It stood proud amidst a series of houses that, in spite of being built in a swamp, looked colorful and almost modern in their architecture. The structure was at the center of all of them, it is the tallest and largest of them, the 9 pillars it stood on acted as an anchor that kept the raft surrounding it from floating away.

  Moss covered walls surround a compound large enough to hold a gathering of all the adults in the town two times over, it is used as a textile factory most of the time, giving young women jobs that they otherwise couldn't.

  Walls the color of a healthy plant with leaf-like decorations mixed with drawings of the midnight sky, branches sprout from verandas and windows, growing carnivorous plants that attract and kill wandering insects.

  There are no guards here, well, they aren't visible at least.

  Regardless, the safety provided by the surrounding subdivision in this part of Flotol was often enough to keep criminals out. And there's no way someone is stupid enough to actually try something around here.

  Rontress stopped in front of the metal gates, she knocked once, twice, then waited. "Just ignore my brother's kid, also, I think they're gonna come to me instead of you."

  "Why would I ignore them?" The sigh that Ifira let out caused the nearby leaves to flutter. "I don't hate them, nor do I hate their attention, I just complained back then because they were pulling on my hair, I didn't mean to look mean while doing it."

  "Yeah, I get that." And Rontress really did understand Ifira's perspective in all this. "But you really don't have to force yourself into tolerating him if he's annoying you, even I sometimes scold him."

  "I'll keep that in mind."

  The gates opened and a woman stood before them, she had yellow hair tied into a bun and eyes with the same shade. The dress she wore was simplistic, just an orange colored one piece with floral patterns. Her face was pretty, albeit not in the same league as the ones working in Alfenheim.

  Laself's expression lit up when she realized it was just Rontress, she grinned and came forward to hug her, "Rontress! Ifira! It's been a while! How's the orchard?"

  "Fine, I suppose." The fruits are growing well, the spring is producing a lot of water, and the herbs were abundant. "How have you been?"

  "The same as usual, Rigue has been trying to make traps but he's been unsuccessful so far." Giggled Rontress' sister-in-law, she ushered them in. "I'm sure he'll succeed one day, even if he's rushing things, did you know that he skips his classes? You should tell him to stop it."

  Wasn't that her job though? Rontress eyed Laself lazily, why does she have to tell her Nephew not to be a menace when his mother is right here? Also, wouldn't that lower Laself's authority in Rigue's eyes? Isn't that bad?

  "Classes didn't exist in our time and we were doing fine." Ifira talked like she was somehow 31 years old instead of nearing 13. "Why not just let him?"

  "No, Ifira." Rontress shook her head, did she not realize that the lack of education caused the high mortality rate? The spread of diseases? Sure they ended up fine, but what about everyone else that died?

  "Well, how about you teach him how to make a trap then?" Laself's excitement shook her voice. "Rigue would love that, he's always talked about how he would make traps with his aunt when he grows up."

  "I've moved on from making traps though, or at least traps that kill, I only make utility traps now." Which is pretty hard since she's a [Brutal Trapper]. "Did you tell him that? Eh, it's probably unnecessary."

  "I agree, he'll eventually learn that traps are more useful when he doesn't use them on animals and instead things like air." And as Rigue's mother, Laself would of course agree with what Rontress said. "Trapping to kill is pretty dangerous after all."

  She still remembers whenever her sister-in-law came back from killing aberrants four years ago, and although Rontress made it look easy, Laself knows that it is anything but. She likes her son and wants him to reach his full potential but aiming to be like his aunt is just gonna hurt him in the long run.

  Would Rontress disagree with her if she said her thoughts out loud? Laself knows that her in-law would also want Rigue to grow up as his best self so just what are Rontress' thoughts on that? Does she think Rigue can reach the same heights she did?

  The same heights she has now?

  "That depends on what he's trapping." Rontress argued? Rebuked? Laself wasn't sure. "If its aberrants, which you should never let him go near by the way, then he's going to lose his life, if it's normal animals? Then okay, do it."

  Ah, so Rontress does agree that killing aberrants during childhood isn't normal. Laself giggled.

  "What?"

  "Nothing, I just thought of something funny."

  "Okay?" What is this girl on about? Rontress looked at Ifira but her friend was too busy staring at one of the sentinels. "I'll talk to Rigue about his classes, but I think encouraging him to do what he wants while explaining to him that some things are too dangerous is the right call."

  "You think so?"

  "I believe so." Rontress doubled down, she knows from personal experience that controlling a kid too much during childhood will only hinder their growth. "Rigue has his own ideas and he wants to explore that, give him some freedom, I'm sure he'll go back to the education center once he's explored them all."

  "Is that so?"

  "Yes. He's feeling manic because he's coming up with something he thinks will work. If it does, he's happy, but if it doesn't then support him and tell him that it's normal to fail. Tell him to try again in the future."

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  Raising a kid was never her forte, but she at least knows how to give them boundaries and to Rontress, something like that is more than enough.

  "Well, if you say so."

  She was staying silent because she knows this whole conversation should only be between two family members— and the people responsible for the kid's life. — but Ifira was tempted to join in, she really didn't understand why Laself was so open to hearing Rontress' ideas.

  Didn't she know that sometimes Rontress can be wrong? Her in-law isn't perfect, Laself needed to be honest with herself and accept that sometimes, her own ideas are better than Rontress'.

  Also, Rontress never experienced having a kid before so why is she so confident when talking? Ifira has ideas of her own but she never voiced them because she knows she has no experience when raising children!

  "What about you, Ifira?"

  She turned to Laself, "well, I think that we should ask him what he wants!"

  "... He already said he wants to make more traps and stop going to school—" Ifira felt heat creep up her neck, she forgot about that! "— what should we do about it? You probably have some idea, right Ifira? You're just like Rontress."

  "Well if he really wanted to, I think he should just trap all of you and then escape! If he's really strong and competent then he can do that much right?"

  "Ifira... No." Rontress looked like she just heard Ifira wanted to end the world. "Why would... Wait, I think I see your point, we just need to make sure he learns his place right? I think it's a good idea."

  "Wait really?"

  Ifira frowned, she had observed Laself's expression when she explained her plan and she was frowning at first, but when Rontress mentioned it she immediately agreed?

  "We can go with Ifira's plan in a little bit, or maybe we can do it now, I don't mind delaying what we came here for, what do you think Ifira?"

  "Delaying it is bad right?"

  "No, not really, it's gonna be fine right as long as we give mom and dad the news, we've already made plans on how to solve the problem, all that's left now is to let them know that it exists so that they don't get caught off guard when it finally comes around."

  Rontress' explanation made sense, in the end, it wouldn't be her parents who would solve this problem but her. Ifira wishes she could be as relaxed as her friend's family during times like this, but she worries about Rontress and she wishes that her friend stops doing everything herself and actually asks for help from time to time.

  "Okay, then we can delay it." She decided to agree, there's no harm in taking a break for now. "Where is Rigue?"

  "The second floor I think? He's been staying in the workshop, presumably to make traps." Laself answered. "But everything he makes is rather lackluster so it hasn't been going well."

  "Because he doesn't have blueprints." Rontress pointed out the obvious, her Nephew didn't have a class yet so he's stuck designing his own traps. "That's perfectly normal actually, and it also works in our favor, it means that whatever trap he makes won't actually be effective."

  "Not that we'll get caught by regular traps." Ifira sounded arrogant but she wasn't lying.

  "Yeah, that's true."

  Both of them went in first, Laself had something to say to the seamstresses working in the compound so she let them go ahead. They didn't bother to go to any other part of the house and headed straight for the second floor.

  Upon entering, they notice that the storage rooms were silent and the halls devoid of human presence. The workers must be busy somewhere for so many of them to be absent, that or Rontress' suspicions are correct.

  "Did he drive them away by filling this place with traps?" She looked around but found nothing of note. "Should I work to get a sub class that lets me spot traps? Or at least a detail oriented sub class."

  "That wouldn't be such a bad idea, and the answer is yes." Ifira stopped for a moment, made eye contact with Rontress, then she took one step forward and a giant ball of slime came careening towards her. "[Barrier]."

  A translucent shield appeared in front of Ifira and stopped the ball before it could make contact, it exploded, viscous fluid coated the walls and an indescribable stench filled the air. Rontress' nose wrinkled and she stepped away from the flowing slime.

  "What is this?" Does she nudge it with her foot? Should she? She doesn't want to. Rontress decided to forget about it. "It's slime, whatever. Who cares."

  "Mystery slime aside, don't you feel cold—" danger flashed in Ifira's eyes and her body moved quickly, her hand snapped up and caught an arrow mid air. The tip is coated, Rontress assumed this one isn't slime.

  "Toad venom?"

  "That was so cool!"

  Both girls turned to the side and saw a kid with dust brown hair and yellow eyes, he stood at the end of the hallway, manic energy coursing through every inch of his body. He was practically jumping in place. Doing it actually. The little hops he did were pretty cute—

  Rontress shook her head and focused on what's important, "you little rogue! What are you doing?!"

  "Playing a game!" Rigue threw on a pair of gloves, ones that Rontress handed down to him. They were once ruined but Laself has long since stitched them back to full health.

  The shirt that he wore is a gift that Rontress gave him just a season ago, a green shirt she molded from the leaves of an enchanted fern while his shoes were something Laself spent a year making. It's how she got the seamstress even.

  "Hey!" Rontress couldn't finish what she was going to say before the kid disappeared god knows where. "Okay, no more Mrs nice— what?"

  Ifira giggled, then it turned into full blown laughter moments later. "You're acting fairly heated, aren't you?"

  "And you're laughing? What's your point?"

  "I laugh all the time actually." Ifira lied as naturally as she breathed. "But that's not the point! I can't believe a little kid has gotten you acting like this, he's no threat to us."

  "No threat to us huh? Then how about this." Rontress crossed her arms defiantly. "No boosts, no magic, and no destroying the walls, let's see who catches him first."

  "Very well."

  Ifira disappeared, Rontress didn't blame her, they didn't agree on a countdown beforehand so this was technically fair play. But she's an idiot, and also someone with bad memory because how can she forget that she's the one who confirmed the entire floor is trapped?

  Casually walking was the best course of action here, Rontress did just that and even though there's a chance Ifira might get close to Rigue by going through the entire floor in less than a minute, Rontress is more than happy to bet on it.

  She's gonna guess where Rigue is hiding, that's her plan. He's her Nephew after all, she's basically watched the little guy grow, so how hard can figuring him out really be?

  Passing through four different storage rooms was part of her plan, Rigue wouldn't be in any of them, they had far too many things stored inside. The kid wanted to play so he's most likely giving them a chance to find him.

  Yet at the same time, Rontress knew that he wouldn't just make it easy, he's going to find a place where he can easily hide, and he's gonna want it to be familiar.

  Where would that be?

  A room full of shirts? Nope. What about one with stacked crates? Also no. The answer is simple: he's hiding in his father's storage shed.

  Rontress has told him stories of living in one in the past, and he's always wanted to imitate her so this is the answer. Her guess was proven right when a trap activated the moment she opened the door, she dodged it easily enough, just a simple swerve of her head and the crate of rotten fish passed her harmlessly.

  She does feel bad for the maid who needs to clean it though.

  Nothing came down on her when she stepped inside the room so she thought that no more traps were placed or maybe they were all faulty but the doubt in the back of her mind told her not to lower guard.

  And she was right to do so because she felt her weight shift once she took another step, Rontress quickly moved and avoided the pitfall trap before it could throw her down a floor.

  "Rigue did you break the floor just for this?!" What she got in response was an arrow to her face, she nabbed it mid air and turned to where it was fired. "You!"

  Her Nephew tried to run away when she walked towards him but how can he realistically do something like that? Rontress lunged and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "You have a lot of explaining to do!"