On the return from the Dungeon, we stopped at the settlement on the first floor to heal Anna's injury.
It didn't take long for us to find a potion for burns.
Anna: "...I'll pay you back for this. As soon as I can..."
She drank the bluish contents of the vial, and I started helping her remove the bandages.
The pinkish hue had faded almost completely, but the scratch still remained.
Miwen: "Don't worry about it. Should we get one for the cut as well?"
Anna: "N-No... I'm fine. Thank you..."
She lifted her hands, showing me her palms.
Miwen: "If it burns, or stings-"
Anna: "I'll tell you."
She flashed me a soft smile, closing her eyes so that they'd smile as well.
Perhaps because of her high defense, the scratch seemed to be healing already.
Before leaving the Dungeon, I asked her to join Mia, Ellie, and Beatrice in the Kingdom.
Even though they were wearing their non-human features under coats, if someone paid close attention, it wasn't hard to figure out their identities. While we could always say that their Gifts made them look this way, I decided that was a situation best avoided for now.
And yet, we still managed to run into trouble.
???????: "...If you sign the contract, you'll receive an early notice to join hunting parties. You can also receive priority in buying equipment from the offices, and..."
The secretary we ran into in the Guild Office was a girl with short brown hair.
I thought she was pretty cute at first, but as soon as the results of our loot came through, I realized we had drawn the short straw.
Seeing that we had defeated a Superior Lord, she asked what floor we were on, and then she gave us a lengthy warning about diving that deep with just the three of us.
Claire acted like it was a given, while Licia pinched me for cracking chuckles.
However, knowing the Hobgoblin Lord had been bullied by the six of us, I couldn't hold a laugh.
Once the secretary had finally finished scolding us, she changed gears, asking if we wanted to sign a contract with the government.
She went over every benefit and every reason under the sun for us to sign, saying a party that had not only survived but killed such a monster had incredible potential.
Miwen: "Uh-huh... See, we're a bit short on time, so... Could you just pay us?"
Secretary: "Ah... I suppose..."
She looked a little dejected, but between the contract and the lecture, we had already spent almost an hour hearing her blab.
It wasn't necessarily that the contract was bad, but it was restrictive in a few ways she coincidentally forgot to mention.
Besides, the girls weren't from Earth and didn't have IDs, so that was never going to work to begin with.
??????: "Isn't that the fifth time today?"
?????: "She's too excited about those contracts, man."
Despite the potion we bought for Anna, we ended up making over $157 today, with the Wind Mana Orb alone being worth $82.
However, on our way out of the Dungeon Office, we heard a few bystanders comment on the secretary.
Licia: "I didn't think she was that bad..."
Claire: "Hmph. She was being pushy. But I guess she enjoyed her work that much."
Licia: "Right?"
Even though we got home later than expected, the two didn't seem mad about it.
Though once I told them we weren't making any detours for crepes or snacks, that changed a little.
Still, once we were home, I asked everyone to return from the Kingdom back to Earth.
Miwen: "Feel free to hang around. Licia and I will work on dinner, so if you have any questions, ask Claire."
Claire: "Eh?"
She was already slouching on the couch, the TV tuned to a movie-only channel.
I was hoping that would help the girls get familiar with Earth before letting them go outside.
Sure enough, I glimpsed back from the Kitchen and found Beatrice leaning closer to the TV, inspecting it.
Beatrice: "I thought it was like a crystal ball, but... how does it work?"
She ran a finger across the screen, and then she looked at its rear panel.
Claire: "It's complicated..."
Claire narrowed her eyes, waving her hand so that Beatrice would move away and stop blocking the screen.
Mia: "So you don't know either."
She leaned from behind the sofa, chuckling as she stared Claire down.
I was worried about her being alone in her house, so I told her we needed her around to protect us, in case the others tried something.
Whether that was Claire's plan or not didn't matter. It was nice to see Mia redirect her anger to Claire instead of wallowing in sorrow.
Claire: "Hmph. I do, actually."
She lifted her chin and closed her eyes, briefly looking away from the TV.
Claire: "You press this and that, and it changes. Look."
She changed channels and the volume, making sure to return to the action movie as soon as possible.
Seeing that, Beatrice's eyes widened for a brief instant, while Mia's ears twitched.
Looking over the kitchen counter, I caught a glimpse of her tail swaying slowly.
Mia: "Sure, but how does that work?"
She leaned closer, her face right next to Claire as her eyes fixed on the remote.
Claire: "...Uhh... Miwen!"
Hearing her shout, Licia smiled, holding back a chuckle.
Miwen: "I'm a bit busy right now!"
Feeling like teasing Claire, I pretended I hadn't been looking for a while and gently bumped Licia with my elbow.
Claire: "C'mon, pretty please?"
I lowered my gaze, taking a deep breath.
That cutesy voice was too unfair.
Miwen: "Fine, pass me the remote."
Licia could hold her own for a few minutes, so I leaned over the counter and tried my best at explaining it.
Beatrice's questions quickly became more specific and technical, so eventually, I couldn't answer her either.
So instead, I put on a video that explained everything there was to know about how TVs worked, from signal towers to the displays.
I thought that'd be enough to make her happy, but soon after...
Beatrice: "I must know more. Would you put on another one?"
Her lips formed a wide, thin line.
I tossed her the remote, and just from watching me do it once, she had already figured out how to navigate it.
Claire: "Eh... This is boring, let's watch the movie."
She turned to Anna, but...
Anna: "I'm also interested though..."
Scratching her head with an awkward smile, Anna leaned forward, paying attention to the next video that started playing.
Claire: "...Ellie? You're my last hope. Give me a hand, will you?"
She looked the elf directly in the eye, already holding her hand.
Ellie: "Well... I didn't really understand any of it, so I think It's better if I help in the kitchen..."
The blonde elf stood up and walked toward the counter.
Miwen: "You're outnumbered, Claire. Just let them watch what they want. You can watch movies later."
Claire. "Hmph. I already have plans for tonight, remember? C'mon... Pretty please?"
Anna: "Eh? Pretty please?"
Just as Ellie stood next to me, she saw me clenching my fists hard.
After closing my eyes and gritting my teeth, I turned to them.
Miwen: "It's not as effective the second time."
Though it was.
Miwen: "You're also setting a bad example."
Their combined attack had almost made me faint.
Miwen: "But... Here. You'll have to make do with my phone for the time being."
Claire. "Hmph. Fine."
It was dangerous to hand her a phone.
There was a chance I'd never see her work again.
Still, after seeing Mia lean over to watch the movie as well, I felt like it was a worthy sacrifice.
Ellie: "Sorry that I didn't do much..."
Since Licia and I were almost done, we had Ellie do simple stuff, like season the salad.
It was already more than Claire ever did, but I couldn't say that without getting burned to a crisp, so I just patted Ellie's head.
It was something I had been wanting to do since we were in the Dungeon, and I felt a little jealous of Anna, who did it without hesitation.
To my surprise, despite blushing, she didn't seem to mind at all, and I lost myself for a few seconds.
Her hair was way fluffier than I thought, and her ears kept twitching cutely.
Miwen: "It's fine, really. You can help more tomorrow if you want to."
While I didn't mind cooking by myself, having them help me was pretty fun.
Ellie: "Ah... Um... If you could..."
She lowered her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper.
Miwen: "...Hm?"
Licia: "I heard elves don't eat as much as humans. Do you want less on your plate?"
Ellie's eyes sparkled, and she nodded her head enthusiastically.
Ellie: "You're very knowledgeable! Thank you!"
Licia: "And you're very cute!"
She gently pinched Ellie's cheeks, making her close her eyes and smile.
Miwen: "...I'll be mindful from now on. Sorry."
Ellie: "Nhm-hm. You've been very kind, and I don't want to impose on you..."
Licia and I looked at each other, sighing.
Licia: "No worries!"
Miwen: "You're not imposing. Claire is."
Claire: "Hey!"
Ellie brought a hand to her lips, holding back a chuckle.
Anna offered to help set the table while we got everyone's plates ready.
Meanwhile, Bea seemed fully entranced by the TV.
Claire and Mia weren't doing much better; they were so distracted that I had to take the phone away from them to get them to sit at the table.
I enjoyed a somewhat quiet dinner with the girls.
But of course, a few minutes later, the living room fell into chaos over the TV again as Mia joined Claire's side and Anna switched camps.
Licia: "...Hehe."
Hugging me from behind, Licia wore a warm smile.
Miwen: "...What? You're not gonna hit me with a pretty please, right?"
Licia: "Nhm. I'm just happy that you're having fun."
She tilted her head, coming into my view from the side.
Miwen: "Isn't that two of us?"
Licia: "It is."