"You want us to move?"
Aunt Mia repeated what Michael had just told her. She was about to instinctively refuse—questions like why? forming in her mind—when she suddenly paused.
Though she hadn't left the house, preferring to stay indoors, which seemed to satisfy Michael, she had still seen what lay outside.
The view from their apartment windows, the news, and the internet all painted the same picture—chaos.
In a way, this place no longer seemed livable.
How would the supermarket function when it wasn't even in proper shape? How was Lily supposed to go to school?
Though the holidays were approaching, from what Aunt Mia had seen, the city's restoration—if it even happened—would take months, if not longer. And even then, it was unlikely to return to how it was just yesterday.
Thinking about it this way, moving out actually made sense.
Michael watched his aunt deep in thought but didn't interrupt.
If she had immediately spoken against his idea, it would have led to a debate.
But her silence meant she was seriously considering it.
Michael knew this much about her after years of living together.
Of course, just because she was thinking it over didn't mean she had agreed. But that didn't change anything for him. If she objected, he was ready to switch into debate mode.
To give his family a better life and ensure their safety, Michael didn't mind spending time—even half the night—convincing her.
And he knew Aunt Mia well enough to expect that if she disagreed, she would argue her point logically, not just reject the idea outright.
Fortunately, it didn't come to that.
Her next words brought a smile to Michael's face.
"Maybe moving out really isn't a bad idea," she admitted before adding, "But where would we even move to?"
Michael had an answer.
There was no specific answer.
Aunt Mia gasped slightly at his response, but before she could comment, Michael spoke first.
"But I'll find one, don't worry, Aunt Mia. What I have in mind is a place that can provide better security for you guys and more."
By the time Michael finished speaking, a determined expression had taken over his face, and his aura grew serious.
Aunt Mia's words caught in her throat.
A moment later, she sighed.
It was just as she thought.
Her boy was growing up.
Though he didn't say much, a part of her feared that maybe she and her daughter were holding him back...
A part of her wanted to tell him that he didn't have to worry so much about them and should focus on himself. But she couldn't.
She knew that as they grew, both Michael and even her own daughter would eventually go their separate ways. But she didn't want to be the one to push him away.
She still wanted their presence.
So, for now, she said nothing.
He had always been an intelligent and reliable boy.
Michael's serious expression softened slightly at Aunt Mia's words. He didn't show it outwardly, but inside, he felt really good.
Ignoring his cousin, who was hiding behind her bedroom door eavesdropping, Michael stood up from the sofa opposite Aunt Mia and spoke.
"I'll get it done, Ma. Just give me a little time. But in the meantime, we should start preparing. Also, for the next few days, use her for the house."
As he spoke, Michael stretched out his hand. A greenish-black summoning circle appeared in the center of the room, and a figure emerged from it.
Aunt Mia let out a startled cry at the sudden appearance but managed to calm herself quickly.
The sound of a door opening followed.
Lily burst out of her room, only to freeze in shock at the 'big sister' now standing in the room.
Aunt Mia shot an angry glare at Michael, who scratched his cheek in mild embarrassment.
Though he had done something similar before—summoning that 'big guy' to help clean the house—back then, everything was happening too quickly. The chaos from the cracks had numbed their ability to react properly.
Now that things were calmer, her reaction was only natural.
However, the sudden appearance of the undead wasn't the only thing that surprised Aunt Mia.
"She's quite pretty… Can she speak?" Aunt Mia asked hesitantly.
According to her nephew, these strange beings were all his summons and were extremely strong. But this was the first time she had seen one that wasn't intimidating—if she ignored the height.
"Not yet…" Michael replied in an odd tone.
To be honest, he wasn't sure if his undead would ever be able to speak.
But who knew what was possible in this world?
He didn't deny the possibility.
In fact, he even hoped that such a reality would one day manifest.
"Okay, go and rest. I'll use... her."
Aunt Mia felt a little odd saying this, as the being in front of her felt almost human—aside from the white eyes and gray skin.
He figured that since keeping his undead active seemed to gradually increase their intelligence, there was no harm in letting his aunt make better use of them when they were idle.
In fact, all of his summonable undead were currently outside, still guarding the apartment building and the community.
Seeing that everything was fine, Michael turned to head into his room—only for his cousin to call out to him just as he was about to enter.
As for Lily, Michael's respect for her had only grown.
Despite everything, she was still able to stay active.
Even after learning the truth about her friend on the upstairs floor—when the officers came to arrest the animal responsible—she still tried her best not to sink into sadness.
Michael didn't know what he could do for her, but he was glad she was holding on."What do you want?" Michael asked, turning to look at his cousin.
"That big guy has a name, right? Beginning, I believe."
"What's her name?" Lily asked, gesturing toward the female orc in the sitting room.
Michael paused for a moment before a wide smile appeared on his face.
"Lily. Her name is Lily, Lily."