“Yes.”

Lexiard’s face changed subtly once again.

“I didn’t know.”

“There are things even Lexiard doesn’t know?”

“Hm? Of course.”

“I thought you knew everything.”

Lexiard laughed softly.

“I really didn’t know. Just… I was planning to come again today.”

When Rodi nodded in understanding, Lexiard tilted his head slightly.

“Why?”

Rodi blinked, puzzled by this inexplicable reaction.

“Next time, I’ll make sure to greet you first. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

“So we’ll stay friends?”

“Huh?”

“No?”

“That’s not it… we’re friends regardless of whether you apologize or not.”

At those words, Lexiard’s expression, which had seemed somewhat anxious, brightened.

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes. But since you apologized, everything’s fine now. So let’s go to the restaurant.”

This time, Rodi pulled his hand first.

Just moments ago, Brodi had been in a bad mood from bumping into a stranger, but meeting Lexiard had improved her spirits.

With each step toward the restaurant, Brodi’s expression grew brighter.

***

At Rodi’s single mention of being hungry, the large restaurant table was filled with food.

It seemed enough for five people, yet only Rodi and Lexiard were in the restaurant.

Lexiard transferred the served food onto plates with remarkable skill.

Rodi watched carefully and tried to copy him, but the tongs made noise every time they hit the plate.

Lexiard didn’t make a sound and even cut the food into bite-sized pieces for Rodi.

It was just like the nobles who sometimes came to volunteer at the orphanage and had tea parties in the garden.

Those nobles which ate slowly and conversed elegantly without making a sound.

Rodi thought about this while practically stuffing food into her mouth.

“Aren’t you eating?”

“Hm?”

“Why aren’t you eating anything?”

Rodi asked with her cheeks full of food.

“What did you say?”

The constantly moving cheeks stopped with a gulping sound.

“Aren’t you eating? Did you come to see your uncle today too?”

“I am eating. And no. Today I came to see you.”

“Me?”

“While asking questions, Rodi held out bread to Lexiard. Food should be eaten while it’s available.

Berry always tried to eat only what she liked and didn’t eat well, so Rodi always took care of her like this.

Lexiard reluctantly took a bite of the bread.

Chewing like Rodi had done, Lexiard stared at her intently.

“Rodi.”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Yes.”

“Your ability, when did you first learn to use it?”

“You mean seeing?”

“Yes.”

Rolling her eyes while thinking, Rodi slowly spoke.

“Umm… I’m not sure. A really long time ago?”

“How did you find out about it?”

“Well, there was candy in the director’s pocket, and when I asked for it, she said there wasn’t any, so I told her it was in her pocket. Then she asked how I knew…”

“And then?”

“So I told her I could see it, and the director asked me all sorts of questions.”

“And you answered everything?”

“Yes.”

“So you’ve known since then? Only the director knew?”

“Umm, another teacher knew too, but that teacher isn’t here anymore.”

“I see.”

“After that, um, the director said it was bad and told me not to tell other people. Said others shouldn’t know I was strange.”

Lexiard was once again not eating, resting his chin on his hand while watching Rodi.

“So you hid it?”

“Yes, but I used it a little bit.”

“So that’s why uncle brought you.”

“The boss scolded the director.”

“That’s uncle’s specialty.”

Rodi stabbed a round piece of cheese with her fork and held it out to Lexiard again.

She had to do this because otherwise, Lexiard would just watch her eat without eating anything himself.

No matter how she thought about it, he was just like Berry.

Lexiard obediently opened his mouth and ate the cheese.

Though he didn’t look like he particularly enjoyed it.

It was delicious with its salty and rich milk taste, but Lexiard didn’t seem to think so.

“What about Lexiard?”

“Hm? Me?”

“The black smoke… didn’t you get scolded for using it? Can you use it freely like hands?”

“Everyone knows to avoid it, so it’s fine. Rather than hands… no, I suppose you could call them hands.”

Just as Lexiard was curious about her ability to see through things, Rodi felt free to ask questions too.

While now she could earn money with this ability and knew there were people besides the director who needed it, before that she had to hide it as the director said.

And above all, she was naturally curious because Lexiard had the same kind of strange ability as her.

That’s why she wanted to be friends even more.

“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”

While Rodi didn’t know why she had this ability or why it existed, now that she knew there was someone like her, she didn’t want to let go.

“Don’t you get tired when you use it a lot?”

“I haven’t felt tired from it yet.”

“I get really hungry. My eyes start spinning.”

“Spinning?”

“Yes.”

Lexiard answered all of Rodi’s curious questions without hesitation.

As she listened to his explanations, it became clear that Lexiard’s black smoke was more like an extension of himself than his hands.

It could become a hand or weapon.

He said it could even become a shield to protect him.

It seemed to move automatically with just Lexiard’s thoughts, however he wanted.

As each of Rodi’s curiosities was satisfied, Lexiard never tried to hide anything or show difficulty or strain.

He just quietly accepted the food Rodi offered with her fork.

“I want to ask more next time.”

“Okay.”

Rodi, who had filled her stomach until it was bulging, put down her fork.

“Are you finished?”

“Yes.”

“What do you want to do now?”

“Hmm…”

Rodi’s eyes sparkled.

“There’s somewhere I want to go!”

***

The place where Rodi brought Lexiard was the staircase leading to the lower floor.

Until now, Rodi had only wandered around the 2nd and 3rd floors.

She’d heard that the 1st floor was a very spacious area connected to two other buildings where other guild members were, and it also led to the outside.

“Want to go down?”

“Yes.”

Lexiard went down one step first.

“Then let’s go.”

And Rodi followed behind him.

The stairs between the 1st and 2nd floors were five times longer than those between the 2nd and 3rd floors.

They had to follow the wall around in circles to descend, and it felt like going down more than two floors.

Perhaps because of this, even though there wasn’t a separate door, it gave a completely isolated feeling.

Lexiard mentioned that while he uses these stairs, there’s also a way to go up or down to the 2nd and 3rd floors instantly, and he’d show her next time.

Rodi thought carefully and remembered her first day here.

“Ah! I know that!”

“Have you tried it?”

“Yes, when I first came.”

“Is that more comfortable?”

“Yes, but I prefer the stairs.”

While it was nice that it didn’t hurt her feet, it gave her a strange feeling like she needed to take a deep breath suddenly.

Though it was nice to go up in the blink of an eye, she didn’t want to use it often.

“Well, that’s for old people like uncle.”

“I see.”

Then she should ride it a little too.

Reaching the first floor, Rodi’s eyes sparkled as she looked around both corridors.

Having somewhat conquered the second floor, her goal was to conquer the first floor by the end of today.

“Let’s go over there.”

Having finished her initial exploration, Rodi moved toward the right corridor.

Thanks to Lexiard saying he knew all the paths beforehand, she moved forward without hesitation.

Not knowing that Lexiard had been following behind her for some time, watching the back of her head with apparent enjoyment.

‘How fascinating.’

Every time Lexiard looked at Rodi, what he felt was pure curiosity.

Except for that first time when she was hurt, she never showed any signs of intimidation and adapted quickly.

Not only was it unusual for children to come here, but this place wasn’t meant for children at all.

While this place was more comfortable than home for him, it certainly wasn’t for other children different from him.

Though it might look normal on the surface, this place was truly a jungle.

Since only executives could move around above the second floor, such things didn’t happen there, but the first floor, basement levels 1 and 2, and other buildings where regular guild members went would surely overwhelm an ignorant child like Rodi.