IRVB 09

“Good thinking. Anyway, get some rest. Don’t go running around on your own like yesterday.”

Gembil was just about to leave the room for real this time—

when Rodi asked in a bright voice,

“Um, but sir… do you know where that boy from yesterday is? I want to thank him.”

“Tch.”

Find out yourself.

Gembil just said that and left, insisting he wasn’t some errand boy and that Rodi should figure things out on his own.

And he also reminded him that he wasn’t “sir,” but Gembil.

But… I don’t know what else to call you.

You’re like a kind but grumpy potato old man.

As soon as he finished the breakfast Vendor had given him, Rodi started running all over the mansion looking for the boy.

Gembil had told him to explore and get used to the place before taking on any work.

So he had no choice but to figure things out himself.

That’s how it had always been at the orphanage, so it wasn’t anything new.

But—

“…It’s too big.”

Even the width of the hallways felt more than ten times larger than the orphanage, and there were so many staircases that he had no idea where to go.

If he wandered aimlessly, he felt like he’d get lost.

He wasn’t supposed to rely on others here, so he couldn’t afford to get lost either.

After thinking for a moment, Rodi took out the bread he had secretly saved from breakfast and began tearing it into tiny pieces.

“…What a waste.”

They said he wouldn’t go hungry here, but you couldn’t trust adults completely.

He might end up starving tonight.

Rodi hesitated for a long time, then shook his head.

Getting used to the place came first.

As he moved along again, he hid small pieces of bread under the bases of pillars along the stairs.

He’d tuck one piece away, and if a slightly bigger chunk came off, he’d reluctantly pop it into his mouth instead.

Even while chewing, his eyes kept searching for the boy.

“But why is it so big, yet there’s no one around?”

The entire place felt empty—there wasn’t even the sound of footsteps.

Where did everyone go?

He wanted to find him quickly and talk to him.

He also wanted to ask if the boy lived here too.

Since he’d been told there were no children here, maybe the boy had come for the same reason as him.

If so, it would be much better than being here alone.

After wandering for a long time, just as he was starting to get tired, Rodi spotted a small head of black hair.

“There he is!”

Hearing the bold voice, Lexiard turned around.

“You…”

“Hi!”

Rodi ran up to him and grabbed the hem of his clothes.

“Thank you for yesterday!”

“Ah.”

“I’ve been looking everywhere to tell you that, so I’m glad I found you!”

He hadn’t noticed yesterday, but up close, the boy was much taller than him.

Rodi probably only reached his chest.

While Rodi was sizing him up, the boy said nothing.

‘Is it not him?’

The black hair matched…

Just as Rodi was about to ask if he had saved him yesterday, Lexiard—who had been looking at him with slightly surprised eyes—let out a small chuckle.

“As long as you’re not hurting anymore, that’s enough.”

That’s him!

Rodi smiled brightly.

Lexiard gave a faint smile in response and turned to leave.

He had already forgotten about yesterday and hadn’t expected to meet him again.

Since he’d smiled politely, he figured that was enough and tried to go on his way—

but for some reason, he couldn’t move.

Feeling something tugging at him, Lexiard looked down.

The child was still gripping his clothes tightly, looking up at him.

It seemed like he wanted something, but Lexiard couldn’t guess what.

More than anything, it was the first time someone had approached him so casually and without hesitation.

Annoying.

“Do you need something else?”

“Are you new too?”

“…What?”

“Well then… do you want to be my partner? I’m Rodi. Brodi! We can be friends too!”

‘Partner?’

Why would I—

Though he was momentarily taken aback by the unfamiliar proposal,

Lexiard somehow ended up sitting down in the middle of the hallway with Rodi still clinging to him.

“Thanks for yesterday! My stomach hurt so much, but after taking the medicine, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“That’s good.”

Holding onto Lexiard, Rodi chattered nonstop about how he came from the orphanage and how he ended up here.

It was both fascinating and amusing how he could talk without taking a single break.

“The boss gave me bread, meat, and clothes. Oh, and I even got my own room.”

“Really?”

A passing attendant spotted them and froze in shock.

After making eye contact with Lexiard, he quickly bowed and hurried away in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Rodi, completely unaware, kept talking.

“Yeah. They said if I work hard, I can get an even bigger room. I heard he’s a bad villain outside, but he actually seems kind of nice.”

Lexiard, who had been quietly watching Rodi chatter, asked,

“You call Ikllis ‘boss’?”

“Huh? Is that not okay? I became his subordinate. They said Ikllis is the leader here. Haven’t you seen him?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ve seen him.”

Lexiard replied casually, a strange smile forming on his lips.

Rodi tilted his head.

“You’re new too, right?”

He asked again, as if confirming.

“New?”

Come to think of it, he had asked that earlier too.

Calling him a partner, a friend—

At first, Lexiard thought he was just a strange kid who got familiar too quickly, but it seemed there was a reason he kept sticking to him.

“Yeah. I just joined yesterday. How did you get in? Is your dream to become rich too? Mine is. I’m going to work hard and collect a thousand gold coins.”

Rodi fidgeted with his fingers, counting and recounting them.

“A thousand? Why a thousand?”

“Well, I was going to collect a hundred, but they said you can’t buy a big house with just a hundred. I need to bring my friends too. What about you?”

Lexiard paused.

He didn’t know how to answer.

A thousand gold coins… he could get that much immediately if he wanted.

But for Rodi, who had come here just for that, the goal was surprisingly clear.

At first, Lexiard had only felt annoyed and wanted to leave quickly, but now, his curiosity about Rodi began to grow.

Just like when Rodi had grabbed his hand yesterday.

“…Hmm, I guess mine is similar.”

Might as well say I want to be rich too.

Rodi’s eyes widened, sparkling brightly.

“Really? I thought so! Then let’s be close. Friends should help each other, right?”

Rodi stuck out his hand.

But when Lexiard only looked at it without taking it, Rodi hesitated slightly.

Maybe it’s because I said I’m from an orphanage…

But I washed my hands.

“Ah, I washed my hands earlier. They said you can use warm water anytime here. If it’s dirty—”

“It’s not dirty at all.”

Before he could finish, Lexiard grabbed his hand.

Rodi’s tense expression melted into a bright smile.

“Then let’s be friends!”

After learning that Lexiard had been here much longer than him, Rodi asked him to show him around the second floor.

Since Lexiard even knew the way back to Rodi’s room, he no longer had to waste bread marking his path.

“This is the dining hall.”

“Do you eat here too?”

“Sometimes.”

“I see. The food here is really good.”

Lexiard glanced sideways at Rodi, who was following him closely.

He had originally planned to leave, but his mind had changed.

The feeling of getting dragged into something troublesome just because he caught a child’s attention had disappeared.

Rodi’s constant chatter wasn’t unpleasant, and the way he followed him around like a little puppy wasn’t bad either.

So every now and then, Lexiard would stop walking, watch Rodi stop in place beside him, and then start walking again.

It was still slightly annoying—but only slightly.

Balancing those two feelings, he guided Rodi through the places he was likely to visit, eventually arriving at the staircase where they had first met.

“What are you brats doing?”

At the voice from above, Rodi, who had been chattering, quickly turned his head.

Ikllis was leisurely descending from the third floor.

“The boss!”

Ikllis let out a small chuckle.

“How was your first day?”

“It was good! I even had breakfast. When do I get to work again?”

“Not yet. Get used to the place first, kid.”

“Okay! Lexiard showed me around the second floor. And we decided to be friends. Right?”

Ikllis, now only two steps away with his long strides, raised an eyebrow.

“What are you looking at?”

He threw the question casually while looking down at Lexiard.

Lexiard tilted his head slightly toward Rodi.

“Looks like you’ve picked up a strange hobby, uncle.”