Checking on Kazusa

I wanted to head straight to Ramiza-san's shop, but today was her day off.

She'd be holed up at home, and no amount of knocking would bring her out.

So I decided to check on Kazusa and the others first.

I'd told them not to go outside, so they might be wearing thin by now.

I headed to the inn I'd purchased, bringing Azu along since she was close with them and carrying food supplies.

The old woman who'd owned the place had kept it up well; the exterior was still in good shape.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Oh, hello!"

Kazusa's younger brother Leo was inside, carrying a laundry basket across the room.

He tried to bow while still holding it, so I stopped him.

"I came to check in. Is Kazusa here?"

"Yes. Sis is this way."

Leo set the basket on the floor and led us down the hall.

I'd told them to use whichever room they liked, and they'd apparently settled on the one at the far end of the first floor.

"Sis, you have visitors!"

The door swung open with those words, revealing Kazusa mid-change.

Caught off guard, she'd frozen in place.

She was in nothing but her undergarments, halfway through pulling on a skirt.

"Huh?!"

"Ah — Leo. Your sister's still changing. Let's close the door for now, yeah?"

"Okay?"

Leo clearly didn't grasp why, but I nudged him to shut the door.

Awkward.

"Even when it's just family, always knock first. Got it?"

"Yes, got it!"

A cheerful reply came back.

That should prevent a repeat performance.

After a short wait, Kazusa cracked the door open and peeked out.

Being seen while changing had clearly embarrassed her. Her face was a little red.

"I-I'm decent now…"

"Got it. Let us in."

I felt bad about seeing her change, but it was purely an accident.

Acting as if nothing happened would be better for her, too.

Inside the room, the belongings they'd brought had been unpacked, giving the space a lived-in feel.

I'd had Azu and Alexia prepare the essentials, so they should be set for a while.

Kazusa prepared tea and served it to us.

It was bitter but warm.

"Looks like you're doing fine."

"Um, yes. We're managing. Not being able to go outside is a little tough, but it can't be helped, right?"

"It's for your safety. Bear with it a bit longer."

Finn had taken care of the immediate threats, but that didn't mean the danger was completely gone.

For now, having them stay safe here made things easier for us, too.

"I brought food."

"Azu, thank you. Our preserved food was running low and I was getting worried."

Azu set down the rucksack she'd been carrying.

Inside were vegetables, smoked meat with a long shelf life, bread, and fruit.

Enough for two children to get by on for ten days.

"Wow!"

Leo's eyes lit up.

"This is all my fault, and yet… thank you so much."

"I was coming to see Azu anyway. And you've been cleaning while you're here, so it's cheaper than hiring someone."

The exterior had been maintained well, but inside, dust had been building up.

The old woman probably hadn't been able to manage it alone.

I'd arranged for Kazusa and Leo to handle the cleaning in lieu of rent while they stayed here.

Nothing costs more than free, and Kazusa wouldn't feel at ease otherwise.

This way, everyone benefited.

The laundry from earlier was probably clothes that had gotten dirty during cleaning.

"Um, how long is it okay for us to stay here? If possible, we'd really appreciate being able to stay a bit longer…"

"As you can see, I just bought this place and haven't even started renovations. I'm planning to deal with that once things settle down. You don't need to worry. I'm not about to throw Azu's friend out on the street."

"That's such a relief…"

This inn was on the outskirts of town and didn't draw much attention.

As long as they didn't go outside, there was virtually no chance they'd be found.

"This problem isn't something I can ignore either, so I intend to deal with it. Just hang tight a while longer."

"I will. Thank you."

Kazusa bowed her head.

Our business done, we left the room.

Looking around, the place had been cleaned up considerably.

Replace the worn-out furniture, and it could reopen as an inn tomorrow.

Kazusa and Leo saw us off at the entrance.

It was effectively house arrest, but their complexions looked healthy enough. They'd be fine for a while.

I'd just need to bring food by regularly until this was resolved.

"I'm glad Kazusa-chan looked well."

"Yeah. She came to us for help, after all."

Azu was in good spirits now that she'd seen Kazusa was doing okay.

She wore that soft, contented smile.

Just in case, we tried stopping by Ramiza-san's shop, but as expected, it was closed.

On the way home, we stopped at a food stall and bought wheat flour crepes. I picked up enough for the three waiting back at the house as well.

"Thank you for the food."

Azu said, then bit into her crepe.

She had raspberry sauce on her lips, so I wiped it off with my finger. She looked down shyly.

The number of stalls had been dwindling noticeably.

The whole city was gearing up for winter in earnest.

With fewer customers, all but the most desperate or ambitious vendors had packed up and gone.

Quietly, my shop's food sales had been climbing. Between that and the demand for burning stone and firewood, winter was peak season for us.

Back at the house, I peeked into the shop.

Everything looked fine, so I left them to it.

At this point, I could delegate everything beyond the ledger. Kaimol could handle running the place as shop manager.

"Here."

When I sat down in the living room, Alexia had tea waiting for me.

"The crepe was good."

"Glad to hear it."

Alexia had poured a cup for herself too, and sat down next to me.

"You stick your nose into trouble more than I'd expect, you know."

"Where's this coming from?"

"Nowhere. Just an observation. I'm glad my master isn't the kind of coward who'd look the other way."

She sipped her tea.

Something was on her mind.

"I've never seen drugs myself, but they weaken people, don't they?"

"They do. The dependency makes them worse than poison."

"I don't care for anyone who makes money that way. Next time, bring me along."

That was what she'd wanted to say, because she drained her tea and left.

"Thanks."

When I said that to her retreating back, Alexia waved her right hand without turning around.