"Lisanna is right, Elfman. We are family."
Lisanna hugged Elfman's arm and tried to comfort him.
Her words, together with Mira's, almost made Elfman burst into tears on the spot.
Even Erza was moved by the affection between the three siblings.
Only Kabe stood on the side, cheerfully tossing in cold water.
"Yeah, yeah, but you cannot put it like that. Elfman is a boy after all.
Once a guy hits puberty, he is bound to have some secrets girls are better off not knowing.
If you ask me, Elfman probably hit puberty early. Deep down he is probably wishing you and Lisanna would stop worrying about him."
In an instant, Mira's face completely changed.
"Is that so, Eeeelfman?"
"N-no, absolutely not, Mira sis!"
Elfman shook his head like mad, denying with all his might.
At the same time he stared at Kabe in disbelief, eyes screaming, Why are you selling me out like this?!
Even Erza and Lisanna understood the implication behind Kabe's words and both showed identical expressions of disgust.
Especially Erza.
She suddenly remembered the magazine she had confiscated from Kabe yesterday and secretly hidden away.
Her cheeks warmed for no reason as a dangerous thought popped up.
Is that kind of thing really something boys like that much?
Should I… study it too?
...
Once the sisters finished scolding Elfman, the five of them finally set off.
Mira walked alone at the front, head lowered, leading the way.
Kabe, Erza, and Lisanna walked in the middle, following close behind her.
Only poor Elfman trailed at the back, eyes full of gloom, shooting resentful looks at Kabe's back from time to time.
That stare made a certain someone's spine prickle faintly.
Forcing himself not to look back, Kabe took the initiative to find a new topic.
Looking at the gradually thinning flow of pedestrians, he could not help murmuring,
"We are getting further and further out. The old man might be a first class cheapskate,
but there is no way he would make you three live somewhere this remote, right?
Rogue mages pass through here all the time. What if something happens?"
Before Lisanna could explain, Erza spoke up first.
"Do not worry. Magnolia's public security has always been excellent.
With Fairy Tail in town, robbery and murder are very rare."
Lisanna, a beat slower, nodded and chimed in,
"And we have Mira sis and Auntie Landlord around, so it is absolutely safe.
You do not need to worry, big brother Kabe."
"Auntie Landlord?"
Kabe blinked. He had no idea which powerhouse that title was supposed to be.
After walking for a while more, Mira finally stopped in front of a three story detached house.
"We are here. This is our place. I will take you in for a look first.
If you like it, I will bring you to see Auntie Landlord."
"Oh? Because all her other properties have similar layouts?"
"Something like that," Mira replied casually.
Kabe did not think too much. Under Mira's warm invitation, he changed shoes and stepped into the siblings' cozy "little home".
The building was a Western style detached townhouse.
Not only did it have three floors with five bedrooms and three bathrooms in total,
there was also a spacious living room, a separate kitchen, plus extra rooms for things like a study and a walk-in closet.
The most outrageous part was that the whole third floor was covered in training equipment.
The three of them could work out without ever having to leave home.
After a single lap, both Kabe and Erza were stunned speechless.
"Hold on, you have got to be kidding. How do three broke kids afford a place like this?"
Facing Kabe's question, Mira planted her hands on her waist and answered righteously,
"What do you mean, 'broke'? Being poor is just temporary.
Once I master magic, I will work hard and pay off everything we owe the guild.
In the future, when I earn enough, I am going to buy this whole place.
Moving houses all the time is a pain. Better to settle everything in one go."
Watching Mira already daydreaming about the future, Kabe honestly did not know whether to call her arrogant or just very confident.
Even he, after two years of taking jobs, would not dare say he could casually buy such a fully furnished three story detached house.
If Mira was serious, the three siblings would be working themselves to the bone for this place for at least five years, maybe longer.
Right then, Mira's gaze suddenly shifted and locked onto Kabe. A bad smile curved her lips.
"And besides, we have you, don't we? I am sure you will be more than happy to shoulder part of the burden."
"Me?"
Kabe pointed at himself, confused.
A second later the meaning clicked and he quickly took several steps back, face full of alarm.
"Oh no you don't. We Saiyans only ever live off other people.
We do not use our own wallet to support other women."
"Where does your brain even go? And how can you say being a kept pretty boy so righteously?!"
If Elfman and Lisanna were not holding her back, Mira would have already rushed over to kick him into a ball.
"So you do not want me to 'keep' you? Then what do you mean?" Kabe asked warily.
A vein popped on Mira's forehead. She wrestled down the urge to stomp him into the floor with the heel of her black stockings and took a deep breath.
"Sharing the rent," she said through her teeth. "We are talking about sharing the rent.
I do believe I can handle it in the future, but right now thirty thousand J a month is too expensive for the three of us.
I only borrowed three months of rent from Master.
After three months, I have to pay him back and pay rent on top of that, the pressure is huge.
And then you just happen to be looking for a place.
Instead of living all alone out there, poor and pitiful,
why not move here and live together with a beautiful girl like me?"
As she said it, Mira suddenly struck a pose she had clearly learned from somewhere.
She spread her legs a little, tossed her long hair, ran the tip of her tongue lightly across her lips,
one hand on her waist, the other hand curling its finger at Kabe as she purred,
"So, what do you think? Tempted? Is this offer not very attractive?"
"Th, this is way too shameless!"
Erza's whole face went bright red. She pointed at Mira, stumbling over her words.
Elfman and Lisanna also lowered their heads in embarrassment, not daring to look at Kabe at all.