The three people and one shapeshifting fairy had various degrees of success searching the building. Alene found many miscellaneous metal items such as brass lamps and silverware. However, she also collected things like shards of glass and dented tankards.

In one of the rooms upstairs, Mei had found several rolls of fabric, including various colors of silk as well as fabric woven from monster furs. Liliana, on the other hand found several books and a small lockbox that was hidden in the kitchen filled with quite a bit of money. Both also found various other random things that added up to a somewhat pretty sum of money. Lili was ecstatic when Kalin displayed the various liquors and wines he found in the basement, many of which were worth at least hundreds of gold per bottle. The biggest find, however, was the seemingly empty barrels in the basement.

Several of the numerous empty kegs in the basement had false bottoms. After carefully prying off the outer layer, the treasures within were revealed. Packed tight with sawdust, most of the barrels were filled with monster cores, jewelry, gemstones, and other small ornaments. Inside others, they found troll's blood, unicorn horns, phoenix tears, and other highly regulated items. In one barrel, they even found flasks of alcohol with labels saying it was made from dragon dick.

Of the jewelry and accessories, and even ornamental blades, many had the crests of nobles from several different countries. These heirlooms could grab a pretty penny in auction, or by returning them to their owners. The most notable item in the barrels was an enchanted key with the image of 3 stars on it.

After taking inventory of their loot, they proceeded to sort through what they'd keep and what they'd sell. In the end, they decided to auction off anything with a family crest on it. Even though Lili and Mei could handle it, it would be annoying if they had to deal with aristocrats that want their heirlooms back. Rather than dealing with the hassle, they would rather auction them to collectors or some other rich fools. It wasn't their problem if the objects made it back to their original owners. As for all the other jewelry and accessories, they decided to keep them.

Because the monster cores and materials didn't seem to have arrived in the city in the most legal fashion, they decided to keep them. Though they didn't have a current use for them, most were highly regulated items that would probably be seized if they went to sell them. Not wanting to see their treasures disappear, they decided such. They also decided to keep most of the books, fabric, and booze.

They decided to sell all the miscellaneous objects to the guild, including the brass and silver ornaments and surviving furniture. Though they could arguably keep some of the beds, tables, and chairs, they decided against it. Mei also didn't really like the idea of using beds that were used for prostitution or by strangers.

After gathering all the objects for sale, Lili placed them all in her storage bag. Kalin praised Alene by patting her on the head. Changing back into a fox, she rubbed her face against his hand before climbing back onto his shoulders and disguising itself as a dark fur scarf.

After leaving their future home, they headed over to sell some of their items, as well as submit others for auction. There's only one place where they could do that, the Merchant's Guild. Lili went off by herself to do this, as well as inquire about finding somebody to clean their home. She was much better at negotiating than Mei, so she took charge of this.

This left Mei and Kalin without much to do. It was still several hours before dinner, so it was probably too late to finish a quest. Though, it was still too early for them to want to return to that small room at the inn. At the request of Kalin, they decided to first stop by a fabric store.

Although Kalin was now highly proficient as sewing clothing, many of the tools for it were actually his mother's. He decided to go buy his own with the money he earned through working at the eatery the past 4 years. Through that, hunting, and gathering, Kalin had amassed himself a hefty sum for a 12-year-old.

Although it had been about a decade since living in the city, Mei was able to find a textile shop. Opening the door, a bell rang as a middle-aged lady greeted them after looking toward them, "Welcome, what can I get ya?" Though she was slightly surprised by the mismatched pair, a small succubus and a giant barbarian holding hands, she didn't faulter in her speech. A little on the plump side, but well-dressed, she had a very friendly air around her. Though, she did look like the type to get caught in gossip, as several similar-feeling ladies filled the store. Though they seemed to be shopping, the vast majority were standing around in groups of two to three, covering their mouths with their hand as they spoke of everybody else's business.

Though Mei didn't look like she enjoyed these kinds of shops, she actually quite liked dresses and frills. She just didn't feel they looked good on her. Kalin on the other hand, felt completely comfortable pretty much wherever he went. He immediately bounced up to the counter with a cheerful smile on his face and said, "Hi! I'm here to buy needles and threads. While I'm here I'll also look around."

"Oh?" responded the shop lady, "Aren't you the sweetest thing?" Her gaze traveled up and down Kalin quickly, "Are you new to this part of the city? I'd definitely remember such a cute customer!"

Kalin was quickly dragged into the woman's gossip. It didn't take long for the other ladies in the store to start listening in to find any juicy pieces of information. After hearing about her complaints about young people not appreciating sewing, like her daughter, and gossiping about some of her customers, Kalin was eventually able to escape to the part of the store that sold threads and needles. During this whole time, Mei couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable, and only spoke when she was directly asked a question.

After sighing, Mei said, "I'm used to being around rough adventurers and fighters. I can't really handle those kinds of women."

These words caused Kalin to have a somewhat sad look on his face, as he bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry," he chimed apologetically, "I didn't mean to be selfish."

Mei, as well as all the ladies that head him felt as if an arrow had pierced their hearts. Seeing the sad look on his face, they couldn't help but feel they did a bad thing. "No, you aren't being selfish" Mei immediately denied, "You can take as much time as you want."

"Really?" He looked slightly upward.

"Really!" She confirmed, unhesitant.

Giving Mei a squeeze, Kalin agreed to her allowance. Though he believed her, he knew that she was still pushing herself; after choosing several needles, threads, scissors, chalk, and other miscellaneous sewing tools ranging from mannequins to thimbles, he paid for them and said goodbye to the shopkeeper.

Although they still needed to look for furniture and housewares for their new home, they decided against shopping for anything without Liliana. She did own the place, after all. After deciding to look for a place that sold leather, they browsed several shops. They eventually found a small shop that specialized in tanning. They had a wonderful selection, ranging from rabbit fur to dragon scales, and their rates weren't obscene either. After purchasing tools and materials there, they decided to head back to the inn.

As Mei already owned everything she needed, she just enjoyed watching Kalin shop, as his smile brought joy to her heart. Seeing the contemplative and serious look on his face, she thought it looked more cute than cool or handsome, but that was kind of up her alley. Though, she didn't want to go after her best friend's brother, especially one 2 decades younger than her. Just the thought made her feel like she would be a cougar, even though she knew that their ages weren't that far apart. Especially Kalin, who could easily live for several hundred, if not thousand years, 20 years wasn't much of an age gap. Though there was no 'age of consent' or 'marriageable age', the commonly agreed age of adulthood was around 13. However, so long as somebody was capable of making children, they were considered free game in the eyes of society.

After chasing these thoughts from her mind, Mei and Kalin arrived at the inn. Not seeing Lili in the dining are, nor their room, the two decided to look over the accessories they kept. Although she was quite masculine, it didn't mean that Mei was immune to the allure of jewelry. Some of the jewelry had a faint glow about them, signifying that hey had been enchanted. Once equipped, the glowing would stop, however. The last thing you want to do, is ever wear or use an enchanted item that hasn't been appraised. As a demon, Kalin was less susceptible to this, but many enchanted items are cursed. These curses could range from harmless things like being unremovable (sometimes used intentionally on wedding rings to prevent one's spouse cheating) or increasing the likelihood of a bird pooping on you, to the malicious such as mind control or causing the wearer to be in a state of perpetual diarrhea (especially evil if paired with an unremovable function).

After setting aside these items to get appraised, Kalin and Mei stood in the mirror as they tried on various rings, bracelets, and hair ornaments. After Lili arrived at the inn, she joined them in examining the accessories.

"Tomorrow," Liliana said, speaking to Kalin, "You are going to be by yourself. You should receive a quest from the guild. They don't let level 0 adventurers do anything dangerous anyway." Then, addressing Mei, "I need you to take the magic items to get appraised. I have to finish arrangements for cleaning and remodeling tomorrow. I don't really want any merchants to know about them, so I was thinking of having you take them to an old friend." When she mentioned the 'friend', Lili's face had a mischievous, and even slightly malicious look on her face. Mei just sighed before accepting Lili's forceful request.

After eating dinner, the three took a bath and started to prepare for bed. Lili sat on the edge of the bed, as Kalin dried, brushed and tied her hair up. As she felt his fingers rubbing against her scalp, Lili relaxed as a smile crept across her lips. While this was happening, Kalin was half-humming and half-singing a fairly popular drinking song commonly heard in pubs and bars. ?Although generally a loud and jolly song, when sung by him, it had an oddly calming and peaceful feel to it. After Kalin and Mei also got their hair ready for bed, the three dressed in their sleepwear, though none of them could really be considered pajamas.

Mei wore a very loose, and very revealing tank top that only covered her chest. Because of the absence of a bra, there was plenty of side and underboob visible whenever she moved. This was due to the free state of her breasts combined with the small and loose state of the fabric. On her bottoms, she wore a pair of cotton shorts that she just left unfastened. The object of her outfit was comfort, so everything was simple and allowed for maximum breathability.

Lili's nightwear was much more fashion conscious, but even more revealing. She wore black translucent lingerie along with a matching black thong. Her thong was near non-existent, as it looked like it was made in a country with a fabric shortage. Like Mei, she was also sporting the braless look, her breasts and nipples clearly visible beneath her clothing. The only other things she was wearing were the tie in her hair, and an anklet.

Kalin was wearing the tamest sleepwear of the three. Like the other two, he wore his hair up to prevent bed head. He wore a pair of loose, mid-thigh shorts and a loose top similar to the one worn by Mei. Tough, it was less revealing than the one she wore.

Whenever the three of them slept in the same bed, Kalin always slept in the middle at the request of Lili. Though this was a request she made several years ago, it had become natural for them to do. Her motivation for this arrangement needs not be said, but I'll tell you anyway. If you had not figured yet, she was trying to get Mei to get together with Kalin once he became an adult. As there were less than 3 months to his 13th birthday, she had also increased opportunities for them to get closer. She wanted to help her friend who was still a virgin in her 30's. If she succeeded, which she was pretty confident about, then Mei would have no reason to ever leave her. To this cause, she was willing to share her precious brother with her.