The day Jiger had accepted to deliver potions to Gril Village was hot and damp. People in the village were accustomed to freezing winters and sweaty summers. And summer was just starting, the season people disliked the most. After all, with the heat, came the rainy season. When it rained, the huts’ shoddy construction showed its wear. The whole family went around to find old vases, cups, baskets—anything people threw away that could be used to hold water. There were a few obvious holes that allowed water to fall through, but new ones appeared every rainy season.

Jiger could tell as soon as he had stepped in that the place needed work.

The table and chairs had a few broken legs, still standing by some divine miracle. There wasn’t any separation between the kitchen and living room. He asked Yaegar to say something from the bedroom. He could hear everything perfectly, even when Yeagar was asked to lower his voice. Certainly, there was no privacy for two adults of child-bearing age. The biggest offender was the walls themselves. The wattle and daub packed in between the narrow wooden frame of the hut rocked slightly back and forth if a small force was applied. Even the kids knew walls weren’t supposed to do that.

“Say, Mr. Yaegar. When was this home built?”

“My friend Higard and I built it ourselves about five years ago.”

Jiger lightly tapped a part of the wall to test its durability. He could probably walk straight into it and come out the other side and leave a massive hole.

He shook his head. “That won’t do. I can’t have the man who’s sheltering us live in a place that doesn’t feel secure. We’ll just have to rebuild your house from scratch.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to him like hawks. To Kino and Krita, the old man was loony. Alina chuckled, as if it was a joke. She expected Jiger to start laughing any moment now.

“You’re serious?” Yaegar wheezed. “From s-scratch? Mr. Jiger, I’m not made of money, you know. An extra room or two’s probably the best we can do on this budget.”

“It’s fine. Velion’s got some savings now. Isn’t that right?”

Velion nodded. “I’ve got about twenty silver coins. And I believe your son has five. That could build a modest home with proper bricks. Bigger than your current lodgings to boot.”

Yaegar swallowed hard. He didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to upgrade his house. And he would get twenty-five silvers loan-free to do it with! But would that be enough? He paused a moment.

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Velion took out his purse wallet and laid the coins on the table. Jiger did the same with Hiru’s coins. He mentioned he’d be willing to add some of his own as a token of gratitude for letting them stay here.

“Well, it’s hard to refuse when you put it like that. But prices for materials aren’t what they used to be. And that’s if anyone’s still selling, thanks to the quota.”

Jiger gave Yaegar a good pat on the back. “I’ll take a look around the marketplace later. If the market’s dead, we’ll work on the quota first. If it’s a haggling issue, rest assured I’ll get you what you need. There isn’t a market that can get the better of me.”

Jiger had been in business for over a decade in Shirule’s competitive market. He shared some details about his shop and the kind of deals he makes with clients. These days, he kept his prices intentionally low as his way of giving back to the community, but in his early years when he was still saving money to build his own shop, he was a shark.

Yaegar perked up. “Well, you’ve certainly changed my mind. I’ll stop by my friend Higard’s and ask to borrow some tools, just in case. The sooner we can start the better.”

Just like that, the plan had shifted from adding an extra room, to rebuilding Yaegar’s hut into a proper house. Yaegar was excited. He’d never dreamed of having a house of his own—a real house. Though, he would wonder what his neighbors would think. Part of going to Higard’s place, besides borrowing tools, was to see if maybe he wanted in this whole plan. Maybe Higard could get an upgrade, too. Then there wouldn’t be only one house on this block.

* * *

Yaegar knocked on the walls and peeked inside, whistling, “Yoohoo. Higard. You there?”

He spotted Higard’s daughter playing with a straw doll.

“Hi, Mr. Yaegar.”

“Hi, Iris. Is your dad home?”

“Yaegar, in here,” a burly voice called. Higard was in the tiny bedroom, separated only by a thin wall. After chatting a bit, Yaegar got right down to business.

“…So these people that came back with Hiru are going to build you a new house?”

“Well, according to them, I’m doing them a huge favor letting them stay.”

“You know, Yaegar. I’ve gone along with a lot of your crazy plans, but hiding a criminal?”

“Come on, Higard. He’s innocent. Besides, with their help, we may actually fill the quota. The soldier is a two-star talent with a spear made out of something I’ve never seen before. I bet it’s a rare metal. Could be ten times stronger than iron for all we know.”

“Hmm."

Higard paused and thought about it a moment. The divide in skills and ability between a one-star and two-star fighting talent, especially with military training, was very significant. Plus, there was Hiru’s magic for backup. From the living room, he heard Iris bumping a part of her body against the dinner table.

“Ow!” she yelped. She started crying. “Daddy!”

“Be right there, sweetie!”

Her little outburst helped Higard make up his mind. “You know what… I’m sorry, Yaegar. I’ve got my own family to think about. I can loan you the hammer and the other stuff you were asking for, but that’s it. I can’t risk getting turned in with you if you’re caught.”

Yaegar nodded understandingly. “The tools are plenty. Thanks, Higard. I’ll get them back to you when we’re done. Could be a while, though.”

Yaegar received a hammer, a few wooden stools, a small table, a small saw, and a few other helpful items from Higard.

It was time to get to work on the quota and the house plans.