Lena is exiting through a door as a woman follows behind her.
"You can stay for lunch if you want." the woman says with a warm smile.
"Thank you for the invitation, but I'm busy right now." Lena says as she is about to leave, but then turns around.
"Please if you need anything, ask of me. No matter how minimal or huge your problem is I will help as much as I can. Just ask for Lena at the adventurer's guild or ask for Lena at "Tonight's inn"." Lena says turning around to the woman one last time.
"Oh, how kind of you, thank you miss Lena." the woman says giving a chuckle.
Lena then slowly disappears from the woman's eyesight as she blends into the masses.
Lena is walking around without a real goal, even though they told her she was basically asleep for a week she still feels like getting more sleep, so the thought of going back to her room and sleeping does cross her mind.
'Oh right I did promise toto to come back.' Lena suddenly remembers as she changes her direction towards a new destination.
Lena reaches Toto's home, the place was closed so Lena was peaking through the glass outside. She could see the inside where there was no one other than the lone girl swinging her legs while sitting on a chair and looking at the ground, she might be whistling too but Lena can't hear that.
Lena thinks it's better if she just walks away and doesn't bother the family, but right as she thinks that Toto looks towards Lena and jumps in excitement leaving the empty place and coming outside to Lena.
"There you are! So did you finish your business?" Toto asks grabbing Lena's hand.
"Yeah, so what do you wanna do?" Lena asks crouching down to reach Toto's eye level and patting her head.
"Hmmmm... Oh right! mom and dad wanted to talk to you!" Toto says as she immediately runs back in to call them.
Lena stunned at how fast the girl left has the hand she was patting toto with still in the air.
A short moment later Lena can see toto's father gesturing her to come in as they leave the room in the back. Lena enters quietly.
The father points at a chair that Lena can use as they had already all sat down, Lena picks up the chair and brings it closer to sit.
They sit in silence for a bit then the mother talks.
"How do you feel Lena?" The mother asks looking at her with a serious face.
"I feel perfect, there's nothing to worry about." Lena says as she was about to flex her arm.
"Then what about your right eye, I see it's still bandaged." The mother says.
"uh em... yeah... I've tried removing the bandage but my right eye's vision is just blurry." Lena says.
"And what did the doctor say?" the mother says worriedly.
"He said that this is gonna either be permanent or a long time thing, He doesn't understand how this happened exactly as the cause is a first. All they understood is that it's as if this eye alone isn't accepting enough mana to fully function." Lena says repeating the doctor's words.
"Oh, and what do you think of it?" The mom asks.
"Well it's been annoying since, but I'm sure I will get used to it." Lena says as silence creeps in.
No one then talked.
Then finally breaking the silence the dad talks.
"Lena are you still gonna keep adventuring?" the dad asks with a serious face.
Lena looks down as she was expecting this question.
"yes..." Lena says still looking down.
"I see... Lena how about you just come work here with us?" The dad suggests.
"huh?" Lena says lifting her head to him.
"I discussed with joula and she isn't against it, actually she even supported the idea, and I'm sure toto would love to have you here!" The dad says.
Lena looks to toto who is just nodding as she looks her father with an exaggerated serious expression.
She then looks at the dad who just gave her an opportunity.
"No, thank you for the thought, but sadly I will have to say no..." Lena says.
"W-why? Come on now Lena this is amazi-" the dad says as he is cut off.
"You're doing this out of guilt aren't you?" Lena asks.
"Wha?" The dad says.
"You're trying to repent for leaving octan back then right..." Lena says.
"N-No, Well th-that is one reason, but still! Lena doing such a thing is-" again the dad is cut off.
"No, sorry but this is the only thing I'm doing." Lena says looking the other way.
"W-wha- w-why... fine do whatever you want..." the dad puts his hands down and sits dejected.
Toto also looks a bit sad and so those the mother.
They then stay silent for a bit then the silent is broken by toto again as she looks at the window.
"Oh it's big sis trestina!" Toto says pointing at the window.
"Go let her in if she wants to Toto" the mom says.
Toto jumps down from her chair and goes to Trestina and as if pulling her in forcefully Trestina is forced inside.
Toto drags a chair from next to all of them and points at it so Trestina can sit down.
Trestina sits down with an awkward smile.
"You know each other?" Lena as she looks back and forth between trestina and toto's family.
"Yeah we only knew of your condition because of her." the mom says.
"Oh, right that does remind me, how did I even end up in the mana-hospital. Last thing I remember is walking down the forest and then collapsing." Lena says looking at trestina.
"It was a pain dealing with you, you know? Some old man had came into the adventurer's guild and asked for help, He was then asked who would he like help from which for some reason he said my name. I followed the old man to his wagon only to find your body on the edge of death, apparently he saw your adventurer carving and decided to just throw you to the adventurer's guild. You're lucky he didn't sell you on a slave market or leave you by the side of the road dead. After that I immediately took you to a hospital where I was then told to take you to a mana-hospital instead. There I was told to leave for a bit as they did their thing. I went to have dinner here where Toto asked me about you, I thought she was just asking since whenever I cam here I would be with you so I told her that you were very sick which then I'm pretty sure you can see how the rest goes. So after A while I came back to the mana-hospital with Toto and her parents to hear from the dokutah. It was terrifying hearing what he said, you have no idea.
He said that all of your right side organs were slowly failing and the fact that you even are breathing is a miracle of its own, He said that even if they would treat you there is a big chance you would either sleep forever or just outright die, But having that little chance I just couldn't say no to treating you." Trestina says with a bit of a mad tone.
"S-sorry..." Lena says looking down.
"*sigh* all that matters is that you made it... and also just so you know this little girl was the one who waited for you the most! she would always sneak in there just so that you wouldn't wake up alone and confused, so you better treat her well!" Trestina says as she looks at the embarrassed Toto.
Lena looks at the embarrassed toto and gives a slight smile.
"Right, what about your work weren't you on shift just a while ago?" Lena asks.
"Oh that? I quit." Trestina says calmly.
"Oh I see." Lena understands.
"Wait what?" Lena realizes.
"W-why suddenly?" Lena questions.
"I just couldn't anymore I guess, working as an adventurer's receptionist is hard on one's mentality you know that's why they are always hiring. There are some people who enjoy it, but I'm not one of them Lena." Trestina says.
"What do you mean?" Lena asks.
Toto and her parents are just listening to the two talking.
"Think about it Lena, as the receptionist who accepts people's requests or approve of their adventuring I'm practically sending them to their death, Of course most of them come back, but when they do not I can't just brush it off... There was a time Where I tried to not care, but when you see the same face everyday and then one day it doesn't show up It's not as easy Lena. Pator was like my push over the edge you know, I might have not been that close with him, but that alone hurt the fact that, even if not directly, I had a hand in that kid's death I can't keep going like that Lena. When those 3 adventurers came back and submitted their reports as I read about you two It hit me, What was I doing this whole time, Telling people yes this would be a perfect suicide mission for you and sending them without a care. He was a kid Lena, He was just kid..." The calm trestina says.
Lena went in and gave the sad looking trestina a hug as toto slowly joined in.
"A-anyway sorry for only caring about myself I'm sure you would like to say something too." trestina says looking at toto's parents.
"Uh us, don't worry about us we already talked with Lena so you should take your time." The mom says.
"Oh I see... By the way Lena your eye what's wrong with it?" Trestina asks looking at the bandages covering it.
"Nothing worth worrying about, It's now just blurry, my left eye is perfect though." Lena says.
"How is that nothing to worry about?! So is it gonna stay like that forever." Trestina says worriedly.
"No idea, the doctor said It's all up to my luck, it either just somehow gets better or stay like this permanently." Lena with one hand over the bandages.
"*sigh* You really are crazy to still wanna continue after this." trestina says at Lena who has one eye fully widened with surprise.
"Come on, Even though I quit I knew you wouldn't I have known you for long enough to know that." Trestina says responding to Lena's surprise.
"R-right..." Lena says.
"So what are you gonna do about your life? where you gonna work at now?" Lena asks.
"No idea really..." Trestina says.
"Oh how about you work here?" The dad says abruptly.
"Oh no please you don't have to force yourself for my sake I will find somewhere don't worry about it." Trestina says.
"No No I insist, You see Joula won't be able to work for a while so I was actually looking for a new employee in her stead." The dad says.
"what, why? Is something wrong?" Trestina says.
"Don't worry about it his just over reacting and being overprotective." Joula says.
"What? Overprotective of what?" Lena asks intrigued.
"Lena! Lena! Mom's pregnant!" Toto said excited.
"Congratulations!!" Trestina says excited for the first time since sitting down.
"When did that happen?!" Lena said surprised.
"It was 4 days ago! She was acting weird and throwing up a lot so we went to the hospital where a doctor confirmed it!" The dad says excited with one hand over joula's stomach.
"Yeah but that doesn't mean I have to just sit down all day!" joula retaliates.
"No that is exactly what it means!" The dad quickly responds.
"So please Trestina help me keep this woman in check." The dad requests of trestina.
"This woman!?" Joula says with her eyes widened facing him.
"Then, if that's the case please take care of me!" Trestina agrees to the man request.
That night as Lena and Trestina Left Toto's place they walked a bit of the way back together as it happened to be in the same general direction.
"Trestina about the costs, please let me pay them." Lena says to trestina.
"costs? what costs?" Trestina says.
"Don't act dumb, I know how expensive the bills could get and especially with how bad I was it must have costed a fortune." Lena says.
"*Sigh* Ok you got me it was indeed a bit hard on me, but please don't worry about it, isn't that what friends are for?" Trestina says trying to dismiss it.
"That is beyond what your duty is trestina, stuff like this I have to pay for myself Or I would never learn." Lena says.
"No shut up, I don't care about how you view it I ain't taking any of your money for that!" Trestina says angered.
"B-but!" Lena trys to retaliate.
"NO, Shut it! I don't wanna hear anything, just let me have this." Trestina says to the towering girl next to her.
"Then Isn't there any other way?" Lena asks.
"Hmmmm.... I guess if you buy me drinks for a year?" trestina suggests.
"I'm not much of a drinker myself, but I guess if it's just buying Sure." Lena agrees.
"Heheheeheeeeeeee.... THEN LET'S GO DRINK OUR PROBLEMS AWAY!" Trestina screams in the middle of the night.
"c-calm down..." Lena follows her.