After discussing my request with the subordinate he had called over a moment ago, Kilhem-san finally found the answer he had been looking for.
"Kayo-san. The city of Anders accepts all of you who have gone through a winding path of suffering there, until you finally arrived here."
"However... You must know that our city is currently in need of labor. Especially those who are capable of using magic."
"You, the fox race, possess extraordinary abilities. Before you are exploited by irresponsible people, it would be better for me to accept you here."
That night finally came to an end after Kilhem-san handed me a sheet of paper containing small details about the work we would have to do during our stay here.
I folded the paper and stored it beneath my robe, then immediately rose from the sofa to sit beside the bed that Lin was using.
She held her stomach as she lay on her left side, making sure that she would be comfortable while sleeping.
I moved closer, running my fingers through her smooth hair. I looked at her with a sense of relief, knowing that she could finally sleep in a safe place.
Since I was starting to feel sleepy as well, I extinguished the lantern that was still hanging from the ceiling, and the room became dark within seconds.
Only a faint light entered through the small gap above the window, the place where insects could get in through the hole.
I took the cloth that we had always used for sleeping, then covered the two of us as we lay on the same bed.
Just to be safe, I left a small distance between my body and her back. If she happened to move in her sleep, I would not become an obstacle for her.
By keeping this distance, I would not disturb her tonight.
My eyes slowly began to close, and I eventually fell asleep with my back facing hers beneath the same blanket that night.
——
When I woke up, I immediately sat up on the bed without letting my body lie flat. Yes, I had awakened from my side. With a belly this large, it was painfully difficult to get up normally.
Kayo still seemed to be fast asleep beside me. Perhaps I should let him sleep a little longer.
Carefully, I got out of bed. I had to place my hand against the wall as I made my way toward my bag near the sofa.
This morning, I felt weaker than yesterday. My body was becoming harder to move, especially my hips, which hurt more and more whenever my movements became too excessive.
I sat down on the sofa and clicked my tongue softly, relieved that I had made it there without falling.
I picked up my bag, which had already been placed beside the sofa, set it next to me, and began taking out its contents.
There was no food left inside. Only a little firewood and the clothes that I would be wearing today remained.
My eyes fell upon his robe, lying in disarray on the table, and the sight of it made me too restless to remain seated.
I stood up slightly to pick up the robe and fold it, but then I noticed a piece of paper buried beneath the thick cloth.
Without hesitation, I left the robe on top of my bag so that I could read what was written on the paper.
—
. . . . . .
To our new arrivals, I am pleased to welcome you once again. In order to help all of you adapt more quickly to life in Anders, I would like to offer this proposal.
Starting tomorrow, please bring some members of your group to begin working at my place. It is not far from the inn.
You may follow the map drawn below to reach the bakery. Good luck. I wish all of you the best.
— Marxes Kilhem
. . . . . .
—
The paper still felt pristine; perhaps it had only been placed here a few hours ago.
I glanced at Kayo, who was still sleeping soundly over there, and thought that this was probably the letter the old man had given him as a guarantee for our stay here.
There was not a single threat written in it. The old man had offered us something truly beneficial.
Before I had fallen asleep yesterday, the two of them had still been sitting here, talking about something. Perhaps that was when he had handed Kayo this letter.
That meant they would begin working today.
... Kayo would never simply sit around here. He would definitely go there together with some of the people he would personally choose.
Screech.
I walked over to the window and opened its wooden shutters, allowing the warm sunlight to enter the room.
A blue sky stretched overhead, with snow visible in the distance. Yet there was no snowfall around the city itself. It was undeniable proof that we had finally escaped that miserable place.
Because our room was on the second floor, I could see several people below enjoying the comforting warmth of the weather.
At last, we were able to experience this again after so long...
—
My face grew warmer. Beneath the blanket that still covered part of my body, my temperature seemed to be rising.
The sudden change in temperature eventually caused my eyes to open.
As I woke up and rubbed my eyes to clear my vision, I found Lin, who had awakened earlier, already sitting on the sofa and enjoying something.
She turned toward me and greeted me with a "good morning" before returning her attention to her meal.
Without bothering to straighten the blanket that was still in disarray, I approached her with my untidy hair, which was probably covering my furry ears by now.
I sat down beside her.
"Morning, Lin. What are you eating?" I asked.
"Meat soup broth. I found the leftover soup that you had carefully stored inside your bag," she replied as she placed her bowl on the table and handed another one to me.
The bowl was still full, complete with meat soup sending warm steam up from its surface.
"Thanks for the meal," I murmured as I sipped the broth, which warmed my stomach. She must have reheated it beforehand.
"You're going to start working today, aren't you? I already saw what was written on that paper earlier. That's why I decided to rummage through your bag, and it turned out there was still some food inside," Lin said.
"Ah... I was actually planning to tell you about it this morning," I replied, abandoning my intention to explain the contents of the letter to her.
"How long?" Lin asked.
"If I remember correctly, Kilhem-san said that we would be allowed to return around the evening. Well, for today, I'll only be taking the men with me," I answered while continuing to sip my soup.
"Just wait for me here. And if you really can't manage to go outside, I'll ask a few people to come here and look after you while I'm working, all right?" I said.
Lin merely lowered her head with a worried expression before answering resignedly.
"... Be careful. And come back soon."
Don't worry, Lin. Once I'm done, I'll come back as quickly as possible to keep you company.
So, wait for me, okay?