As the clouds drifted lazily across the afternoon sky, a gentle breeze rolled over the clearing—carrying with it a flicker of silver light that darted through the trees.
Lili landed gracefully on the ground, her boots crunching softly on the forest floor. Her cloak fluttered behind her as she strolled toward the center of the camp.
Her bright eyes widened slightly when she spotted Leo, sleeves rolled up, dirt on his hands, standing beside a small line of huts. They were simple—made from cut logs, stacked with leaves tied at the edges for makeshift roofing.
Leo wiped sweat from his brow, turned, and noticed her. "Oh, Lili—you're back!" he said, his voice carrying a hint of relief. "Did you get any information?"
Lili twirled mid-step before landing in front of him, nodding with her usual upbeat smile. "Mmhm! Gruk was right~ There were knights of Rustalia. And a bunch of adventurers, too!"
Leo's expression tightened slightly. "I see… Did you find out why they're here?"
She shook her head. "Nope~! They were just loitering around, like creeps at a party they weren't invited to. But something felt… off. You'll know what I mean when you see them."
Leo crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "Alright. I'll head there tomorrow and figure out what they're planning."
Lili nodded again, then turned her gaze to the huts behind him. She blinked. "Wait... wait a minute—you made these tiny leaf-houses?"
Leo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, his tone dry. "Yeah. What? Do you have a problem with them?"
Lili placed both hands on her hips, pretending to be serious as she tilted her head, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Yes. A huge problem."
Leo looked at her, blankly. "Really?"
She burst out laughing. "Yeah! They're way too cute! It's like a bunch of forest raccoons are gonna move in instead of people!" She crouched next to one of the huts and poked a leaf. "This one looks like a tiny bakery. You sure we're not building a fairy village?"
Leo groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have asked you…"
She grinned, standing back up. "Aw, don't be like that! I love them! They're actually adorable. You really built all these by yourself?"
"Most of them," Leo muttered. "And some with Sheron's help, before he went off to chop wood."
Lili floated a little above the ground, circling one of the houses. "Well then, Mr. Architect, you've got talent! All we need now are mushroom mailboxes and pet frogs."
Leo rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
She drifted beside him, arms behind her back. "You're working too hard again," she said softly. "You know that, right?"
"I'm trying to make things livable," he replied, voice calmer now. "It's not much, but… it's better than letting everyone sleep on dirt."
Lili looked at him quietly for a second, then poked his forehead.
"Ow—what was that for?"
"For forgetting that you don't have to do it alone." She smirked. "Now come on, boss-man. Let your team do some of the heavy lifting. You've got monsters, rebels, and two chaos goblins—you're not short on hands."
Leo gave a short laugh. "You sure talk a lot for someone who just got back from spying."
"And I'll talk more," she said, twirling away with a wink. "But first—I'm stealing one of these mini-huts. I'm calling dibs."
Leo muttered under his breath, "They're not even finished yet…"
Lili just giggled and darted off toward a half-built one, her voice ringing in the wind. "Mine now~!"
As Leo stood near the small cluster of log-and-leaf houses, Lili still teasing him about their "fairy village," a burst of noise erupted from the treeline.
"Hey! Make way! Fruits incoming!" Zack's voice rang out across the clearing.
He came strolling in with half a dozen others behind him, their arms filled with colorful forest fruits—purple berries, long yellow pods, bright red apples, and some strange glowing citrus things no one dared name. Zack's mouth was already stuffed with something juicy, and he grinned like a champion who just won a fruit war.
Lili whistled. "Wow. Either you robbed a jungle or seduced a tree."
"Both," Zack said proudly, holding up a giant mango-looking fruit. "This one gave me a blessing before I plucked it. I'm basically chosen by the forest now."
"Chosen to clean your own mess," Lyra muttered with a soft smile, carrying a small basket herself as she walked beside Sara and Sheron.
"Zack," Leo called out, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't… eat half of it on the way back, did you?"
Zack blinked. "What? No! Of course not! I—" He paused as a half-eaten fruit tumbled from his pocket. "…That was someone else's."
Everyone laughed, even Sheron, who rarely cracked a smile. His body was mostly healed now, though he still moved with a faint stiffness. "Next time, remind me not to trust Zack with rations," he said.
Then, from another side of the clearing, the goblins returned.
Gruk stepped forward with a sheepish expression. The goblins behind him looked tired and slightly disappointed.
"Leo…" Gruk muttered. "We couldn't find any new monsters willing to join us. Either they ran away,ignored us or try to attack us. Sorry."
Leo looked at the green-skinned leader, then smiled warmly. "It's alright, Gruk. You tried. That matters."
Gruk scratched his head. "Still feels weird failing…"
"You didn't fail," Lyra said, walking up. "We didn't get new allies today, but at least now we know what's out there. That's valuable."
"Plus," added Lili cheerfully, "the way you barged in just now was super dramatic. 10 points for entrance."
The goblins perked up at that, grinning. One of them shouted, "We brought berries too! They're not poisonous!"
"Probably," another added.
Soon the clearing was filled with soft chatter and light laughter. People sat in circles, trading fruit, stories, and bits of cloth and leaf for comfort. Balzock, the older goblin with the deep voice, tried to carve a bench from a fallen log—only to fall backward as it split in two.
"Ow! The log attacked me!" he cried, holding his back.
"Maybe the tree you seduced is jealous," Lili said, laughing.
Niya sat with a few female goblins and human women, gently braiding some hair and passing out woven leaf blankets. Despite the lack of proper shelter, no one complained.
Leo stood at the center and raised his voice. "These houses are small—but they're a start. I want to give them first to the women and children. The rest of us can manage on leaves for now."
A small murmur passed through the group, but not a single voice raised in protest. In fact, one of the human men clapped.
"You built this with your own hands, kid. It's more than we had yesterday!"
"Yeah!" one of the goblin women added. "You made space for us, not just your own people!"
"Thank you, Leo!" a child called out from the back.
Leo rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, but smiling.
Nearby, Lili gave him a thumbs up. "See? You are the forest raccoon chief."
"...I'm regretting giving you speaking privileges," Leo muttered.
Niya chuckled softly. "Let her tease. We all know it's her way of caring."
Lia suddenly ran up to Leo, tugging his cloak. "Onii-chan! Is it okay if I sleep with you again today?"
Leo looked down, surprised, but smiled instantly. "Of course."
He gently picked her up, and she snuggled into his chest. Lyra watched quietly from the side, arms folded and a warm expression on her face. "She's grown so attached again."
"She never stopped," Niya whispered.
As the fire crackled and the stars shimmered above, they all sat and shared a humble meal—fruit, dried meat, and laughter. Even Sara, who usually kept her distance, shared a joke with Lili about building "fruit traps" for Zack next time.
"I swear," Zack said with his mouth full, "if one more fruit slaps me in the face, I'm retiring from foraging."
"You can't retire from something you were never good at," Sheron deadpanned.
Everyone laughed again.
One by one, people began settling in. The leaf-beds weren't perfect, but no one complained. The laughter, the shared food, the sense of being seen and protected—that was shelter enough for now.
Lili, Lyra, and Niya slipped into the small houses Leo had built. Lyra looked up at the ceiling of her hut and whispered, "He really is doing everything…"
Outside, Leo carried Lia into one of the huts. She had already fallen asleep in his lap during the firelight gathering, her tiny hands clutching his shirt. He laid her gently down, pulled the leaf blanket over her, and sat by her side, watching her sleep.
His smile faded, but it wasn't sadness. It was purpose.
He glanced out the small window of the hut. Outside, the quiet hum of voices had faded. Stars blinked above the trees. Wind carried the scent of firewood and earth.
In his mind, he whispered:
"Alright. Let's keep working tonight. If I don't stop… maybe tomorrow, more people will have real roofs over their heads."
He quietly stepped out of the hut, looked around at the forest clearing—and walked toward the pile of logs, his hands already curling into work.