"So, you have a house or something? If not then I can fully understand why."

"Of course I have a house! Do you really think of me as someone without any qualities useful in life?"

Her eyes grew larger when she heard what I said. Seemingly surprised as if what she just heard is something incredible. I wish people won't look at me with eyes of disgust if I hit her right now.

"Of course I do."

I don't think that anyone is capable of insulting someone with an absolutely innocent face.

Then again, I'll have her sleep outside.

The sun has fully sunk in the horizon and leaving only a faint glow. The twilight. This might be a bit late on describing the time but whatever.

The busy streets in the morning has is now filled with yawning people and adventurers a like, heading either straight to their inn and houses or to the nearby tavern to drink their night away. I envy them. I too would like to drink my night away.

Thinking about it, Kyle is currently my slave. I could rent her to other people and allow them to make her do anything they wanted with a hefty price. With that, we can fix our financial problems! And a bonus, she won't dare to say such ego draining things to me anymore!

I'm joking of course! I wouldn't do something so defile as that. But if all hope is lost and if we don't have any choice, them condolences to her innocence...

I felt a dagger-like glare to my side suddenly.

"Oi, what are you thinking about?"

"Considering if I should sell you as a prostitute if all our hope is lost."

"Since when did you change job from being a pathetic magician to that of a slave labourer!?"

"Meh."

"Don't meh me!!!"

Geez, she's making too much noise. It's not like I'm going to that to her. I only said considering.

Flailing her arms like a butterfly. I wish she would just suddenly fly away from my sight.

Eventually she gives up and just silently followed me to my house.

Since my house is at the outskirts of town, less and less people could be seen walking on the marble road and that certain marble rad soon turned into rocky one with such uneven terrain that it'll be hard for carriages to even reach. Let alone drive through this place. I'm used to this but seeing Kyle here stumble on every few steps is amusing.

Kyle seems to look at the sky frequently in this past couple of minutes now. I wonder why.

"Hey, did you noticed that the stars shines brighter than usual?"

Oh? So she noticed it too?

"Yeah."

"You think it's a bad omen? I remember a saying that if a star shines brighter than the day before, then it that would mean it's a asteroid."

"Probably. I mean stars are mysterious and a big factor in our culture. Some even worship them."

"So religion exists in this world too?"

"Huh? What are you saying? Are you some sort of alien for you to say that and of course religion exists. People need something to believe in and worship even if it's a magical butt that can do anything. Ridiculous, right?"

"I don't care anymore. So, are we there yet?"

"Close."

When I said close, I actually meant we're still far away. An indicator that we're actually close is the cry of my beloved dragon. One all the things that I've regretted in my life is not being a better owner of my dragon...

So weak and limp. The mighty dragon that I knew couldn't be seen in him... Hu hu~

That's what I get for not continuing to work on that bakery.

"Why are you crying all of a sudden?"

"There seems to be onions close by. Be careful."

"...I don't smell any, let alone anyone cutting onions."

Eventually, we got nearer to my home that made the cry of that dragon audible.

Don't worry! Papa will be there soon!

Control yourself Isaac. If she saw me crying and desperately running towards somewhere so suddenly, I would surely get mocked at again...

Speaking of Kyle, she stopped walking and when I looked at her, her face is as pale as snow.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Can't you hear it? T-the crying one."

She looks like a wry cat trying o find who ever made that noise and is ready to run at any time.

"Oh that? There's a legend in this place about a girl brutally murdered in these streets by two large men. People passing by didn't bat an eye on the girl being brutally murdered nor did they even tried to help. They continued their business as if nothing ever happens. Probably scared to even interrupt the two men. Since this place is so hard to get to, the authorities couldn't respond quickly enough and only saw a horrid scene of a dismembered girl. A week after that incident, the residents of this place who passed by during that incident died mysteriously and as well the murderers. Now, the cry of the child could be heard every once in a while but people here are used to it by now and occasionally give respect to the girl murdered that day which is now buried in the cemetery. Isn't it pretty scary, Kyle? Um... What are you doing?"

While I was pre-occupied on telling a ghost story quite told quite frequently to kids to teach them about helping others in need, she came hiding in a nearby cardboard box and closed her ears while whispering something.

Is the story that scary for her? I only told it to give her a little scare and make her shut up until we arrive. I mean, I don't think the story is even real. I hope. I'm not sure...

"...It's just a legend... It's just a legend... It's just a legend..."

And those words just went on repeat for a couple of minutes. I just looked her, laughing my butt off in how easily frightened she is on stories like that!

Who's pathetic now you imbecile!? Haha!

Welp, looks like she won't be calming down anytime soon.

What if I just left her like this...?

Nah. Let's not do that.

"Oi, you ok? Can't believe you still act like a child!"

"W-w-well... D-d-don't just tell me something scary as that out of the b-blue!"

"Don't shout and stutter. It might attract the girl."

"Eek!?"

If she has a fur, I can imagine that all the fur on her body just immediately stood up.

She hid herself again inside the box like a freaking turtle trying to hide from a predator! Man, what a sight!

"W-w-what are you laughing a-about!? T-t-this isn't funny! I feel like I would wet myself if this continues!"

"Oh? I'd love to see that happening."

"Pervert magician!"

I like how her voice gets muffled inside the box. Makes it more convincing on how much of a scaredy cat she is!

"Haha. Want me to drag you like this?"

"...Yes."

And so I did. Carrying with me a box with a scaredy cat inside, I headed towards my home.

Although she complained why the crying sound grew louder as we move forward, I just laughed it off and told her that I'm giving her as a sacrifice to the girl.

Now that I think of it, the cry of my dragon does resemble a little girl. No wonder why my neighbours all moved out. It's lonely enough being alone inside the house. Being alone in a neighbourhood is just too much.

Well, I got dragon so I'm not that alone but still...

(─‿‿─)

"We're here. You can come out now."

She's shaking too much that the box is vibrating like crazy. It's making me uncomfortable just carrying her like that.

Also, there's a lot of sniff and sob sounds coming from the box.

"If you don't then I'm afraid I'll just have to leave you right here. Outside. Where the ghost girl might be wondering around in."

"Alright I'm out so just shut up!!!"

And pop goes the weasel!

"Geez you look like a wet bowl of cats."

"T-that doesn't even make sense!"

"I doesn't have to."

Leaving behind the still weeping cat which hurriedly followed suite after she saw me walking away from her, I grabbed the door knob which again, gave me a splinter.

"Wait, wait, wait! A-are you going to leave me alone in that h-house!? Isn't that the source of the crying?"

"Yeah? Why do you ask?"

"Eh!?"

Pfft!!! That face is gold!

As she desperately plead me to not open the house, I opened the door anyway and was greeted by the cheerful yet weak dragon!

"Huh?"

While Kyle has a floating question mark above her head, I greeted my ever crying dragon!

Like the reunion of a parent and a child, we are overwhelmed by a mix of emotions! This is what it feels to see you child for so long! Even though we've met just this morning but still!

Tears long since depleted, my dragon could only cry by wailing. Only seldom does he feel how comforting tears are during the time of sadness...

"I'm back!"

I told my dragon with pure hearted feelings. Not only is this comforting for him, it's also comforting for me, knowing that he's at ease now even though I'm the reason for his sorrows.

I'm sorry, my child! I'm a horrible parent!

"H-hey! What's happening here!? What's with the baby dragon and why is it crying!?"

Miss question mark head here puffed her cheeks as she looks at us while we have our heartfelt reunion.

"Oh right, you're here. Meet this little fellow here. I still haven't given him a name so like you said, he's a baby fire dragon. The fiercest species known to man!"

I lifted the dragon up and showed it to her. Although, she isn't Impressed when she saw it.

Is there something wrong? Acquiring the egg of a baby fire dragon is incredibly hard to do. You'll have to risk your life just to get one egg obviously. You'll also need to know the nest of one and the behaviour of the fire dragon. Immense stealth skills is required to snatch one egg and they hatch in a very long time. About 30 years.

So her not being impressed is odd. Or maybe she doesn't know how rare a dragon is? If so then what kind of cave is she living in? I'd like to think that she's stupid actually.

"That's a dragon?"

Send tilted her head to the left and made a questioning remark.

Though I'm more concerned to how she doesn't know that this is a dragon. Really, her former home must be somewhere deep underground or something for her to not even recognise a dragon.

"Of course it is. Don't you see the scales and the wings? Though he's only a baby dragon so he can't breathe fire yet so... W-what I'm trying to say is, how could you not even recognise a dragon when you see one?"

She moved her hand towards the dragon and felt it. At this point, her hand should've been bitten off but since it's very weak at the moment, it couldn't even move its head fast enough.

"Oi, don't poke it."

"Sorry. Is this really a dragon? I mean, I can understand that it's small because it's only a baby but considering how I remembered the dragon, it certainly doesn't look like this."

"H-hey! It can understand you, you know!? And what's wrong with him? He's a full fledge fire dragon! He's more powerful than you by a million fold!"

"Yeah I get that but why is it so skinny and wimpy? Ah, considering that you're the owner, I can understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She raised a finger pointing up to nothing in particular and said something incredibly ridiculous. Probably the biggest lie in existence.

"Since you, Isaac who can't even afford to do quests all by your own, resort to petty tricks just to have people join you as what I've heard, to have your house which is this I assume to be in such a state of disrepair that no one would believe me if I told them that someone actually lives here, and even doing something so stupid as to cast a Strom spell in the edge of the kingdom which lead to you being arrested and getting that scummy reputation, of course I would assume that you don't have the capability of even taking care of a dragon even with such a low maintenance to take care of it."

After her seminar to break my heart into tiny, molecular little pieces, I've come up of a retort so good that it will make everything she said completely void.

"... For the record, that wasn't a storm spell but an illusion spell that I've just come up on recently..."

"Of course it is. You don't even have the guts to learn something worthwhile as something as advanced as a storm spell."

"...But I don't need to since I can recreate almost every spell anyway so..."

"Yeah sure but I still haven't seen you use it in something productive except for the time when you used it at that quest but I shouldn't judge you too much since we've just met."

You say that but your second recent statement is certainly not very convincing to the latter of what you said...

Oh? Oh!? What's this!? Ahahaha! Is my little child defending me right here!? Look at him. He's biting Kyle's legs! Yes! Avenge me my dragon! Avenge your father! Kill this wicked archer who doesn't know anything else to do but to abuse me with words!

"What's this fellow doing? Want me to give you a lift and take a little break from you irresponsible parent here? Haha! What's it doing? To how it bites me is very calming somehow."

"Huh? Obviously he's angry at you for saying all those mean, and nonsensical stuff that I may or may not have done. Yes, all of it might just be your imagination. You’re very disillusioned right now. That's it."

...She ignored me and just lifted my dragon without my permission...

"... Rrrrrrrrrrrrg...."

"Look at this! He's purring like a cat! I don't know why but for some reason cats purrs like this every time I carry them like a baby. It seem to have some effect on a dragon too."

So now I have to cats in my possession? Is that what she's trying to say? As if my dragon is a cat. Also, is that how cats purrs you deaf archer?

"Oh? Aren't you scared of him just a few minutes ago? You just hid in that box, refusing to come out, you scaredy cat. I'm surprised that you aren't purring yourself."

"W-w-well that's in the past and we're living in the present... I'm scared of things that I don't know and also I'm scared of things with a vague meaning behind it. It's like that... But anyway, you should really feed it some more. Aren't you worried that it's getting thinner and thinner? Even if it's a dragon, you still shouldn't neglect it."

"Of course I'm worried. I'm not heartless unlike you who doesn't even think of how I feel when you keep saying that I'm pathetic... So that's why I brought left overs."

I raised the plastic bag that I've been carrying with me all this time but for some reason, she didn't even noticed it and brought it close to my dragon.

With a few sniffs, he seems to like it.

I took out a piece and he immediately gulped it down. Even my hands got almost devoured.

I patted his head which he nudged his nose to my hand. I feel like he's a dog rather than a dragon.

"Oh by the way, you’re sleeping outside."

"...What?"

And so another 15 minutes of her annoyingly pleading me to let her in. Even though she can knock the door if she wants too since it's so weak from all the termites did to it but of course, I won't tell her that.

つ° ͜ʖ° ༽つ

"... You're lucky I didn't call for the police."

"You're lucky that I've even let you in, let alone made you do something absolutely disgusting. Being you are technically my slave and all."

"... I knew it. You’re going to do to me this time you pervert."

"Want me to?"

"No, of course not."

"Then that's your answer."

Guess what? It actually rained and that darn rain forced me to take her in so she won't get sick. How unfortunate.

Heavy sigh automatically went out of my mouth.

"What's that sigh supposed to mean?"

"If it isn't for that rain then I would've made you stay outside the whole night."

"So your actually serious about that!?"

Well leaving aside the wet scaredy cat in her business, looking around the house, drops of rain drop poured from the holes of the roof. Though I already placed buckets on the places where the rain drops fall on, new holes kept appearing out of nowhere so I couldn't keep up with it.

"... It's raining cats and dogs out there. In this kinds of downpour, it's a lot relaxing to sleep. You ever had that experience?"

Kyle spoke softly as she dries her hair with the towel I gave her.

"You mean how rain makes it easier to sleep? Of course I do. I like the rain but I also hate it. But if you ask if I love it more or I hate it more, then I'll have to side with love. How about you?"

"I think of rain as the time to unwind and relax. It makes me calm in a way. Wow, I can't believe the atmosphere became serious in just a few short seconds."

"Because you shut your mouth in just a few short yet precious seconds."

"H-hey are you looking for a fight!?"

Although we've only met for a few hours, the atmosphere between us isn't all that awkward than what I'm used too. I still remember at school when the atmosphere between me and my classmates were super awkward even though we've been classmates for like 3 years. It's a nice change.

Kyle after pouting, looked outside the window and asked:

"Aren't you lonely in this kind of residence? Actually, should this even be classified as a residence? Looks like you’re the only one living here."

"Yeah, of course I do but I'm used to it."

"Hm. *Yawn* I want to get some shut eye. Where's the bed?"

After stretching her arms, she asked me that.

Now that she mentioned it, I noticed that I'm sleepy myself. Kind of weird to not know my state of energy for a few seconds.

"Just around there."

I replied to her as I replaced her spot on watching outside the window.

"You aren't coming?"

"From how you said that, you seem to be implying that we're some sort of partner or something. You go on a head, I have something else I need to do."

"Hm? You actually have something important to do in this place? Well I don't care. Don't try to wake me up to move away from your bed because I'm a heavy sleeper. Alright, good night."

"Aye."

"Aye, matey. Good night cap'n."

No, I'm not a pirate. Why does she think I'm am? Well it's just a joke but still...

Hah...

Don't know how much time has passed but I continued to stare out in the window motionless. Snoring from the living room could be heard and surprisingly, it's just my dragon. Never did I hear him snoring like that before. Maybe he feels secured? I don't know.

After getting tired from watching the unending rain, I grabbed my dragon and headed towards the bedroom.

After successful avoiding on getting a splinter, I saw Kyle sleeping like a freaking hobo. All limbs spread out with... Ugh. Saliva dripping out of her mouth.

It's quite a coincidence that she actually slept on his bed. Seeing that my bed is bigger than dad's, I initially thought that she'll sleep on mine.

And with that, after snuggling with my dragon, I, for some reason, had a good night sleep that I never had in a long time.