The Dungeon Inn - English

B02C24 - A new home

While I was meeting with my companions, Albert's group was hunting, as discussed.

"No sooner had everyone left than he sent us away."

"Oh Viktor, you're being too negative. He probably just wants to enjoy the peace and quiet for a while. Although I would like to know what they're doing right now."

"Mia is right, Viktor. You shouldn't worry too much, leave it to me."

"Then shouldn't you start making preparations for winter?"

"Aren't we staying with Marco?"

"He hasn't hinted at anything like that yet, Mia. So I have to agree with Viktor, we should start getting ready to spend the winter in Watch City."

"You don't really want to use the sewers again, do you? I can't stand their stench for another winter."

"Unfortunately, we don't have much choice, Winfried."

"Then we shouldn't stay here too long, otherwise we'll have to live off the rats that Mia brings us."

"I'll talk to Marco about it today."

"Can you also ask him if we can use the beds until we leave? After all, they're intended for the stationed people."

"We're not in a position to make demands, Mia."

When they returned, I was in the kitchen to make myself familiar with it.

"Marco, if you don't mind, I have a question."

"What do you want to know, Albert?"

"When do you want us to leave?"

"Leave?"

"To Watch City for the winter."

"Don't you want to stay here during that time?"

"Are we allowed to?"

"Of course. You are my permanent group. I'm rather surprised that you thought otherwise."

"Normally, people don't want us around and now that the house is finished, we thought you would want some distance too. I'm sorry we misjudged you."

"You're worrying too much about it. If I didn't want something, I would have told you already."

"I'll take it into account in the future."

"Now that I think about it, there is a new rule. I don't want you to go down into the cave. Now that the house is finished, there's no reason for you to go downstairs. If there's anything to store, just hand it over at the counter. Of course, that also means that I expect you to move into the room provided for you next to the meeting room."

"Are we really allowed to live on the same floor as the others?"

"We don't mind it. The guests may not share that opinion, but they have to go through it. If there are any problems because of this, please let us know immediately."

"We will, I will pass on the information immediately."

With that, Albert disappeared from the kitchen and went with a sad face to his comrades who had sat down at one of the many tables.

"Your face says it all, Albert. We have to go out today, don't we?"

"I told you so, but nobody listens to me."

"Hey you two, something's wrong with Albert. Don't tell me you're kidding us?"

"Oh man, Mia, let me have some fun every now and then."

"What? What did Marco say then?"

"He said we can stay here over the winter, Winfried."

"That's great."

"That's not all, we should stay away from the cave from now on and can use a room upstairs instead."

"I'm happy if we can use the beds, of course, but I wanted to go and visit Hilda in the cave."

"Mia, stay away from the cave. I don't want us to lose what we've gained."

"Don't you want to know what's further down? How they lived there?"

"If they don't want to show us, we should respect that. Others would envy our situation. Do you want to risk all that?"

"No, of course not."

"But doesn't it sound a little too good to be true? Why would he allow us to do all that?"

"Marco seems to think a little differently, Viktor. If we want him to continue to be friendly to us, we should do our job as well as we can."

"I still don't trust the peace."

"Then just be suspicious as always, Viktor. We'll at least enjoy our time here."

The group went outside to take down their very makeshift tent and move their few belongings into their new room. Mia threw herself into the bed after her work was done and rolled back and forth happily.

"Ah, how nice a bed like that feels."

"Don't just jump in, or are you going to break it on the first day?"

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No, just too boisterous. Weight isn't everything."

A creaking sound in the hallway distracted Mia and she scurried to the door to see what was going on. When she opened the door, she saw Bruno disappear into the room opposite.

"Are you moving upstairs too, Bruno?"

"Oh, Mia, yes. The cave is sufficient, but if we have the choice, then of course we'll move."

"So Sarah and Hilda have their rooms up here too?"

"Sarah will also live up here. Hilda, on the other hand, wants to stay in the cave."

"Why?"

"You'll have to ask Marco or her. I wasn't there when the decision was made."

Mia follows Bruno downstairs to see me, since Hilda wasn't there.

"Marco, why is Hilda staying in the cave? As an old woman, shouldn't she move upstairs?"

"That wasn't my decision. I offered it to her, but she preferred to stay downstairs. She said she didn't feel safe up there."

"Because we also live on the same floor?"

"Do you think she dislikes you?"

"No, she was always very nice to me."

"Then you shouldn't think she doesn't feel safe because of you."

"But why then?"

"She couldn't say exactly. I think the answer lies in her past."

"I understand. Thank you again for taking us in."

It was nice to receive gratitude, but it wasn't as if I didn't get any benefit from it. They were a tool for me to complete tasks that needed to be done. There was nothing to do in the winter when we were snowed in and their presence was a danger, but they would provide me with mana. Because if no guests or monsters came to us, I would need an alternative source.