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Both Briar and Grandpa Thur studied each other, neither betraying their thoughts on the other.

“See? Isn’t it interesting?”

“Isn’t it just a human? You see them all the time, after all.” Grandpa Thur shrugged, seeming to place more importance upon the rock he was just carving than upon the person before him.

“Yes, but this one’s alive! And he has such interesting stories, too!” Karu insisted.

“Ho? Interesting stories? Well, I suppose that does add a bit more value than a dead one.” Grandpa Thur said, noncommittally. “But, that is a human, after all. You can’t keep him like that pet lizard you tried to keep a bit ago. Humans are too high maintenance. Just think of all the extra mushrooms and moss we’ll need to harvest just to feed him.”

Briar felt a bit uncomfortable being talked about as if she were some kind of stray cat, but she held her peace as she listened to what surprisingly seemed to be a negotiation.

“Yes, but now there’s three of us, which means we have an extra pair of hands and eyes to look and pick these thing.”

Briar interjected there.

“Um…might I say something?” She asked, raising her hand.

““What?”” Karu and Grandpa Thur asked, in sync.

“I have plenty of food on my own, probably enough to last about a year on my own. If you’d like, I can trade some of my food in return for a place to stay.”

Briar not only had plenty of food, but also plenty of herbs and spices to help add to the flavor. The past month or so, while they were on the run, Briar would snipe down game whenever she had an opportunity.

Since they did not know whether the place they would have to hide in would have anything edible or not, it was best to stock up for just in case.

“Really? You’d give your food to us?” Karu asked.

“It’s not a gift. It’s equivalent exchange.” Briar corrected. “If it were a gift, I’d let you have it and not demand anything in return. You have a safe place to live, which I want, and I have food, which you want. Gifts are for people who know each other well, after all.”

“Then, the flowers that you showed us along the way, those weren’t for free?” Karu asked.

“Huh? No, that was-well, for explanation purposes, so it couldn’t be helped.” Briar replied, “And besides, I didn’t give them to you or show you how to make them, so it wasn’t a gift. It was more of a demonstration, if you will.”

“But, after you were done explaining things, you still showed us the flowers whenever Rien asked you to.”

“Ho? Flowers, huh?” the old man said, with a smirk.

“Ah, well…” Briar scratched behind her ear, sheepishly.

Grandpa Thur flipped up a lever and the scaffolding he was on, quickly lowered itself to the ground, stopping just before it hit. Grandpa Thur walked over and looked Thera in the eyes, squinting, before turning around. “Then, I’ll allow it.” he said.

“Eh?” Briar was surprised. Her eyes seemed to turn into little dots.

“You seem to like children. From your eyes, you don’t have any ill intentions. And you can provide for yourself easily. Isn’t it fine?” The gruff old man said. He put his hands against his back and leaned backwards, his spine making popping noises.

“Good grief. It seems these old bones aren’t what they used to be.” He muttered.

“Which means-” (Karu)

“-that Briar-” (Rien)

““-is allowed to stay!?”” the two children finished up together.

Grandpa Thur waved his mind dismissively. “Yes, yes, he can stay. Rather, I’m kind of tired of eating moss and mushroom soup all the time, you know?”

““YIPEEE!”” The two children jumped for joy.

“That being said, I think I’ll collect the rent ahead of time so that I can get started on making dinner.” The old man said, beckoning with his hand.

“Of course.” Briar had expected as much. She reached into her bag and brought out three large rabbits. “This should be enough, right?” She said, handing them over.

He nodded. “Just right, I’d reckon. Do you have any salt?”

Briar nodded and once more reached into her magic bag, handing him one of the boxes of salt she had purchased off of Gyspum.

Saying nothing, he nodded a thanks and turned, heading towards a different door in the cavern than the one Briar had come through.

“Karu, Rien, show the human where he can get some rest. I’m sure he’s probably mighty tired right now.” He called back over his shoulder.

“Yes~” Rien replied obediently. “Will do.” Karu said at the same time.

Rien took Briar’s hand and pulled her to the right, towards another door in the wall.

“Come on! My room is this way.” She said.

Briar smiled as she allowed herself to be pulled along. I wonder if I had a little sister, if this is what it would feel like? She thought to herself. And that would make Karu my little brother…yosh! I’ve decided! Let’s find something to give them as a present for when I leave. Briar smiled as she began making her plans.

The door opened up onto a decorated stone hallway, with several doors branching off of it. Along the ceiling and at certain intervals, glowing blue crystals lit the length of the hall. Most likely they’re phosphorescent. But to find so many, this old man must have really been lucky! Briar thought to herself.

Rien came to the first door, and opened it. “This is my room, see!?” She said, showing off.

Briar stepped inside and looked around. As expected, the furniture was made of stone. There were stone shelves built into the wall, upon which rested stone figurines of animals and houses, and doll-like people. The ceiling sported glowing crystals in a yellow color.

The bed was round, and had a depression in the middle. Inside this depression, pillows, blankets, and furs made a rather cozy-looking sleeping nest. Rien also had a small table upon which rested her most prized possession: a rather faded-looking rag doll.

“Woow~” Briar made impressed sounds. “But, how did the pillows and the blankets get down here? Don’t tell me your Grandpa made them himself?” She picked up a pillow. “Such even, delicate stitches, and is that embroidery? Nope, I definitely can’t believe that this was made by your Grandpa! Absolutely not!”

Rien giggled. “Nope! Grandpa found them!”

“He found them? Where?” Briar asked.

“On one of the bodies of the dead people who fall down every now and then.” Rien answered honestly. “But Grandpa usually throws the bodies away into the lava pool ‘to keep things clean’ he says.”

Well, that was true. You couldn’t just leave a body to decay in the tunnels you used. You wouldn’t know what kind of disease or foul sickness would breed on the remains of the dead body.

Or it could be even worse: in this world, it’s entirely possible for dead bodies that absorb enough mana to turn into zombies. That is why most bodies end up being burned at the funeral, to prevent their loved ones from turning into zombies.

The lords and nobles tombs, though, were a bit special, because the crypts were usually heavily spelled to keep mana away from the bodies of the dead, which effectively nullifies the zombification process.

I guess, in his own way, that old man properly takes care of his grandkids. Briar observed.

Karu called from across the hallway. “Hey! My room’s over here!” He beckoned Briar over so she could come take a look.

Briar stood in the doorway and observed. Karu’s room was lit with green crystals, but the general layout was the same.

On his stone shelves, figurines of warriors, archers, and magicians stood, much like how earth’s boys would have their favorite superhero figurine displayed. Briar noticed a few dragons and monsters and the like hiding among the stone ranks as well.

The only thing that’s missing is a Gameboy and posters on the wall. Briar observed as she took a few steps inside.

“Hey, those stone dolls over there, did your Grandpa make all of them?” Briar asked.

“Yep! He makes one every time he tells us a story!” Karu replied, proudly.

“Heeeh? Is that so? That’s really impressive!” Briar praised as she looked at the highly-detailed figurines. “I don’t think I could do something like this half so well.” She said.

“Of course! That’s because Grandpa Thur is the best!” Karu grinned, smugly.

Rien poked her head in. “Your room is over here~ follow me!” She said, trying to deepen her voice in imitation of Grandpa Thur. Briar held back a chuckle and followed Rien down the hallway to what would be her room, for now.

Rien placed her hand on the door, quickly sending mana into the carved passageways on its surface, and the door slid to the side. Briar took a look at the interior.

At first glance, it had the same general layout as Rien and Karu’s rooms, but scattered about the room were piles of furs, boxes of ointments, and a large pile of magic bags, off to the side.

“It was the guest room at first, but since we never had any live visitors, we eventually turned it into a store room for all the things we aren’t using right now.” Karu explained, having followed behind them.

Briar let out a relieved sigh. “It’s a mess, all right, but nothing a bit of cleaning can’t fix.” Rolling up her sleeves, she got to work clearing a path to the general location of the bed.

Rien and Karu followed behind, helping her to dust things off or to find other places to put things. Briar did all the carrying and heavy lifting.

After who knows how long, the path was cleared.

“Whew!” Rien wiped the sweat off her brow. “I’m glad that’s done-” Just as she spoke, her stomach let out a very large growling noise. Her face turned pink from embarrassment.

Karu laughed. “What kind of monster do you keep in that stomach of yours, anyways?” He teased.

But Briar smiled kindly. “I’m actually a bit hungry, myself. Why don’t we go and see if dinner’s ready, hmm?” She cheerfully asked Rien.

“Oh! Goody! Come on!” Rien stuck her tongue out at Karu as she grabbed Briar’s hand. Briar let herself be pulled out of the room.