“Who is coming that my lovely child is that my child is in that much fear?” gently asked Furia while looking at Solis.

“Mother, In Town I met Merle who told me debtors were coming and they might have reached our village too, so in fear of them reaching here I came back as soon as possible.” Replied Solis while looking at her mother.

Hearing this her mother’s heart ached and she told Solis” My child it is my responsibility, and I will do something about it you need not worry about such matters”.

While Nick and Albus may have not seen such moments a lot in their life, but they were sure that this was an attempt of a parent to keep a child living her childhood.

“Why mother? I am also an adult now and I am also a part of this family it is my responsibility too and I will not hear anything against it. I am going out to have some firewood from the wild for dinner.” Replied Solis in a loud manner and left the home as she moved out of the village.

Soon Albus and Nick also followed her it was just obvious for Nick to do that rather than being stuck in such an awkward situation at home. They did follow Solis a bit and then followed her to the outskirts of the village.

There Nick asked, “So you want to tell us what happened there and why we need to rush that fast to the village from the town?”

Solis sighed and replied, “Actually a few years ago our family had taken a loan from a merchant due to a famine that occurred that year and the food shortage we faced the contract was outrageous in terms, but we had been in dire need to sustain ourselves in that year, so we did take that loan.”

“And that was not a good decision?” Nick intervened.

“Yes, it was not a good decision the interest price was unjustly increased, and we can do nothing about it. My mother had to sell our home in the Auback town and had to settle here so that we could give our installment or else…” Answered Solis as she stopped at the end of her sentence.

“Or else what? why did you stop in the middle?” asked Albus as his curiosity peaked.

“Dude gets a hint she does not want to talk about it” Nick immediately rebuked Albus’s question.

“Guys everything is fine now let us go back Mom would be waiting we had to prepare for dinner also. It has been quite a while since I had eaten my mother’s cooking and had dinner with my siblings” Solis immediately chimed in as she took an attempt to change the topic.

Nick and Albus saw what was solis trying to do but it was her choice whether she want to talk about it or not. Nick can just wait and respect her choice to choose whether she wants to share about it or not.

Later the group was just loitering around and collecting firewood in the wilds and after spending a bit of time in the wild they went to Solis’s home in the late evening.

Seeing Solis come with her friends and a bit of firewood the twins were very happy and immediately expressed their joy “Sister sister until when you will be at home this time? Will you play with us this time?” asked the younger brother Lydus.

“Sister, you promised that we will be playing with you for the whole day this time, isn’t that right Atria?” asked Lydus as he simultaneously asked his other sister.

Atria immediately replied “Yeah elder sister you did promise us I also remember. You had to play with us for the whole day.”

“Well, well if my lovely siblings want to play with us then it is all right, I shall play with you tomorrow the whole day. Happy now you two?” asked Solis as she leaned a bit towards her siblings.

To which both children had a large smile on their faces and immediately yelled “Yeah we will play with elder sister tomorrow”

At that Furia responded with “Shhh children, it is night do not yell you’ll disturb the neighbors.”

“Dinner is ready to have food and tell me how it is made, it has been quite long since we had guests at our home,” Furia said to Nick and Albus with a smile on her face and bowed a little.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

It was like a practiced action with a set of manners that seemed a bit odd to Nick but he didn’t focus too much on it as the most important thing food was here. In an attempt to catch Solis and then being here they had missed quite a lot of mealtimes, so it was like a fast to them both.

Plus, the smell of the food was awesome even with the limited number of condiments that they might have but the representation was orderly looking at everything in reach.

Nick originally had not had much expectation in food taste as their food availability was limited and he did not have much hope in the diversity of food culture in this world.

With all that in mind, he was ready for anything kind of food, but overall food was looking good. They had two types of meat dishes that were like roasted meat in different colors, 1 set of bread to eat, and 1 type of soup present with chunks of the vegetable present in it. Overall, it was good.

Nick picked up a piece of meat and proceed to eat it with all his might to not show any kind of displeasure to the hosts as he can see it had taken some effort.

But as he took that in his mouth and started to chew the taste started to improve and the chewiness was great. It was the best meal in this world not that he had eaten a lot in this world but if he had to eat anything before, he died this would be his final choice. He did not doubt that.

While eating they talked a lot, and it was a familial feeling that Nick felt after a long time. He was happy as of now and was happy that he had gotten a chance to live.

Just like that the dinner ended with a lot of talks and happiness and everyone slept, Nick woke up in the morning in the end when everyone was woken up. He was quite embarrassed that he slept that late, but no one seem to criticize him for that.

“I am lonely without anyone Rosea, oh my lovely rosea where are you?” Nick remembered he has not seen his lovely dryad for 1 day it might not be long for others but for him it certainly was.

As soon they entered the Redock village they had to make sure Rosea was hidden so that no one frighten her and there was also the reason that Solis told them knowing they had a dryad with them will only bring unnecessary attention to them.

“gwee gwee gwee” replied Rosea as she moved out of Nick’s shirt and showed herself. She was also pretty suffocated after she had woken up after her sleep, but she could not come out without Nick calling her so as soon as Nick called Rosea was out and taking in fresh air to rejuvenate herself.

Seeing her jumping with joy Nick understood her predicament and replied “Aww my baby worry not we will be out of here soon and then you can roam freely with us. So, stress not come let’s take a tour of the village now.”

But as Nick got up, he smelled a bad odor from him and he immediately replied “Aww yuck that’s bad, Sorry Rosea seems like I have to take a bath first”

“But where do I get water from? Albus might help me” Nick thought a bit and gave himself a working solution.

‘Why need to worry when Albus is with you’ Nick monologed and yelled “Albus, where are you?”

A minute later Nick heard a voice in his head ‘Sheesh why are you yelling just call me from your head, anyways what happened why were you calling?’

‘Oh sorry, I forgot Nick replied with a teehee pose.

‘Why am I not surprised? So, what were you saying Albus asked again.

‘Ah yes, I was asking if it is possible for me to take bath, I am smelling a stench coming from me and I am also kind of exhausted a refreshing method to take care of both is to take a bath Nick replied as a matter of factly.

‘I see let’s go then’ Albus replied and a minute later, Albus was in front of him.

“So, let’s go to the river it is hardly an hour away” Albus replied after a bit of thinking.

“Let’s go,” said Nick and moved out of the house where they saw Solis and how she was carrying her little sister on her shoulder playing and her brother was following them.

“So, you woke up, come let’s play with us,” Solis asked with a smile on her face.

Nick was hypnotized by that scene in his eyes Solis was looking extremely beautiful at that moment and just as he was about to say something Albus interrupted “You are still smelling bad”.

Hearing this Nick had taken his upcoming words back in his stomach and replied, “I surely will play but give us an hour or so break to fresh, I will be back as soon as possible” and left that place.

“Albus, we need to get there and come back fast,” said Nick with a fire in his eyes.

Albus was amused at this “Sure but we need to jump in the air you sure you want to do that?”

Hearing this Nick’s legs, a bit wobbled but he replied “Y- yes, Let’s go”

Albus just started jumping immediately after grabbing Nick from his collar and Nick’s voice was heard in the village saying “I hate you albus”

Hearing this Solis was confused but smiled, nonetheless. She knew it was their usual antics.

Meanwhile, at the river an hour later a man rises from the river and yelled “Albus”. Yup, it was just our Nick getting angry with Albus.

“Ah get ready fast we need to move,” said Albus with a smug face as he was floating on the river like a log.

“Well, I will do that if you give me my clothes back, please give me my clothes back,” said Nick while bawling like a child as he was trying to grab albus who was moving around in the water like a slippery snake.

It certainly was music to Albus’s ear and then immediately his face changed in all seriousness Albus just stand up on the water surface and said “Nick we need to move, now”

“I was saying that from the start, give me my clothes back and I shall do that” replied Nick with a bit of annoyance.

“I am not joking right now, trouble arrived in the village” Albus replied again in all seriousness.