We cooked dinner in the comfort of a house built by earth magic, and by the time we finished eating, it was dark.

　However, we who are inside the house have no trouble in the dark. This is because we've set up mages of light in various places in the house.

　That's why the interior of the house is just as bright as it is in the daytime.

　Mother Erna, Father Nord and Sister Elinora are sitting in chairs and chatting, while Brother Silvio and I are sitting on the sofa reading a book.

　Mr. Lowe was outside watching the horses and Meena was happily eating her after-dinner cookies.

　It was hard to believe that we were in the middle of a journey, but everyone was getting used to the comfort of the place and relaxing as they wanted.

　After spending some time in this way, unexpectedly, Nord Dad stands up.

'.........shall we go out for a lookout now?

A lookout?

　I nod my head when I hear Dad Nord say it.

''That's right. There are many demons that become more active at night. The mountains are nearby, and even though there are buildings, it's not safe to go there. That's why we'll be in pairs and take turns keeping watch at night.

What? You have a lookout?　With such a magnificent house, even demons wouldn't be wary of attacking you, would they?

　I don't want to have to watch over you to take away the sleep I enjoy. I'm asleep today, and hopefully I'll be able to sleep easily in bed.

'Demons aren't stupid, either. Having a home is proof that there is a human being. A curious and ferocious demon would rather attack you willingly.

　When I complain, Mother Erna, unusually, doesn't complain and tells me that I need to be on guard.

　I thought that Erna would not like this kind of thing, so it's surprising.

　I'm sure that both of them have been living the adventurer's life and are very cautious of nighttime demons.

　If the two of them are willing to go that far, it seems that there really is a danger, so they have no choice but to do it.

''This place isn't as safe as Coriat Village, you know?　Give it up.

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

　Yes, this isn't a peaceful kolliat village. So you have to be moderate in your complaining.



　◆



Al, can you light it up for me?

Yes.

　Father Nord places two pieces of firewood on the ground and I light them with fire magic.

　I used dry branches and straw to make the sparks bigger, and I used wind magic to send a gentle breeze.

　After a while, the fire was successfully lit and began to burn melodically.

　Now, as you can see, the first group of prosperous guards are Nord Dad and me.

　I'm only seven years old and my body is craving for sleep very quickly. With this in mind, I'll be the first to take care of the watch and then I'll be able to sleep until morning. By the second or third, I'll be woken up in the middle of my sleep and I'll be sleepy.

　Thanks to Nord Dad for taking care of the kids properly.

　By the way, the second one is again Nord-Dad and Meena. The third is my mom, Elna, and my brother, Silvio. And finally, Elinora and Lowe.

　We took two hour shifts for a total of eight hours. There's one reliable adult who will be with you, so you'll be safe if something happens to you.

　I don't think that will happen, though, since there's always one person who's overpowered.

　I stare at the flames as I think about this.

　There is a sound like the cracking of large wood and branches, and an orange light spreads out to illuminate the darkness.

　The flames in the darkness are very clear and beautiful.

　The flames emit warm air as they waver and sway. It is interesting to pass the time just by looking at it, as it never takes the same shape at any one time.

　I thought that watching at night was no fun because it would only cut into my sleep time, but I can spend as much time as I want observing the flames shining in the dark.

　I'm delighted to find an unexpected pleasure.

'....Al, are you okay?

..........

"...Al?　Al!

Hmm?　Huh?　What?

　I was watching the flames for a while, absorbed in them, when Dad Nord suddenly shook me on the shoulder.

'No, I was getting more and more worried because I was losing the colour from my eyes.

'Really?　I was just looking at the fire, okay?

　I tilt my head back and tell him off, but for some reason, Father Nord gives me a worried look.

　I think he said the same thing to Elinora and brother Silvio when we were staring at the flow of water in the river.

　Do I have such a bad look on my face?

　I exhale to regain my composure while thinking about that.

　I made a fire so it wouldn't get chilly, but I need a chair to sit in. As expected, it's hard to stay standing or squatting all the time.

　I quickly activate my earth magic and make two chairs that are just right around the fire.

　One is a normal type of chair with a proper backrest and the other is a deep, curved chair with a more relaxed backrest.

'I see you're over there, Nord.

Oh, yeah. Thank you.

　It's the latter I want to sit in, of course, so I urge Dad Nord to sit in a regular chair, the latter type of chair.

　When I sit in the deep-backed chair, it feels as if it hugs me because of its curvature. I can clearly see that my hips are settled deeper than in a normal chair.

　Somehow fiddling with the chair became more interesting, and I activated more earth magic while sitting in the chair.

　This time I imagine and elephant the backrest more like something that can be knocked over.

　Then I created a chair, this time of the type with a deeply collapsed backrest.

　When I'm sure everything is okay, I sit down in the newly made chair. No, it's more like lying down now. My chair was kept in perfect balance, and I was no longer just sitting in it, but lying down in it.

　With the slime cushions under my head, I can't help but relax in the comfort of my chair. Suddenly, the exhaustion of the day's work comes crashing down on me.

　I'm so tired after getting up early today and leaving the mansion for the journey.

　I feel like I can sleep comfortably now. It won't be a problem for me to sleep, since Father Nord is here anyway.

　I could hear the whispers of such a demon. And since no angel came out of my will, I close my eyelids without hesitation.

'Hey, Al!　You just tried to sleep perfectly, didn't you!

　But my consciousness was brought back to reality before I fell into a comfortable darkness. It was because Father Nord shook me hard on the shoulder.

"Because I'm sleepy,

Be patient.

　d*mn, I thought that Nord Dad would have laughed at the innocent child's sleeping face and let it go, saying it couldn't be helped.

　If I was going to do it, I should have done it a little later. Even though he's seven years old, he puts up with his sleepiness in a healthy way, but in the end he can't overcome his sleepiness and falls asleep. I should have made it that way.

To me, the chair seems to be lulling Al to sleep. Al, sit in a regular chair too.

Okay.

　Dad Nord had a point, so I got out of the chair and produced a regular chair. I sit down in the chair and my sleepiness is somewhat lessened.

...This is a demonic chair that lulls you to sleep.