A Saiyan's Journey

Actually, Sayuri Sawamura was overthinking it—there was no way something as extreme as a life-threatening situation could occur.

The reason was simple. After entering the room, Eriri only made Shin test out a few toys before completely collapsing. She fainted, eyes rolling back, without much of a fight.

Shin was speechless. It was the first time he'd seen someone so weak... Even Sayu Ogiwara was much tougher than her.

Eriri passing out on the spot immediately killed whatever mood Shin had. He had zero interest in teasing someone who had already lost consciousness.

He'd initially prepared himself to spend the whole afternoon with Eriri, but now that things turned out like this, he suddenly had an open afternoon.

"Forget it, at least I got something out of this."

Shin tucked Eriri in with a blanket to prevent her from catching a cold.

Although no real progress had been made, Eriri had completely let her guard down around Shin. Any further development was just a matter of time.

Still, Eriri's constitution was terribly weak. Shin thought that she seriously needed some proper training—otherwise, she'd probably pass out halfway through every time.

After leaving the inn, Shin scanned the area with his "Ki" and quickly noticed Sayuri Sawamura sitting in a nearby café across the street.

Judging by her conflicted expression, she was probably debating whether to enter the motel and check on Eriri or not.

If she knocked on the door, wouldn't it make things awkward for Eriri? But if she didn't, Sayuri was worried that things might escalate beyond redemption.

As Sayuri mulled over what to do, she suddenly felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

Startled, she froze for a moment, instinctively thinking it was someone trying to hit on her—after all, even though she was slightly older, she'd maintained herself well and looked very youthful.

But she quickly realized something was off. She was wearing a hat and mask, covering most of her face. Who would try to hit on her like that?

She looked up, and her body stiffened—standing next to her was the guy who had gone into the inn with Eriri.

"Here's the room key."

Shin didn't say much to Sayuri. He simply handed her the room key.

Since Eriri was still sleeping in the room and Shin didn't know where her house was, there was no way he could send her home.

The best option was for Sayuri, as Eriri's mother, to take her home.

Sayuri's mind went blank as she instinctively took the room key from Shin. She watched him leave the café without saying another word.

It was only after a moment that she snapped out of it—Shin had noticed her long ago!

...

After leaving Eriri and Sayuri behind, Shin headed home.

But upon opening the door, he realized the house was almost completely empty. That's when it hit him.

In just a few hours, the others had moved almost everything to the new house—even the furniture hadn't been spared.

Before he left, he remembered Sayu Ogiwara mentioning that moving the furniture was Irisviel's request. Apparently, it was because she was sentimental.

At the time, Shin had felt like mocking her. Irisviel had only stayed at his place for three days—what sentimentality?

The only thing she'd possibly feel attached to was the bed where she had her first "mana restoration."

He thought they were joking, but now it was clear they were serious. Even the living room sofa was gone.

Still, Shin sensed lingering traces of energy in the house—it seemed like Tohru had helped out, as he'd instructed. And judging by the results, Tohru had followed Irisviel's request to move the furniture.

With the strength of a dragon, the furniture wasn't heavy at all.

"So, Sayu and Iris must've already met Tohru by now, right?"

Shin mused to himself.

"I wonder how they're getting along?"

...

"That maid Tohru... How should I put it?"

After Shin arrived at the new house, he found Sayu Ogiwara tidying up. She smiled wryly as she spoke.

"Shin, you'd better have a talk with Miss Tohru. I feel like she doesn't have a good attitude toward us."

Sayu and Irisviel had quickly adjusted to the new house, showing no signs of attachment to the old place.

It made sense—Sayu and Iris hadn't been living in Shin's house for long, so it was natural they hadn't grown attached.

Ironically, Shin felt a slight pang of nostalgia.

The thought of sleeping in a new place tonight gave him an odd feeling.

But from Sayu's words, Shin realized that Tohru didn't seem to be treating her well.

Although Sayu wasn't the type to be assertive, being openly treated with hostility would still sting a little.

Irisviel, on the other hand, seemed more optimistic. While she didn't quite understand why Tohru was antagonistic toward her, she made an effort to win Tohru over.

Shin had a hunch about Tohru's hostility.

Following Sayu's description, he walked into the kitchen and saw Tohru sulking while familiarizing herself with the kitchen tools.

Beside her, one of the maids assigned by the Shionomiya family was patiently teaching her how to use the appliances.

These maids were highly professional, asking no questions about Tohru's connection to their master. They simply carried out Shin's request to teach her.

Tohru immediately sensed Shin's presence. She flinched, turned to look at him, and in one swift motion, dashed over to hug him tightly.

"Shin! Who are those two humans!? Why do they have your scent all over them!?"

Apparently, after hearing Sayu and Irisviel call him "Shin," Tohru had decided to adopt the same intimate nickname.

Hearing her words, Shin silently muttered, "I knew it." Tohru was clearly jealous of Sayu and Irisviel.

As a dragon, Tohru's sense of smell was incredibly sharp. She could easily detect Shin's scent on Sayu and Irisviel.

It explained everything. This morning, when Tohru was introduced to the other maids, she seemed fine—but the moment she saw Sayu and Irisviel, her attitude shifted to hostility.

Given Tohru's innate disdain for humans, she already had a bias. Shin had earned her respect by saving her life, but getting her to show goodwill toward Sayu and Irisviel was a different matter entirely.

To Tohru, the two of them were like "scheming cats" trying to steal Shin from her—even though Tohru herself had come into the picture later.

To be continued...

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