"Can I join you too, Tetsuya?"

"Of course, if you’re okay with it, Fia. And don’t worry about the meal; it’s on me."

After visiting the Adventurer’s Guild in the morning and making a small request to Roya and the others, I opened the shop as usual. Once the rush of customers calmed down, I took a break and shared the morning’s discussion with Fia.

"Yes, I’d love to join you!"

"Great. We’ll close the shop early today, and then we can head out. I’ll make sure we’re not out too late."

"Okay! Oh, Tetsuya, I have a favor to ask too."

"A favor?"

"Well, thanks to the money you’ve been giving me, my mom’s health has gotten much better."

"That’s wonderful news!"

Fia had previously told me about her mother’s condition. She’d used the money to buy medicine and nutritious food, and her mom was slowly recovering.

"So, um… my mom wants to meet you to thank you. Could you come to our house?"

"I see. In that case, let’s visit your home first, and then head out for dinner. If your mom feels up to it, she’s welcome to join us."

"Really!? Thank you, Tetsuya!"

"It’s no problem at all."

Considering how I’d met Fia by chance and had been paying her generously every day—plus treating her to dinner tonight—I must seem like a suspicious guy. Back in my original world, this would definitely raise eyebrows, if not warrant a police report.

Either way, as her employer, it’s only proper to meet her mother and formally introduce myself.

"Alright, let’s call it a day. Great work as always, Fia."

"Thank you!"

We closed up shop earlier than usual. Since we still had the stall rented for tomorrow, I put up a sign saying the store was closed for the day.

"This way!"

"Wow, so this area is like a residential district."

Fia guided me to her home, located in a neighborhood with rows of identical buildings.

"This is our place!"

She led me to a wooden two-story building and up to a room on the second floor.

"Mom, I’m home!"

"Welcome back, Fia. Oh? Is that the person you’ve been telling me about?"

"Yep! This is Tetsuya!"

"Nice to meet you. My name is Tetsuya."

"Nice to meet you as well. I’m Rea, Fia’s mother."

Rea was also a fox beastkin like Fia. She had sharp, upright ears and a much larger, fluffier tail than Fia. Despite being a mother, she looked quite young—she might even still be in her twenties.

"It’s a small space, but please, come in. I’ll make some tea."

"Thank you, but there’s no need to trouble yourself. I heard you’re still recovering, so please don’t overexert yourself."

"It’s alright. I’m feeling much better now. In fact, after a week of resting, I think moving around a bit will do me good."

It seemed her health had indeed improved. When I first heard about her, she had been bedridden, but now she could move about normally.

After entering the modest apartment-like room, I sat down at the table.

"Thank you so much for employing Fia. Thanks to you, I’ve made a full recovery."

"Not at all. I should be the one thanking Fia—she’s been a tremendous help. My shop opened recently, and I was in desperate need of help when I met her. She’s excellent with calculations and customer service, making things much easier for me."

"I see… Fia has been that capable…"

"Yes. Actually, I was planning to visit you to formally introduce myself. Once your health is fully restored, I’d love for Fia to continue working at my shop. Would that be alright?"

"...Hmm."

Rea seemed to consider the idea carefully.

"Mom, I want to keep working! I want to help you too!"

"Fia… Alright, if you’re so determined. It’s much safer for you to work in town than to become an adventurer out of my sight. Tetsuya, please take care of my daughter."

"Of course! I’ll make sure she’s safe and never overworked."

"Thank you, Mom! Tetsuya, I’m counting on you!"

"Absolutely. By the way, Rea, if you’d like, why not work at my shop too? It might be easier than your current job, especially since you overworked yourself to the point of collapse."

"Thank you for the kind offer, Tetsuya. I truly appreciate it. But I actually like my current workplace. My boss has been very understanding and has asked me to return once I’ve fully recovered."

"I see… That’s wonderful to hear."

Apparently, her workplace wasn’t the harsh environment I’d imagined. If only my old company had been as considerate.

Back in my world, I once informed my boss that I was sick and needed to rest. His response? “You’ll recover faster if you work from home.” That forced me to work while unwell, and I’ll never forget it.