” Claire says. “First impressions are pretty important, after all.”
Seeing Claire’s look of anguish at the mountains of dust, Rinny scratches his head awkwardly, chuckling. “That’s true…although most job requests are sent through the mail. Honestly, it got this bad mainly because we never get visitors. No one sees this mess but us.”
Considering we lack the necessary power to fully transform into humans, I know all this dust will end up getting trapped in our fur, making it grimy and gross. Both me and Claire prefer to stay as clean as possible. Claire’s ears are laid back in frustration and resignation. I cling to my tail, hugging it close to my body, as we continue further into the mysterious unknown.
I don’t want a dusty tail!
“Fine, fine! I guess the first order of business for us is to clean this all up!” Claire declares. “And I won’t take no for an answer!”
“That’d be great, actually. A huge help,” Rinny says with a grin.
“We’re all pretty lousy at tidying up,” Macro agrees.
It seems like Claire and I had the same idea!
We exchange glances before nodding emphatically.
We’ll do our best! There’s no reason for us not to, especially knowing how much it’ll help everyone out. I’m sure Ektor won’t care, and considering how much they’ve done for us already, it’s the least we can do. By the time I’m done, the entire mansion will be sparkling clean!
We pass through the main hall and open the door to the living room. The living room, in comparison, is neat, tidy, and, more importantly, dust free. I breathe an audible sigh of relief. I really can’t stand dust!
“You were right. The living room looks great,” Claire observes.
“This is my spot!” Just as we enter the room, Rinny suddenly throws himself onto one of the large couch cushions.
There’s a loud thump, and for a moment, I wonder if he accidentally toppled onto the floor.
Whoa! That was loud!
“You dumb ginger! You’ve got no manners!” Macro chides him.
“What’s your problem, you whiny brunette bum! Everything’s got a protection spell on it, so it’s not like I can break anything. And we all live together now, which means I don’t have to act polite anymore.”
“It’s like you purposefully try to get on my nerves as much as possible.”
“I feel the same way about you. All you do is complain and complain!”
“Air-headed jerk!”
“Angsty gloomy gus!”
And they’re fighting again. I can’t tell if they like or hate each other. Those two are truly something else!
Claire massages her temples, sighing. She glares at the two of them before suddenly speaking up. “I’m going to make us some tea.”
With that said, she passes by the two guys, still fighting, leaving our stuff behind, and disappears into the kitchen.
Hey, wait! What about me?!
I’m left standing there, hugging my tail to my chest tightly.
Should I follow Claire to the kitchen? Or should I try to break up their argument? Wh-What should I do?
“Sorry for taking so long, Miku. Those two are a handful, huh? Come on, you guys! Quit it! You’re scaring Miku!”
“Oh! Ektor!”
My savior arrives in the nick of time, sparkling in front of me with his glowingly golden hair!
Thank you…although the way he yells is kind of scary. It doesn’t match his appearance at all!
“I’m really sorry. They’re always carrying on like this, so try not to let it bother you, okay? Let’s put your stuff away and get you settled in. I brought you a surprise.”
A moment later, he’s smiling down at me, looking nothing short of warm and welcoming. The discrepancy between his mannerisms and his appearance is a bit too much… He escorts me to a chair with a seemingly practiced air. The gesture suits him, making him appear truly dashing. Then he turns to me and hands me a gift bag with a big smile on his face.
He really is prince charming!
“Hey! Get away from Miku!” Claire hisses from the doorway.
“There’s no need to get upset. I’m merely trying to make her comfortable. Thank you for the tea, Claire,” Ektor says with a sweet smile.
“…Don’t get the wrong idea. I made it for me.”
“Oh? And yet you made enough for all of us.”
“It’s a coincidence!”
Now Claire’s blushing. She might sound annoyed, but her cheeks are bright red.
Hee-hee! She’s so cute. She’s even more adorable when she’s trying to hide her true feelings.
Even Ektor can’t help but chuckle at her obvious reaction.
Good! I was worried about the two of them getting along, but if they can laugh together like this, then maybe everything will be okay, despite Claire’s obvious reluctance.
We all take a seat at the table, lined with cups of tea and the bakery treats Ektor brought back with him. Only Rinny remains on his spot on the couch.