Furnishing the house was a long-term endeavor. It wasn’t something that would be done in a day or two. My priority was to focus on the essentials to make it habitable, like a few bedrooms, the kitchen, and the bathroom. Everything else could wait a little longer.
I spent part of the day going around carpenters, craftsmen, furniture makers, and household utensil makers, trying to find good quality to match the house itself. When the day came to an end, I switched to my next task. I waited for the children to finish their lessons and come to the shop to take them outside again, finding a quiet place to talk.
“You three, do you remember about the house in the bunnies’ village? It’s built now, so we can move into it soon. Have you decided whether you want to live there or not?”
They glanced at one another, Erin finally responding on behalf of all of them.
“About that, we have some questions.”
“Go ahead.”
“What are the alternatives if we don’t move there?”
“You could stay at the inn, or maybe I could rent an apartment for you. I’m just a bit worried about that last option. The inn is safe because the security there is tight, and a lot of people go in and out all the time. You won’t get the same safety in an apartment with only you living there.”
“We can take care of ourselves. We’ve been living in the slums for a long time without any help.”
“That’s right, but you never know. Anyway, I’d let you choose what you prefer best.”
“Hmm… Then, next question. Isn’t the village too far from Geola? We won’t be able to take our lessons there anymore.”
“About the morning lessons, I’m thinking about asking Mrs. Itfan if she would be interested in living there to teach you, with an increase in salary for her trouble. If not, we can find someone else. I’m sure there are a lot of bunnies who would be glad to teach you, too. As for the magic lessons, you soon won’t need to go every day anymore, right? You can just go by horse or carriage when it’s necessary. It’s a long trip on foot, but it’s not that bad using horses.”
“That seems to be a lot of trouble.”
“There are some advantages in living there. The village itself is protected by Geola’s army, so it’s quite safe. You can also use my house as you want until you feel like moving out.”
They exchanged a few glances, as if communicating with their eyes. Erin soon spoke again, but with more hesitation.
“But… Why a village of bunnies? Are they, like, um….”
I cut her off before she could say something she might regret.
“I told you already, it’s all false rumors and whispers from jealous people. The bunnies are the nicest people I know, and everyone is very helpful. I can’t think of any better place for you to live, especially for Orun. He’ll be able to grow up in peace, surrounded by a lot of friends. You too, Erin, Aren. There are a lot of children your age, I’m sure you’ll be able to make some good friends.”
“Friends…”
“Friends…”
The two older siblings reacted the same way, a mix of perplexity and disinterest.
“Didn’t you have friends when you were young, before coming here? You’re all from Makji, right?”
“Hmm…”
“I guess I had some…”
Erin didn’t answer. Aren seemed to try hard to remember memories that felt like they came from a previous life.
“You two are hopeless. Friends are important, you know? If you train seriously and rank up a lot, you’ll be able to live for a hundred years, perhaps even more. You’ll need friends to stay with you during that long time, or else life would be too miserable.”
Judging by their expressions, they didn’t seem to get my point, which was fair. The mix of them being still young and having a hard life forced them to consider many things more important than friends. Or so I thought, when Aren surprised me with his next words.
“There were many other kids in the slums, just like us.”
“Oh… Did you have a good relationship with them?”
“Not really good but… not really bad either. Sometimes we fought for food, other times we helped each other to pickpocket or steal something. Ah… Forget about that. I didn’t say anything.”
“It’s fine. We met because you two tried to pickpocket me, remember?”
“…Right.”
This made him smile a little.
“Anyway, let’s get back to the main point. Do you want to move to my house or not?”
Erin answered this again.
“We need to think about what you said. Can we tell you tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
After that, we chatted a bit more, or, to be precise, Aren and Orun told me about their day with the older sister now staying quiet. After I dropped them off at the inn, I teleported to 82. It was now time for the same talk, but with my cohabitants. I broached the topic at dinner.
“Suuru, Minsto, the house in the bunnies’ village is finished. I just need to furnish it a bit, and we can move there any time.”
Suuru flinched while Minsto stayed Minsto-like.
“Ah, right… About that, well… Do we need to move?”
Her question was the same as before. Smiling, I couldn’t help asking.
“What? You still don’t want to move? Didn’t you say you had enough of how terrible the people in 82 were?”
Her eyes shook a little.
“Yes. I still think so. It’s just that, well…”
“What is it? It’s not like I’m going to get upset, you know?”
“I know. It’s just, with you and Minsto living here, plus my job in 6, I don’t even meet with anyone from 82 anymore. The house here is much better than before, and there’s the workshop too. Do we really need to move out of the domes?”