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I should probably keep these thoughts to myself, as voicing them might be quite rude, but I’ll throw out this topic hoping for at least a little empathy.

If you’ve ever raised a hamster or similar animal, you’ll understand quickly.

When a giant structure like a hamster wheel or a cardboard tube suddenly drops into their cage, they’re initially bewildered.

But… before long, they realize it’s harmless and even figure out its purpose, and then it’s their whole world.

Watching that tiny, cute creature scurry around on the wheel, then suddenly get flung off and disappear into the sawdust, just brings a smile to your face.

So, Zero? Sorry, but could you suffer a little…?

It’s not that I’m abandoning you, but you can’t just grab a hamster and pull it out if it doesn’t do what you want. No one does that.

“Mommy told me to only call unnie once a month because I’m bothering her…!”

“Okay, okay, so you weren’t not calling, you were diligently holding back.”

It was as if calculating the right output level to handle this small creature was difficult. A robot, its sensors flashing frantically, was sending out distress signals.

Not a metaphor; he was so desperate that he arbitrarily activated the emergency beacon that’s sent to the owner when he becomes inoperable. Hey, turn that off right now?!

“Waa? Waaa…!”

Tap, tap. Tiny hands tapped on Zero’s exoskeleton.

Rather than being hostile or aggressive, it was more like a light knock to check if someone was inside, but when the owner didn’t come out after several attempts, Mary’s adventurous spirit began to kick in.

…!! –

As if rock climbing. The clinging princess was diligently climbing up the Care Bot’s leg.

Lest she fall, Zero’s hastily extended hands and arms served as excellent footholds, helping to accelerate the climbing.

…Come to think of it, I think I heard that young children, as opposed to awkwardly grown-up pre-teens, have lighter weights but more muscle mass, making them better at sports climbing.

She climbed up to his shoulders like she was on a jungle gym, then hung from his arms, then clung to his back. Watching her play so happily made my vague memory feel almost certain.

“Unnie! This robot moves like a person!!”

“…There’s my unnie’s friend inside, so could you please be a little gentle?”

Along with a cheerful ‘Okay~’ came the resumption of swinging and climbing.

Moreover, the follow-up interrogation of ‘Unnie’s friend! What’s your name?’ because introducing him as a friend wasn’t enough… Ugh, it’s making me dizzy just listening.

While the kids play, I should do my adult social life thing.

After glancing at the kids busy playing in the living room, I politely thanked the lady of the house, who was preparing a simple meal in the kitchen even though I told her she didn’t need to.

“Um… thank you for readily offering me a room, Ms. Sylvia.”

“…Oh my.”

But Ms. Sylvia just smiled faintly as if she had heard something funny, and then refocused on the cooking.

“Offering? It’s not like I was offering! I left it as a guest room from the start if you weren’t going to use it, so it’s more like it’s finally found its owner. So… don’t feel burdened.”

“……Huh.”

No, that’s absolutely not a given, that’s why I brought it up.

I shook my head to clear my mind. I stared at the beautiful housewife who didn’t want to show off her kindness, and the girl who was coaxing Zero into playing airplane.

From the moment this mother and daughter survived as an extension of the trigger I pulled in the wasteland, I was sufficiently compensated.

It wouldn’t be strange to think that they still felt grateful since I succeeded in a dramatic rescue in a crisis situation… but how could such a sense of indebtedness last forever when humans are the famous animals of forgetfulness?

In the end, it was right to see this as genuine kindness.

Maybe there was a little extra credit added because they liked me.

“Um… thank you. In many ways.”

“Save those stiff stories for when he gets back. He said he’s almost done cleaning up the store.”

“…What did you say?”

Even when I asked what she meant, she said that he had already chased away all the customers and left.

It was ambiguous whether that was the right attitude as a business owner… but I wasn’t too worried. A retired mercenary with a movie-like history wouldn’t starve just because he closed shop for a day.

From the beginning, wasn’t Uncle Schneider’s main job in the game a request broker and equipment dealer, and the bar was just a cover? When you think about it, it’s not a very serious deviation.

…But I haven’t done anything wrong, but maybe I should think about him coming all the way here because of me at this ambiguous time?

“……Want some snacks, Mary?”

“!! I want some! I want some!”

When I opened the bag filled with snacks all the way to the entrance, our little tyrant flew over.

Is it because they’re first-class supplies? It seemed like there were a lot of things she was seeing for the first time, and Mary’s wide-eyed hands were busy rummaging through the snack pile.

I don’t know if giving her snacks like this without permission is the right thing to do since it’s almost bedtime, but at least Ms. Sylvia seemed to have decided to pretend she didn’t see it this time.

“Do you like it that much?”

“It’s so yummy…!”

As if storing sunflower seeds in her cheeks in preparation for a harsh winter, the next snack disappeared into her mouth before she even finished chewing one properly.

It was quite impressive that the young girl was already using the forbidden technique of eating with both hands, so I rested my chin comfortably and watched the performance.

Zero… ran away to Ms. Sylvia as soon as he was freed from the shackles of an overwhelming opponent.

It was very infuriating how he calmly introduced himself as a household Care Bot and said to ask him to do any chores around the house while he was staying.

Putting aside whether such a thing was even possible. A body whose memory was filled to the brim with combat doctrine instead of basic common sense, but was only household in appearance, was so overwhelmed by a child that he was looking for an escape route by appealing to usefulness in ridiculous fields. Really, what’s wrong with you, why are you so good at this???

I have been downloading and preparing related protocols in my spare time. –

“…Oh, really?”

“Oh my, isn’t he a wonderful butler robot? I wish my husband would take a page from his book!”

Whoosh…!

The heated frying pan danced along with the elegant flick of her wrist.

Carefully prepared ingredients were gradually added, and when a bottle of liquor next to the stove was swung once, brilliant flames soared and scattered a smoky scent.

What do you call that fire show… Flambé? Is that right?

Besides the cooking itself. It was truly admirable how she was constantly adjusting the kitchen utensils to ensure even cooking with one hand, while neatly organizing the used seasonings and tools back in their original places with her free hand, enough to elicit admiration from a full-time housewife.

But Zero, do you even know what kind of dish you’re making…? Well, if there was anything seriously wrong, Ms. Sylvia would have stopped him, but it’s hard to interfere when she’s just clapping and cheering…

“…Sigh.”

I quietly covered my mouth. As the oil sizzled and cooked the vegetables and the main chunk of meat, a savory and rich aroma filled the house.

I declined earlier, but seeing the real dish being finished after a long time, the saliva that reflexively gathered in my mouth… is a little embarrassing. Yes.

“……I said it was okay to be extravagant, but I don’t remember hiring a chef.”

“He’s the child Anastasia brought.”

I flinched, and my shoulders dropped.

My body stiffened at the sudden low-pitched voice from behind, but soon relaxed as I realized that the homeowner had come home from work.

However, it was hard to turn around and immediately celebrate the reunion. Because I could clearly see a fierce exploration battle going on over my shoulder.

“Hmm….”

……. –

The long scar on his face twitched.

One side was gauging the scratched gloves and the unexposed armament, while the other was analyzing the muscle mass and inherent Implant to calculate the odds of winning.

The confrontation, which seemed unlikely to end easily because the safety of the family was at stake for both sides, was neatly concluded when Zero, not forgetting my request, bowed respectfully first.

I was told to treat Mr. Schneider McQueen with respect, Asha. According to Ms. Sylvia’s instructions, your meal has just been prepared. –

“…I’m sorry about that. Neo Haven has so many people with complicated interests that I overreacted.”

“Haaa….”

A sigh came out automatically. The tightened air eased and returned to a relaxed home atmosphere.

Perhaps the bravest person here was Ms. Sylvia, who, even in the midst of an imminent crisis, was just tapping Zero’s waist as if she was embarrassed by the praise… I had that absurd thought.

“Ehehe…….”

“Then you two go ahead and eat~ I should go put our mischievous little lady to sleep.”

She gently extended her arm and picked up Mary, who was already dozing off with a snack clutched tightly in her hand.

I watched the women leave so suddenly, then turned my head.

I was finally able to greet Mr. Schneider, who was sitting at the table with an awkward cough.

“Ahem…. It’s hard to talk about complicated things at a meal that many people have worked hard to prepare, so I’ll keep it brief. If you don’t have any suitable work, there’s a shortage of staff at the store, so come work as an employee.”

“Yes? An employee…?”

I stammered and asked again, wondering if I heard correctly, but only a strong affirmation came back.

A job offer as a bar employee? I think this is the most modest and simple proposal I’ve ever received from a headhunter.

…Why do all the people I meet try to coax me into working with them… I’m so grateful I could die.