I met a boy named Hekactor in town, who was with a Wyvern.
I told him our names and where we were staying.
“Oh, is that so? I was just about to go clean. If you don’t mind, could you clean for me instead? I’ll consider it your help with the lodging fee.”
Luckily, it seemed like I could get the accommodation fee waived by cleaning. And though he didn’t look it, this dazed boy seemed to be quite wealthy.
“Of course, I accept. Thank you very much.”
“Ah, and also, could you look after Hekactor while I run errands in town?”
On top of that, I had to look after the boy, but since he seemed quiet, I felt I could focus on the cleaning. We immediately returned to the lodging and decided to divide the work to clean it up. While the building itself wasn’t large, it seemed like the master alone couldn’t handle everything. The beds were neatly made, but there was a thin layer of dust on the cabinets and windowsills.
I took the sleepy boy’s hand and sat him down on the room’s sofa. I wet a rag with water and wiped away the dust. I tidied up the furniture and picked up the trash that had fallen. I also scrubbed the wet areas until the cloudiness disappeared. As I stood and crouched, engrossed in the task, a light sweat coated my whole body.
I cleaned the other rooms and the hallway that hadn’t been touched yet. I took out the accumulated trash and cleaned the kitchen. Before I knew it, a considerable amount of time had passed since noon.
“Phew, it’s quite clean now, isn’t it?”
“Once I started, I got really absorbed in it.”
Saying that, Philiana wiped the sweat from her brow.
“Ah, speaking of which, you had a child with you, didn’t you? What happened to them?”
Nina’s remark reminded me. I had completely forgotten about him, leaving him sitting on the sofa. I hurried back to the room. There, I found the boy asleep on the sofa.
“Phew, that’s a relief. Hey, the cleaning is done now. Sorry for leaving you alone.”
Even when I called out to him, he showed no sign of waking up. I gently shook his shoulder, but he was sleeping so soundly that there was no reaction. It was past noon, and I was starting to want to eat something. There was nothing for it, so I moved him to the bed and decided to go grocery shopping.
The town was bustling with evening shoppers. Sharin and I purchased the ingredients, and when we brought them back, Pauline borrowed the now-clean kitchen and made us a meal. It felt like a long time since I had eaten simple yet hearty food at a table. That’s right, I left the boy sleeping. Surely he hadn’t overslept too much? He must be hungry by now.
I visited the room again. He was still sleeping with a peaceful expression, his breath soft.
“Hey, dinner is ready. It might be a little early, but you must be hungry, right?”
When I turned on the light and looked closely, his ears were fluffy like an animal’s, and he also had a tail similar to Jeff’s. Perhaps this boy, Hekactor, was also partly a demon. As I persistently shook his shoulder, he opened his eyes with annoyance.
