The first thing Sincir sees as he enters the kitchen is Ena’s gre; Gre which is followed by a dry smile once she notices both Eleanor and Esme walking behind him.

  “Morning,” he greets her, smiling warmly as he walks by in order to sit at the table, “Is breakfast ready? I’m starving…”

  “Hey, El, I was worried when I noticed you weren’t in your room… But I guess I shouldn’t have bothered. Did you sleep well?”

  “So so,” Eleanor murmurs.

  The girls exchange greetings while Esme and Eleanor also come to sit at the table. Meanwhile, Ena begins to fill ptes for everybody, herself included, as a groggy looking Rez wobbles in as well… Though, the half-goblin sleepiness seems to quickly disappear once she smells the air a couple of times.

  “By the way, we have a new guest,” Sincir says as he waits patiently for his own pte to be filled, “Her life is in danger, so she’ll be staying with us until I manage to find the people who are after her… I don’t think I need to mention this, but it’ll be better if her stay remains a secret for the time being.”

  Now that he thinks on it, he never discussed any type of payment with No… Well, he is sure they can come to some sort of deal about his reward once everything is said and done.

  “Another member?” Ena asks, her voice and expression innocent as she brings her fork up for a small bite.

  Sincir looks at her, then at everybody’s filled pte, before taking at gnce toward his own, empty one.

  As expected, Rez is already stuffing her mouth as fast as she can, but both Eleanor and Esme have yet to start eating, their expressions carefully neutral as they watch him and Ena.

  Seeing as his pte obviously won’t receive any food unless he goes through the trouble himself, Sincir sighs, rising in order to fill it. “Another member of what?” he asks Ena, pretending not to know what she means.

  “Of the harem, of course,” she retorts promptly, still in the same innocent tone.

  Although her voice and expression ck any hostility on the surface, he can see the barely contained anger burning behind Ena’s leaf-green eyes as she stares at him, and so he sighs again while sitting.

  “Ena, there is no such thing as a harem…”

  She snorts, then pushes her pte away. “Not yet, you mean. Anyway, I just realized I’m not hungry.”

  Sincir still has his mouth slightly open as Ena rises and walks away.

  Seeing her leaving the kitchen altogether, Sincir grabs the bridge of his nose. Damn it, he’s hungry… Couldn’t she have waiting for him to take a couple of bites, at least?

  “…I’ll be back,” he tells the others, before also rising and following after her.

  He finds Ena at their backyard, unsheathed sword against her knees as she angrily begins to care for it in the way Eleanor taught her, now a couple of days prior.

  “Hey, careful with that thing… Cutting yourself won’t solve anything.”

  As Ena pointedly ignores him, Sincir sighs. After watching her for a moment, and realizing she won’t speak with him, he sits next to her on the ground.

  “Ena…”

  “…Fuck off,” she murmurs angrily, quickly wiping a lone tear from her cheek, “Can’t you tell I want to be left alone?!”

  “Well, we have training in a bit, and then we’ll be going to the guild with Eleanor, so I thought it’d be best to have this talk right now, rather than spend a miserable day together…”

  “Sincir, I don’t wanna hear it, so shove your fucking excuses!”

  Sincir rolls his eyes. “C’mon, I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be apologizing for over here… I know this was a sudden change for you, but at least give me the chance to expin myself.”

  Ena pauses for long enough to gre at him. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “…Tell you what, exactly?”

  “That you had a thing for Eleanor!”

  “…Would you believe me if I said I had no intentions of having anything happen between the two of us?”

  Ena clenches her jaw. “That’s not the point! I know she is… I know it’d be hard for any man to resist her, but…!”

  Seeing her struggling with her words as a myriad of different emotions crosses through her face, Sincir chuckles softly. “I see you’re not sure about what’s making you so upset either. Are you afraid I will forget about you, now that I have Esme and Eleanor?”

  Ena’s eyes widen slightly. “I… I’m not jealous!”

  Sincir throws her a look which makes it clear he is not buying it, then shakes his head. “Look, if you were the one who had suddenly showed with a boyfriend, I’d probably have been upset too, or at least a little shocked... Though I’d probably have hidden it a lot better than you. And then the whole thing with Eleanor suddenly dropped on your p, so I don’t bme you for freaking out…”

  Ena grimaces while pressing her hands against her face. “I knew it’d be like this… Creator, Eleanor was right…”

  Although he has a good guess as to what the answer is going to be, Sincir still asks. “About what?”

  Ena gres at him through her fingers for a moment, then shakes her head. “About you being the best sweet talker in town! I bet you could get away with murder even if half of Elderspire caught you in the act! Fucking hell, how am I supposed to stay mad…”

  Sincir sighs exasperatedly. “Why are you even trying to? It’s not like you gain anything by fighting with me all the time.”

  Ena growls running her hands through her hair in obvious frustration, then looks away from him, toward the house and the kitchen window. “…I feel like I’m going insane. What am I to you, Sincir? What are we to each other?”

  “…Isn’t that obvious? We’re family.”

  “…I thought I knew what that meant. But now you and Eleanor are fucking, your girlfriend who is somehow okay with it is living with us, and I don’t understand what am I supposed to be, anymore…”

  Hearing the obvious pain in her voice, Sincir frowns. “Look, nothing has to change. I know it’ll be awkward for you being in the middle of this whole thing, and I’m sorry for that, but it won’t st forever…”

  Even as he says them, Sincir realizes his words are unlikely to make her feel any better. However, at this point, he isn’t sure what else he could say… There is a good reason he abstained from getting involved with either of them up to this point, and this sort of drama is exactly it.

  “I feel… I feel that if things keep going like this, the three of us are going to split up,” Ena says quietly after a moment of silence, meeting his gaze as she does so, “That’s what you mean when you say that this isn’t going to st forever, right?”

  Sincir scratches his head. “I suppose? We’ll each have our own house one day, and maybe even our own families…”

  Ena grimaces. “You mean you’ll kick me out one day unless I start sucking you off too, and then you’ll live happily ever after with the others.”

  Ah… So there lies the problem.

  Sincir shakes his head, then smiles at Ena, patting her head. “Idiot.”

  She immediately sps his hand away. “W-what?!”

  “Do you really think I’d kick you out if we don’t have a sexual retionship? At what point during these past five years have I given you that impression...? When I said we’ll each have our own houses, I meant in the future, once we find a pce to establish our kingdom… And Ena, even if that happens, you’ll always be important to me; As a disciple, as a family member, and as a friend... As my partner in crime.”

  After a moment of facing his gaze, Ena lowers her head and takes a small breath, averting her eyes from his. “...You aren’t saying this just so I’ll get off your case?” she murmurs.

  “Of course not. Have I ever lied to you?”

  Ena throws him a look which causes Sincir to roll his eyes.

  “Have I ever lied to you about something important?”

  “…Fine. But I don’t want to see you guys kissing and stuff, so keep it to the bedroom.”

  Sincir ughs, rolling his eyes. “Is hugging in public permitted, Mom? What about hand holding?”

  Ena groans while once more, hiding her face in between her hands. “Ugh… I can’t believe you guys are actually… What does she even see… This is like my worst nightmare becoming reality…”

  “Hey.”

  “Shut up. You’re lucky I’m being this reasonable about this whole thing…” Ena murmurs, before looking at him again and frowning, “And what was that about another girl being here? What happened in between st night and now? Can you not leave the house without coming back with a girl under each arm?”

  Sincir grimaces. “Don’t exaggerate. Technically, Esme is the only girl I’ve ever brought home… Do you want to know what happened or not?”

  For the first time in their conversation, Ena smiles slightly, rolling her eyes. “Sure, tell me all about how you had no choice but to save some poor girl and bring her home...”

  Although he knows she is obviously making fun of him, instead of retorting, Sincir lets it go in order to expin about No and her situation…

  Ena is about done with her sword by the time he finishes. Throwing him a look of exasperation, she shakes her head in disbelief. “So you know almost nothing about this girl? She could be a huge pain in the ass to the live with.”

  “…Need I remind you who insisted in bringing a half-goblin home whom we literally knew nothing about?”

  Ena has the decency of blushing. “Rez is different. She had nowhere to go, and nobody to rely on-”

  “No is not doing much better than that. Should I have left her to her fate?”

  Ena averts her gaze, sighing. “I’m not saying that. I was just wondering…”

  As her voice trails off, Sincir raises an eyebrow. “What?”

  “…If you’d have saved her if she was a guy.”

  He groans. “Are you still thinking I’m trying to collect pieces for my harem?”

  Ena gives him a look. “Aren’t you?”

  “No.”

  Seeing the serious look on his face, she eventually sighs. “Okay… I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Ironically enough, I also wondered if you’d have been so adamant about bringing Rez home if she were a different sex.”

  Ena blinks. “What? You really think I’d have just left Rez to die if she was a boy?”

  “Hey, you suggested the same thing about me, not a second ago…”

  Ena frowns, then shakes her head. “For a different reason, but sure, I’ll give you this one.”

  “Well, there is still one empty room in the house... But I promise I won’t bring any more girls in.”

  Ena ughs. “Are you sure you’ll be able to rein in your desire to save damsels in distress, whenever you see them?”

  “Naw... But I’ll send them to an inn from now on,” Sincir says, pcing one hand over his chest, “Promise.”

  Ena snorts, leaf-green eyes gleaming pyfully under the rising sun. “Fine then... No, was it? And why not? At least I’ll feel less lonely, if I’m not the only one who isn’t a part of your love life in here.”

  Sincir is about to retort, when a scream suddenly cuts the air, coming from the kitchen.

  Moving by instinct, he’s already running toward the window by the time the scream dies down, several possible scenarios running through his mind, accompanied by the spells he’ll have to cast in order to solve them…

  However, what Sincir finds has him stopping dead in his tracks.

  “W-what?!” Ena asks as she also reaches the window, “What happened?!”

  Sincir stares toward Rez, frozen in the process of washing a pte… Then toward the suspect perpetrator of the scream, a wide-eyed No pressed against the wall and seemingly intended on staying as far away from the half-goblin as the small space of their kitchen will allow her to.

  Sincir grabs the bridge of his nose. “…No,” he says after a moment, “This is Rez, our harmless half-goblin resident. Rez, this is No, the girl I mentioned earlier... Don’t mind her rudeness, she grew up sheltered.”

  Rez blinks, then shrugs, returning her attention to their breakfast’s dirty dishes. “Rez in a good mood and full stomach, so Rez forgives,” she says nonchantly.

  Sincir smiles at her, then shifts his gaze toward No again, frowning as he does so. “How long do you pn on hugging that wall for? Stop overreacting and fill a pte for yourself already.”

  A few awkward minutes of murmured apologies and greetings ter, Sincir at st sits at the table with his now cold pte of food (which he casts a fire spell over in order to heat it up again) while surrounded by Ena and No, the only ones who also have yet to eat their breakfast.

  No seems uncomfortable and cold. Since her clothes are still the same she wore st night, and her feet (which she keeps trying to hide from view, for some reason) are also still bare, Sincir doesn’t exactly bme her.

  Thankfully, Ena is much more of a social butterfly than Esme or Eleanor, and she is quick to offer some of her clothes as well as a pair of the shoes for the noble girl to wear while staying under their roof, to which No replies coyly, maintaining her eyes firmly glued to her half-finished meal.

  “By the way, I need a description from your knight and a pce where I may easily find him today… Though I haven’t exactly decided on what I’m going to tell him. Any ideas?”

  For the first time in the morning, No showcases some of the fire she dispyed previously; Over the mention of her knight, she immediately sits up straight, light brown eyes gleaming with sudden fierceness.

  “Daniel is blond, tall, and he wears our house’s colors religiously… There’s a tavern near our house in the city which he likes to frequent during off-duty hours, and I suspect he’ll be drawing himself in alcohol after finding out about my disappearance, so finding him will probably be easy... Though it might be hard to get him to understand you.”

  “I can handle that.”

  No nods. “Then you should tell him I’m still alive, but that I’m biding my time and staying in hiding for now. Instruct him to arrange a pretend search party, and to keep the truth to himself… Here, this should make him trust you more,” she says while removing one of her rings and extending it in his direction.

  Sincir immediately realizes the ring is the magical artifact which was keeping her thoughts hidden form him, and also that it possesses her family crest engraved on it.

  “…Are you sure?”

  She nods again. “I couldn’t help but notice this house is protected by runes, so I won’t be needing it for the moment. I’d even have him wear it, if not for the fact it might make him a target… I believe that as long as he acts as a desperate knight without any real power, he’ll be left alone.”

  Sincir nods, accepting the ring. “I’ll tell him to keep his head low. And don’t worry, it is likely they have more to lose than to gain by going after him at this point, specially if they believe him to know nothing.”

  No releases a small sigh once the ring leaves her palm, slowly clenching it before finally pulling her hand away… He doesn’t doubt she feels naked without it.

  “Thank you, Mr. Sincir. You’re putting yourself at risk for helping us, and I truly appreciate that.”

  As No bows her head, Sincir rolls his eyes.

  “If you’re grateful, then just make sure to behave and treat the girls well while you’re here, including Rez… That being said, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Esme will stay here during the day as well, so she can show you around and maybe lend you some books.”

  Although her nod is somewhat stiff this time, perhaps in virtue of his mention about Rez, Sincir wagers she received the message well enough… No might be a bit rough around the edges, but he doesn’t think she is a bad girl.

  After breakfast, his morning training with Ena and Eleanor, both magical and physical, proceeds as usual, other than the fact the girls seem more awkward around each other than usual.

  Esme and No watch them for most of it, carrying impressed looks on their faces, while Rez pops her head to peek in, every once in a while...

  All in all, it is a satisfying training session.

  “Sincir!”

  Sending another jet of cold water which hits Ena square in the chest and sends her stumbling back, Sincir ughs. “I told you to stop coming at the enemy directly, didn’t I? I know you have a brain, so learn to use it already… Anyway, it’s getting te, so I think we should stop here for the day.”

  Ena grumbles something about his mother which is very unfttering, rising as she stares toward her drenched, dirty clothes with disgust. “How come I’m the one who always ends up looking like this in the end?”

  Because bullying Eleanor like this would give him a hard-on in the middle of their training…

  “Eleanor fights with her head, so she’s much harder to bring down. Now stop compining and come here, so I can clean and dry you.”

  Ena sighs, but she knows by now there is no point in arguing with him when to comes to his training methods… Although she is still sending him the occasional gre by the time they’re ready to leave for the guild.

  “Don’t burn the house while we’re away,” Sincir tells the girls who’ll be staying, once they’re all gathered in their living room, “And try to get along.”

  “Be careful,” Esme murmurs, stepping forward and pcing a small kiss over his lips.

  “…I will,” Sincir promises once she steps away, facing her gaze as he does so.

  Having said his goodbyes, Sincir finally leaves for the guild with girls.

  Since their walk there is fairly uneventful, he spends most of his time thinking about how he might crack Mary’s cold heart open to his advances.

  A gift would feel too forced… And it doesn’t seem like she’ll accept his invite for a date, no matter how much he begs her to.

  “Eleanor, do you know anything about Mary, the guild’s receptionist?”

  “For example?” she asks, maintain her gaze firmly ahead as she does so.

  “For example, some sort of weakness I might be able to exploit, or her preferences when it comes to men… Anything, really. Does she have a favorite color?”

  “…No clue. Mary doesn’t talk with anyone, as far as I’m aware, and I’ve never been much of a talker, myself. I’ve used her table on occasion, and that’s about it.”

  “Really?!” Ena interjects, “He straight up admits he’s trying to manipute this poor woman into climbing up his bed, and that’s all you have to say about it?!”

  “Manipute is such an ugly word…”

  “You said you were looking for weaknesses to exploit!”

  Seeing her obvious outrage, Sincir groans. “Ena, in love and war, there are no rules… And I bet it’d be good for Mary to rex every once in a while. I just need to convince her I’m trustworthy, and that she’ll be in good hands with me…”

  “She could be gay,” Eleanor points out.

  “…Fuck, I hadn’t thought of that. Did you ever catch her looking at your boobs before? Damn it, if you did, you should’ve told me already… I hate it when this happens.”

  Ena smirks at him. “You deserve it, for being a pervert.”

  “You, shut up. Eleanor, I need you to-”

  “No.”

  Sincir groans. “C’mon, please? It’ll be so awkward if I’m the one to ask… She’ll think I’m the type of delusional guy who thinks the only reason a woman would ever reject them is if they’re gay…”

  Eleanor throws him a look over her shoulder, then raises an eyebrow. “Aren’t you?”

  Sincir grimaces. “Of course not; I’m mature enough to understand people have different tastes.”

  “Hasn’t she rejected you already?” Ena asks, “Where do you draw the line, exactly? I’d hate it if a guy I rejected kept pestering me to no end at my workpce… I saw it happen to some of the girls at the Smiling Horse, and it felt like a huge pain in the ass for them.”

  Well… The truth is, Mary is a bit of a bitch, so he is also teasing her by doing the thing she is likely to hate the most. That being said, he isn’t actually trying to make her miserable, so if it ever looks like things are getting out of hand...

  “…Look, I’ll stop if it looks like she is really bothered, okay? So far, it seems that she enjoys our back and forth at least to some extent, even if she would never admit as much out load.”

  Ena throws him a look filled with doubt. “Are you sure that’s not just in your head? Because it sure sounds delusional to me.”

  Sincir grimaces. “Eleanor, remind me to never help Ena if she ever has any love problems in her life, since she apparently knows so much more about it than me.”

  Ena snorts. “As if I’d have asked you. Eleanor has dealt with enough pestering for the both of us, so she can give me advice.”

  “…I’m not taking sides, so don’t even,” Eleanor murmurs.

  “Hey, at least now you won’t be lying when you tell them you already have a boyfriend,” Ena points out.

  “I doubt it’ll make much of a difference.”

  “Well, I know you hate lying-”

  “Weren’t you upset about that just this morning?” Eleanor interjects, throwing Ena a look sharp enough to have her stutter.

  “I-if by that you mean you and Sincir being together, then I confess I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, but it’s not like you guys will break up if I throw another tantrum…”

  “How unusually mature of you,” Sincir murmurs with a chuckle, receiving a gre from Ena for his troubles.

  “…I see,” Eleanor murmurs, looking far from convinced, although she does look away from Ena after a moment.

  Does she still think Ena has a thing for him?

  Naw, after their talk this morning, Sincir is fully convinced Ena sees him as an older brother, and nothing else... Which is good, because he isn’t sure the house would survive the alternative.

  Eleanor must be imagining things… Or at least, he hopes she is.