Previously 5-Day ago before the Baron found out about the whole situation...
——— Day 1
Riot was on his knees, hammer in hand, sweat dripping like he was paying off a lifetime of misfortune.
The sound of wooden floor being ripped out and replaced echoed through the small house. The floorboards squeaked in complaint as he worked, one plank at a time—each one a personal financial tragedy.
All the materials? Bought with his own coin.
The reason? Simple.
He couldn't stand the shame of being known as 'The Knight Who Assaulted an Old-Man'
"What the HELL!! Why am I using my own money for the renovation that's CLEARLY yours to do?!" Riot yelled, slamming a nail in with the fury of a betrayed taxpayer.
Saruto, lounging nearby with a cup of tea he didn't pay for, didn't even look up.
"I'll tell Mother if you don't shut your bitch ass up."
"Y–yes, Sir!" he stammered, and went right back to hammering, muttering under his breath about tyranny and unpaid labor rights.
The hammer trembled in his grip. A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek like a fallen soldier.
From the corner, Elena peeked in with a grin, snapping her fingers to cast a small cleaning spell. "My, my~ such hard workers~ You two are such lovely sibling."
"WE'RE NOT!!" both shouted in sync, but she was already gone, giggling softly like she'd won something.
A loose nail popped up under Riot's knee, followed by a, "AHHHH!!!" gentle yelp of pain.
Saruto sipped his tea again, deadpan. "Efficient use of resources, Knight. I approve."
——— Day 2
The sun hit the half-finished restaurant like it was mocking them.
Riot stood in the doorway, sleeves rolled up, staring at a mountain of boxes labeled "Fragile," "Handle with Care," and one suspiciously marked "Definitely Not Stolen."
He sighed. "Of course… I'm doing this alone again."
Saruto was seated at a table.
Well, a table frame, since the top wasn't even attached yet. writing something on parchment.
"I'm supervising. Supervisors don't lift."
"Supervisors don't drink lemonade on the job either!" Riot barked, hoisting a ridiculously heavy wooden counter that could double as a small fortress wall.
"False," Saruto replied calmly. "They hydrate."
Elena, passing by the window with a shopping basket, waved sweetly.
"Oh~ look at my two hardworking men~"
"I'M the only one working!" Riot yelled, almost losing his balance as he carried in a cushioned booth seat.
By afternoon, the restaurant was starting to take shape.
Wooden tables polished to a warm brown sheen, comfy red-leather chairs, and hanging lanterns casting soft light that made everything look expensive, mainly because it was.
"All done," Riot muttered, panting. "Now maybe I can re—" (rest)
"Riot," Saruto interrupted, pointing to another cart outside. "The second shipment just came, get back to work."
Riot stared. Blinked. Then screamed.
——— Day 3
By now, Riot had entered a strange meditative state. His body moved automatically—lifting chairs, fixing shelves, scrubbing counters—as his soul quietly screamed inside.
Saruto watched from behind the new polished bar counter, chin resting on his hand.
"Remarkable. He's stopped complaining out loud."
Elena sat cross-legged on the counter, swirling a cup of tea with a smile as usual.
"That's not peace, Y'master~ That's despair wearing work gloves."
Riot wiped sweat off his forehead, "At least it's looking good now…" muttering so quietly it barely counted as speech.
The place was starting to look impressive.
Wooden floors gleamed under the soft glow of hanging lanterns, the scent of new varnish mixed with faint traces of herbs and cooked meat from the kitchen, even though there's no one cooking inside.
It almost looked like a real restaurant again.
Saruto stood and inspected the progress like a proud architect. "Good. Tomorrow we start on the signboard."
Riot twitched. "...I hate this place."
"Hehe~ you say that every day~" Elena clapped cheerfully.
——— Day 4
With one last swing of the hammer, the wooden signboard hung proudly above the newly replace entrance.
'Comfy Restaurant'
Riot wiped the sweat from his brow, admiring his work as the golden letters gleamed in the sun.
The outside walls were freshly painted a soft cream color, trimmed with dark oak planks that gave the place a warm, inviting feel. Flower boxes hang below the windows, and even the door creaked with pride instead of despair.
Riot leaned on the ladder, smiling like a man who'd just conquered fate itself.
"Phew!" he said, "Everything is now finished! For some reason… I feel proud of myself." to absolutely no one.
Saruto appeared behind him, holding a cup of tea that he definitely did not make himself.
"Nope."
Riot froze.
The color drained from his face.
"...What?" he asked, voice trembling.
"I forgot to tell you, the kitchen hasn't been fixed yet."
Saruto took a sip. "Floor's uneven, oven's broken, pipes leaking gas, and the pantry smells like something died in there."
A long silence.
Then—
"FUCCKKKK!!!"
The scream echoed across the street, startling a passing vendor.
From the outside of the open window. Elena waved cheerfully while munching on a snack, after coming back from grocery shopping.
"He's so lively~ I love watching men break down through productivity~"
Riot threw the hammer at the ground, gripping his head. "Why didn't you tell me YESTERDAY?!" Holding onto his sanity.
Saruto shrugged, unbothered. "Didn't want to ruin your moment."
Riot screamed again. Somewhere, a dog barked in sympathy of his own kind suffering.
——— Day 5
The elderly couple finally returned from their five-day stay at a friend's house, bags in hand and very very low expectation in their face.
The old man grumbled as they approached the street, veins bulging through his still-solid arms.
"I swear, if my restaurant got even worse, I'm going to rip that brat apart. Benefactor or not, he's going through the window."
"Aww, just give the boy a chance." the old lady said softly, holding a small basket.
"I would rathheeerrr... huh?" he started, mid-rant, before freezing mid-step. The old lady stopped too.
Both stared.
Before them stood their restaurant. but it looked… too brand new.
The walls gleamed with fresh paint, the signboard swung proudly in the morning sun, and the once-uneven entrance now looked straight enough to host royalty.
This restaurant looked so perfect they both wondered if they'd accidentally wandered into the wrong part of town.
They blinked. Once. Twice. Third.
"...Did we walk into the wrong direction?" the old man muttered, scratching his head.
"No, dear," said the old lady, eyes wide. "That is our house…"
The old lady whispered, asking the question back.
"I might be wrong… are we sure this is ours?"
The old man squinted at the sign and nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah… that's ours. But… how??"
Their awe lasted only until their eyes dropped to the ground.
There, lying face-down in the dirt like a chalk outline, was Riot.
His arms were spread wide, his outfit covered in sawdust and paint stains. He wasn't moving, aside from the faint twitch of a man whose soul had left his body hours ago.
The old man pointed. "Is that a corpse?"
"Nah." Saruto appeared behind them, "He's just exhausted helping renovation." casually munching on a pastry.
"...He's breathing dirt, though?" the old lady commented.
"Efficient oxygen intake, I guess." Saruto replied, dead serious.
A weak groan rose from the ground. "Kill… me.. please… me.. need.. rest..."
"See?" he said, while poking Riot body with his leg like it was normal. "Still alive and well."
The old man just stared at the once-chaotic restaurant, then at Riot's twitching limb.
"...Alright," he muttered, rubbing his beard. "Maybe I won't kill him and you. Yet."
Riot twitched again. "Noo... Please… Make it quick… "
The sweet old lady stepped toward Riot and reached into her basket. She pulled out a soft, homemade sandwich wrapped in cloth.
"You must be tired from working so much, here's some sandwich."
The scent hit him like divine intervention. Riot shot upright with the strength of a resurrected zombie. "Food?!"
Before he could even reach for it—
Elena rose straight up from Saruto's shadow like a horror movie jump scare.
"Ohh~ Master~"
"AH!" Saruto jumped so hard he almost dropped his pastry. He spun around and glared at her. "Stop doing that! What is it?!"
She tilted her head with innocent sweetness. "Tehe~ do you want it short or detailed~?" clearly messing with him.
"Short! And it better be important!"
Elena smiled like she was reporting tomorrow's weather.
"Baron is charging at us. Currently full-rage mode. Foaming at the mouth level."
She casually pointed behind her shoulder. From afar someone is clearly blitzing towards them, with literal fire surrounding him.
Meanwhile—
Riot, who had been moments away from accepting the sandwich like a holy gift, reached out with trembling hands.
"Finally… Food… Thank you so much, ma'am..."
But he never touched it.
Elena sprinted past, grabbed him by the leg like she was snatching laundry, and dragged him off without slowing down. Saruto was already running ahead of her.
The sandwich remained floating in the old lady's stunned hands.
"MY SANDWICH!!" he shouted, voice cracking like a man torn from his true love.
And that was how it happened...
*
To be continued...
____________________
Sync████: █████