Mooching a Meal

After a month of hard work and a good night's sleep, a big word floated down from the sky. "Awesome!"

When Riyao got up in the morning, he slung the bulging burlap sack over his shoulder, leaving a small hole at the bottom.

An apple, as red as a ruby, rolled out and tumbled two and a half times along the vine ladder of the treehouse.

He gripped the bag rope tightly with one hand and carried the deluxe tea box in the other. He climbed up the creaking treehouse ladder and stood swaying at the wooden doorway of the treehouse.

The treehouse was filled with the faint scent of dried flowers and herbs, Porlyusica leaned back in a rocking chair, a brass pipe dangling from his lips.

Her eyelids drooped slightly, and the moment her gaze fell upon Riyao, her nose immediately wrinkled into a walnut shape, and her rough voice carried undisguised disdain.

"Get out! I don't like humans! Get out of here!"

Instead of moving, Riyao hid his pocket behind his back, revealing a pile of impressive-looking fruit tucked in his arms. He then put on a sly smile, a smile he believed would charm countless young girls.

"You're human too, Grandma Porlyusica!"

Porlyusica immediately bristled, nearly dropping the pipe from her mouth. She grabbed the broom leaning against the door, stood on tiptoe, and started whipping Riyao.

Startled, Riyao darted to the side, stepping on the treehouse railing and leaping.

While dodging left and right, I was hit on the back by the tip of a broom, which made me wince in pain. I jumped around in the treehouse and knocked over a bunch of dried lavender hanging on a nail on the wall.

In the brief moment of dodging, he precisely brushed his elbow along the edge of the table, sweeping the pile of fruit that couldn't squirt any water onto the wooden table with a "clatter".

He casually pushed the luxuriously packaged tea box to the center of the table, where it landed right next to Porlyusica's rocking chair.

Goodbye!

Riyao called out in a drawn-out, cheeky tone, then turned back and stuck his tongue out at the treehouse. Another apple rolled out of his pocket and "thudded" onto Porlyusica's feet.

He ran off in a flash, causing the floor of the treehouse to shake and the wind chimes hanging under the eaves to tinkle.

"You brat!"

Porlyusica was so angry that her face turned red. She grabbed the broom in her hand and hurled it at the top of the ladder. The broom head broke off in half with a "crack" and flew down, grazing Riyao's heel.

She stood with her hands on her hips, panting heavily. The pipe she was smoking clattered to the ground, and she yelled at Riyao downstairs, "Next time you come, I'll stuff all your fruit into your mouth!"

Riyao wandered along the forest path, and after thinking it over, decided to go to Mirajane's house for a meal. After wandering around for half an hour, he finally arrived at the house.

Riyao raised his arm and slammed it against the wooden door three times, the force so great that the door bolt shook.

The door creaked open halfway, and Lisanna peeked out, glancing at him. Her eyes instantly curved into crescents, and her crisp voice rang out.

"Hey! You're that landlord's stupid son who was pooping last time!"

Riyao's smile froze instantly, his hand, which had been resting on the doorknob, clenched tightly, and his face turned as black as ink.

He never expected that he, who had always been a jerk and had never been scolded, would be so easily broken by just one sentence!

Both of these sisters are black when cut open.

Riyao jumped up in anger, pointed at his own nose, and roared until his voice cracked.

"I didn't poop last time at all! And what's with this 'landlord' thing?! I'm just here to freeload!"

Mirajane then opened the door wide, glanced at him sideways, and curled her lips into a smirk that could hold half a crumb of bread. Her disdainful tone was full of wicked amusement.

"So, did you come here specifically to pick up a dog? Or are you here to freeload a meal?"

Riyao rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe, complaining with an air of certainty.

"So you two have exactly the same complaints, you're definitely sisters."

Mirajane crossed his arms, tilted his head, and bluntly replied, "Nonsense."

After saying that, she winked at Lisanna, and the two sisters instantly flashed the same sly smile.

Before the two women could react, Riyao squeezed through the half-open door, acting as if he were in his own home.

He plopped down on the wooden stool next to the dining table, put his feet up on the table legs, and slammed his fist on the table, shouting loudly.

"Quick! I'm starving! Go cook me two dishes!"

Mirajane instantly bristled, rolled up her sleeves, and moved closer to him, clutching the wet rag she had just used to wipe the table. If Lisanna hadn't quickly grabbed her from behind, the rag would probably have been smeared all over Riyao's face.

Riyao took a bite of the fruit that had rolled out of his pocket, glanced at the empty living room, and asked a question.

"Hey, where did Elfman go?"

Lisanna quickly let go of Mirajane's arm, hugged her waist and swayed her gently, her soft voice saying, "Brother Elfman has gone out to play."

Mirajane rolled her eyes, rubbed her slightly messed-up hair, and gave Riyao's shoulder a playful punch. "Why are you talking to this idiot? Just shut up and go away."

Mirajane pouted, turned around, squatted down, hooked her fingertips on the small wooden box under the bed that was covered in dust, pulled it out, brushed the dust off the wooden lid, placed it in the center of the dining table with a clatter, and lifted the lid.

Mirajane leaned against the table with her hands on her hips, rubbed the table leg with the tip of her shoe, and deliberately put on a cocky, bad-girl tone, but couldn't hide the slight discomfort in her ears.

"Here, these are the gold coins you left behind last time. I used some, and the rest are yours."

Riyao was eating an apple, and in a cheeky manner, he swung his legs, which were draped over the edge of the table, making the wooden dining chair creak.

"No, no~ Consider it payment for my free meal. I'll come over every day to freeload from now on."

Mirajane instantly bristled, slamming her hand on the table, making the orange peel roll around, her eyebrows raised high.

"What do you take me for?!"

Riyao deliberately pretended to stroke his chin in deep thought, tilting his head to look at Mirajane, slowly drawing out his words with a mocking tone.

"Hmm... a beautiful young female chef?"

Mirajane, who had been clenching her fists to retort, froze on the spot upon hearing this. Her previously arrogant eyebrows drooped instantly, and the tips of her ears turned bright red.

Lisanna, who was hiding behind Mirajane eating fruit, suddenly had eyes that lit up like stars. She quickly covered her mouth, making a clicking sound with her tongue, and leaned close to Mirajane's ear, winking and making faces.

"They're having an affair~"

Mirajane turned around angrily, grabbed Lisanna's face and pulled it from side to side. Her already arrogant tone softened instantly, and she said fiercely, "Lisanna! What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Lisanna's cheeks puffed up like little buns from being pinched, her eyes squeezed into crescents, and she quickly waved her hands, begging for mercy in a childish voice, unable to even straighten her tongue.

"Ugh... I... made a mistake..."

Elfman returned at this moment, and was completely bewildered by the scene. His older sister was pinching and pulling her younger sister's cheeks from side to side, while Riyao was watching the show with her legs crossed.

In the end, Riyao succeeded. He wolfed down his rice, even picking up the bits of food that fell on the tablecloth and stuffing them into his mouth. His cheeks were bulging like he had two walnuts stuffed in them. His face was shiny with oil. And there was a beautiful girl to look at. Nice!

What? Aren't there pretty girls in the guild too? There's no such thing as a free lunch.