Morning sunlight crept through the thin curtains of the tavern room, dust motes drifting like lazy fireflies. Kaito woke to the sound of quiet breathing beside the bed.
Elenya was curled up on a small pallet near the wall, wrapped in a borrowed blanket that looked three sizes too big for her. Her silver hair caught the light — tangled but clean now, thanks to the late-night bath she'd finally agreed to take.
Kaito rubbed his eyes and stretched with a yawn.
"Well, girl, reckon we made it through the first night without anybody gettin' kidnapped or stabbed. That's progress."
Her ears twitched. She blinked awake, sitting up with a shy smile.
"Good morning… Kaito."
He grinned. "Mornin', kiddo. Hungry?"
A small nod.
He tossed her a copper coin. "Go tell the barkeep we'll take two breakfasts — somethin' with eggs if they ain't burned it yet."
Elenya caught the coin with both hands, eyes wide as if he'd just handed her a royal gem.
"Can I really?"
Kaito laughed. "Ain't much of a life lesson, but yeah, you can. Go on now."
She scampered off, barefoot and smiling for the first time since he'd met her.
When she came back balancing two plates — one with fried eggs, the other with some kind of flat bread and a bit of fruit — he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Shoot, you managed not to drop any. You're already doin' better than half the recruits I trained back home."
They sat cross-legged on the floor, sharing the meal. It was quiet for a while — the kind of quiet that didn't need fixing.
After a few minutes, Elenya glanced up.
"Kaito… why did you buy me?"
He swallowed his bite, set down the bread, and met her eyes.
"Because what they were doin' to you was wrong. Ain't nothin' fancy 'bout it. Just didn't sit right with me, leavin' you there."
Her gaze softened, and she whispered, "No one ever said that before."
Kaito leaned back with a sigh. "Well, guess I'll be the first, then. You ain't property, Elenya. You're your own person now. World's a mean son of a gun, but that don't mean we gotta be."
She smiled faintly, looking down at her hands. Then, after a pause:
"…I don't remember my father."
Kaito looked at her, expression unreadable for a moment.
"Yeah, I figured. Life's got a cruel way of takin' folks before their time."
She hesitated, biting her lip.
"Then… maybe… could I…" She trailed off, cheeks pink.
He tilted his head. "Could you what, darlin'?"
Her voice was barely a whisper. "…Call you Dad?"
Kaito froze mid-sip of his tea, then chuckled softly.
"Well, shoot. I didn't see that one comin'."
Her eyes darted to his face, worried she'd said something wrong.
But he smiled — a slow, genuine, fatherly grin.
"Ain't no rule sayin' you can't. If that's what you want, then sure, you can call me Dad."
She lit up like morning sunlight breaking through the fog.
"Thank you… Dad."
He ruffled her hair, grinning wider.
"You're welcome, kiddo. Just don't go tellin' folks I'm soft, y'hear? Gotta protect my reputation as a dangerous, mysterious adventurer."
Elenya giggled, a sound that made something warm settle in Kaito's chest.
---
After breakfast, they made their way through the town market. Kaito bought her a simple tunic and boots, making sure they fit. The shopkeeper — a gray-bearded old man — gave him a knowing smirk.
"First time buyin' clothes for your kid, huh?"
Kaito blinked, then laughed. "Guess you could say that. She's a handful already."
Elenya grinned up at him proudly. "He's my dad!"
The shopkeeper chuckled. "Good man. Not many folk do right by the lost ones these days."
Kaito tipped his hat. "I just do what I can."
They spent the rest of the morning walking the streets, Elenya pointing at everything with wide-eyed wonder — street magicians, mana lamps, even a tamed gryphon pulling a merchant cart.
Every now and then, Kaito caught her sneaking glances at him like she was making sure he was still there. He pretended not to notice, but every time she did it, he smiled a little more.
By noon, he was teaching her how to hold a short knife properly — not to fight, just to be safe.
"Keep your thumb here," he said, guiding her hands gently. "If somethin' grabs you, you aim for the legs or eyes. Don't get fancy. Just run after."
Elenya nodded seriously. "Yes, Dad."
He blinked at how natural that sounded now — like she'd been saying it her whole life.
"Attagirl," he said, voice soft. "We'll make a survivor outta you yet."
---
That night, as they returned to the inn, the two of them shared dinner with the barkeep's family. Kaito told stories from his "past life" — carefully avoiding any Earth details, keeping them sounding like old frontier tales.
Elenya laughed at his bad jokes, especially when he told one about getting chased by a "chicken the size of a bear."
By the time the moon was up, she was asleep again, curled on the bed this time instead of the floor.
Kaito leaned against the window, looking out over the glowing town streets.
"Well, Lysette," he muttered to the wind, "reckon you were right again. That gold wasn't payment — it was purpose."
He turned back toward the sleeping elf girl, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Guess I got me a reason to stick around now."
He blew out the candle, the room fading into quiet darkness. Outside, the night hummed faintly with mana, as if the world itself was taking its first easy breath since he'd arrived.
---