"Brother Theo! Thank goodness you're awake!"
The moment Theodore opened his eyes, Allita's worried face appeared right in front of him. He could still see traces of tears in her eyes. Theodore frowned slightly at the sight.
"You've been crying?" he asked, which only made Allita's expression turn into anger.
"Of course! Because of you! Look where you are now! You always make us worry!" she shouted so loudly that Theodore had to cover one ear.
"Oh… I got injured during the battle, didn't I?" Theodore muttered as he began to recall the fight from his first mission.
"I'm sorry for making you worry. But Allita, you shouldn't have left Mother when she's sick!" he scolded instead, his tone firm.
"That's because you were hurt! Mother was so worried that she begged me to come see you!" Allita shot back, unwilling to lose the argument.
Their quarrel was interrupted by a knock on the door. Four people entered Theodore's room—Griss with his arm bandaged, Vincent with his head wrapped, Fana with light burns, and Myla with minor wounds.
"You're awake! Sorry to disturb you," said Griss as he stepped in.
"Oh, not at all. Thank you for coming," Theodore replied, sitting up politely to greet them.
"No need to stand. You should rest; your injuries were quite serious," Vincent said, stopping him by placing his hands on Theodore's shoulders. But Theodore shook his head and gently brushed his hands away.
"I'm fine now. See?" he said, showing that his body seemed surprisingly healthy—as if he hadn't just woken up from unconsciousness.
"Oh, that's great. I thought you'd still need my help," said Myla in relief. "I'm sorry for contacting your family. I thought it'd be better if they knew," she added nervously, fidgeting with her fingers.
"It's all right, thank you. My sister's just a bit of a worrier. I tend to make her anxious," Theodore said with a small laugh.
"Little sister! Did you know? Your brother is amazing!" Fana exclaimed, cheerfully wrapping an arm around Allita and briefly recounting the battle.
"Theo, we actually came here to invite you to officially join our team. What do you say?" Griss said at last.
"Of course, I'll accept." It was a good opportunity—one Theodore couldn't afford to pass up. Besides, they were kind people, and he found it pleasant to be around them.
"All right, then you're our little brother now! You have to call us 'big sis' and 'big bro'!" Fana said gleefully, quickly lightening Allita's sour mood.
In the end, the five of them held a small celebration to welcome their newest member. Afterward, they all left the hospital and went home.
Theodore and Allita boarded a bus heading for the next stop. They sat side by side, but neither spoke during the trip. Both remained silent until they stepped off the bus.
"Allita, look! We've got a lot of money now!" Theodore said, showing her a thick brown envelope filled with cash—payment for the two monsters he had slain. Everyone on his team had received the same reward. "Come on, let's go pay the rent!" he said, pulling Allita toward a different direction from the usual route.
"That's a lot of money… will there be enough left for food? We don't have any at home," Allita asked softly, feeling guilty after scolding her brother at the hospital.
"Of course. We'll eat well today. And from now on, you and Mother will always have good meals," Theodore said with confidence, making Allita smile through her tears.
"Thank you, Brother, for helping Mom." Allita's eyes filled with tears again as she remembered all their struggles—the days they couldn't even afford a proper meal or a full bag of rice.
"Don't cry. This is just the beginning. Look, we're here."
Theodore stopped walking, standing before a grand two-story mansion with a wide yard, two parked cars, and a fountain surrounded by beautiful flowers.
The two gate guards glared at them suspiciously, but Theodore calmly stated his reason for coming—to meet the lady of the house. The guards immediately called her out.
"Oh, you've come!" Not long after, a haughty-looking woman appeared from the mansion. "Where's the money? If you don't pay today, you're out tomorrow!" she barked.
"Here." Theodore handed over the thick brown envelope to the woman's outstretched hand. "Three months of overdue rent, and five months in advance," he said clearly.
The woman's eyes sparkled as she counted the bills, a satisfied smile curling on her lips. She quickly stuffed the cash into her pocket. "Good. Then I won't bother you for the next five months. Now get out of here!" she snapped rudely, shooing them away after taking the money.
Without a word, Theodore pulled Allita away before she could retort. He kept only a few bills, handing some to Allita and using the rest to buy groceries and cooked food—so she wouldn't have to cook tonight.
"Mom's going to be so surprised," Allita said happily, her arms full of food packages.
"Mom! We're home!" they called as they entered the house. Their mother was sitting and sewing clothes, smiling warmly at her children's return.
"You naughty boy, are you all right?" she asked Theodore kindly, showing no worry or sadness—perhaps relieved to see him safe.
"Yes, I'm fine. Look, we brought some good food!" Theodore and Allita excitedly opened the packages, revealing rice, meat, and vegetables—dishes they could rarely afford.
"Why didn't you tell me you became a hunter?" their mother asked, not even glancing at the food. Theodore knelt before her and took her hands.
"I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to worry. But see? I came back safe and sound," he said gently. The woman smiled sweetly, her eyes full of love for her son.
"You really are a troublesome child… but thank you, Theo."
"Yeah, Mom! As long as Brother Theo's safe, that's all that matters. Now it's time for dinner!" Allita said cheerfully, handing her mother one of the boxes.
"Thank you," their mother replied softly.
Theodore smiled faintly at the heartwarming sight and joined them at the old wooden table to share the meal.
"This isn't such a bad life," he thought to himself. "It just takes more effort… to regain the power I once had."
Though he had only lived with them for about two weeks, he found himself enjoying this simple life. At least he could see their smiles—and somewhere deep inside, he had begun to see them as his true family, regardless of who he really was.
"I'm full," Theodore said, standing up from the table and returning to his small, worn-out room.
Inside the cramped space, surrounded by old furniture, he didn't lie down to sleep. Instead, he continued training, determined to regain all of his strength. He would do whatever it took.
"Brother, are you still awake?" Allita asked as she peeked into his room, finding him sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. He opened them as she entered.
"Sorry to bother you! I'll go to bed then!" she blurted out quickly before dashing away, leaving Theodore shaking his head slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
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