The Mushinkei had five levels and a basement. The basement served as a storage unit where goods would be kept. Armed with state of the art equipment, it was claimed that a dead fish could stay fresh for a year in that basement. The ground floor was the reception area with a few shops that sold precious supplies from Frie Mountain. Clients would come in and browse the best products that the building has to offer.
The second floor, on the other hand, consisted of purely meeting rooms. To cater to their high-end customers, the Mushinkei had plenty of private rooms to tend to business, and they were all located on the second floor. The third level was the office area. Marshall, who led the Mushinkei, had his own private space to balance the ledgers and he is aided by a team that supervises the daily operations of the building.
Finally, the fourth and fifth floor. The Mushinkei was not only an anchor store in Chilyoja Waypoint but also a place of rest for operatives working outside of Frie Mountain. Thus, each room was designed with comfort in mind. With a cotton bed that could comfortably fit three full-grown adults and luxurious linens, the rooms were the perfect place for tired individuals, who worked tooth and nail for the clan, to take a good rest.
Equipped with an indoor elevator, it was rather convenient for Junius, who was still supposed to be wheelchair-bound, to reach the upper levels. Opening one of the room doors, Marshall invited the two orphans to inspect their new lodgings.
"Woah..."
"So beautiful..."
Walking into the room, Shin and Junius blurted out with their voices shaking. The new place that they have gotten was a significant upgrade from their previous living conditions.
"This one is Shin's room, the one next door is Junius'. There is a shared bathroom down the hall where you can shower and do your business. So, how do you like your new rooms?"
Marshall smiled broadly as he introduced the rooms.
"Senior Marshall, this is too much. We don't require that much space!"
Junius protested by waving his hands.
"It's not much… These two rooms are the most common types that we have. Unless you want to sleep in the basement, there are no other rooms worse than this."
"But..."
"It's fine! It's fine! Your bags are going to be delivered up soon, so just rest for now. You must be tired from that journey so I wouldn't mind if you unpacked tomorrow morning. However, do note that we need to brief you in the afternoon about your duties as well as give you a tour of the area. So be punctual."
With a wink, Marshall left the room and disappeared down the hallway.
"..."
"Hey, Junius! Look at the size of this mattress! I can spread out my arms and legs like a star, and there's still enough space!"
Unlike Junius, who was feeling uncomfortable about accepting such luxury, Shin was ecstatic about his situation. As a person who loved sleep, a fresh, comfy bed was the best gift he could have gotten.
"You sure are unrestrained..."
Sighing, Junius used his hands to turn the wheels of his wheelchair to propel himself over to Shin.
"I mean look! There are no cracks in the walls or open spaces where bugs can get in! There is also an air vent! I thought that only existed in the Main Hall! To think our rooms would get one too! Hahaha! No more bugs! No more summer heat!"
The former lodging that the duo stayed at before was akin to a cabin in the woods. Insects would frequently remain over for snacks, and the temperature from the surroundings decided how well their sleeping conditions would be. Thus, seeing that the new rooms handed down to them were so luxurious, Shin was over the moon.
"Calm yourself, Shin. Remember, we are not here on holiday. We are stationed here as members of the Frie Clan!"
"Fine..."
Pouring cold water on Shin's celebratory mood, Junius calmed the hysterical boy down.
"Alright, once our luggage arrives, we are to unpack immediately. After that, we should go get some sleep. Can you wake up by yourself tomorrow… Stupid question. I'll come to wake you up tomorrow so don't go to bed too late."
"Fine… Fine… I thought that since leaving the mountain, there won't be the headmistress to nag at me. But who knew, you had inherited some of her traits!"
"Huh?! How am I similar to that broom demon?!"
"Hehehe, just joking. Can you manage? Do you need me to help unpack your stuff?"
Shin questioned worriedly. Junius claimed that he had largely recovered but judging from recent events, it was still somewhat hard for him to walk with ease.
"It's alright! I can manage. It's been a long day, so I'm going to rest for now. See you tomorrow."
Retreating to his room, Junius left Shin all alone in the large bedroom.
"Hur Hur… This is bliss..."
Burying his face into a soft and fluffy pillow, Shin happily kicked the bed in joy. After a while, he felt his eyelids becoming heavy.
'Arghhh… So tired…'
It was a rather eventful day for Shin. In the morning, he bid a sorrowful farewell to the people closest to him. In the afternoon, he nearly lost his life to a random bandit attack. And lastly, at night, he met a bunch of new people and got to know his new home. So many events had transpired and so many emotions evoked. Fatigued, Shin sank into the cool, cotton bed, letting his mind wander into dreamland.
-.-
Twilight melted away as Shin snoozed through the night. From the horizon, a brilliant ball of orange rose, bringing about a majestic sunrise, flooding the waypoint with powerful rays of morning light. Sounds of residents waking up and making breakfast filled the town.
A refreshing fragrance of morning dew drifted into the ajar window and filled the luxurious room that Shin was sleeping in. Tuckered up and snoozing like a pig, Shin lay on the bed with drool spilling out from his mouth.
"Hah… I knew this would happen… He didn't even unpack."
Junius had long left the bed and freshened up. Although he had regained the ability to walk, to not worry his companions, Junius continued to use the wheelchair given to him. When he went over to wake his little brother, he saw an untouched bag of luggage just sitting outside his room. And as he suspected, Shin immediately fell asleep once he left the room.
"Hey, wake up!"
"Arghhhhh… Just one more hour..."
"You didn't even unpack! What one more hour? Get up now, or I'm gonna tickle you."
"Hmph! I'm no longer a little kid! Do you think I am going to lose to your lousy skills? Through the power of this bed, I have become oak! There's no way… Hehe… Okay, wait… Hehehehehe… Okay, I'm sorry!!! Hehehehehehe… DAMN IT, JUNIUS!!! I'M AWAKE, STOP!!!"
Getting onto the bed, Junius unleashed his masterful skills, honed through numerous years of waking Shin up. Only when the black-haired boy sat up straight and directed a straight hook to his arm, did Junius stop.
"Have a nice sleep?"
"Damn it… You're a demon, you know that?"
"Thanks for the compliment. You said that you were going to unpack, so what's with the untouched bags outside?"
"Ermmm… There were some unsuspected circumstances..."
"I don't care about that. Go wash up, I'll help you unpack… Thankfully, we are meeting Senior Marshall in the afternoon, so we still have time."
"As you command, headmistress."
"Hey! I'm not like her! Urghhh… He escaped..."
After making a sly comment, Shin grabbed hold of a towel and ran out of the room. Although he was insulted, Junius could not help but give a broad smile. It seems like the first day of their new life was off to a smooth start.