‘My house…’

In Ifühl’s residential district dyed in twilight hues, Alina sat slumped on the side of the road, hugging her knees and staring at her half-destroyed house with eyes of sorrow.

Efforts to repair the damage caused by the Clay Golem were already underway. Although it was well into the evening, the town was alive with craftsmen rushing through town, pieces of lumber slung over their shoulders.

Fortunately, as the Clay Golem was prevented from leaving the main square and was swiftly defeated, the damage to the town was kept to a minimum. Apparently, Slay was stripped of his adventurer’s license and thrown into the dungeons immediately following the incident, but what happened to that sorehead was not worth Alina’s concern.

‘They really went to town, huh.’

Jade stood speechless beside Alina, gazing over the sorry state of her home. Alina sniffed. The thing before her eyes, now a pile of rubble, was the thing she most wanted to protect.

‘How am I supposed to live from tomorrow? Where will I rest my body and mind tired from work? And I only had thirty years left on my mortgage. This is too much.’

‘Ehm, miss Alina’

For a while, Jade was silent, hesitant to say the next words. Unable to make up his mind, his gaze wandered before finally turning to the huddled Alina. He balled his fists tightly and, making up his resolve, yelled:

‘Wh—why not stay at my place tonight??!!’

‘Obviously I’m booking an inn, you dipshit.’

Alina stood up straight and shot Jade, who like a marble statue had turned pure white and completely motionless, a single glance, furrowed her brow in displeasure and snorted.

‘Because of that bastard’s little tantrum I have to work overtime. Get lost.’

‘…got it…’

Jade’s forlorn reply echoed through the twilight neighbourhood.

Chapter sixteen and seventeen are fairly short, so I decided to post them both over the weekend, outside of my normal schedule.

Also, shut up Jade.