At the same time――.
Gabi, the man who had quickly abandoned the orphanage children, was on the highway.
He was riding his horse in the opposite direction of Wigalus.
Once the orphanage was out of sight, he finally exhaled and,
“Damn it!”
He cursed aloud.
“Just when the cultivation of those brats was starting to go well. Why did monsters have to show up all of a sudden… Damn it!”
Alone on the highway, Gabi continued to hurl foul-mouthed insults. Narg’s foul language had been influenced by him.
“It’s all that bastard’s fault! Everything started going downhill since he showed up. Damn monsters, they should’ve just eaten that annoying pretty boy instead――Whoa!?”
Suddenly, his horse lost balance.
It had stepped into a pothole on the highway and fell over.
Gabi, whose attention had been distracted, hadn’t noticed the hole.
Beyond the hole was a cliff.
He tumbled down along with his horse. The cliff wasn’t particularly deep, but it was extensive.
It was as if a giant snake had crawled through the area.
“Guaaahh!”
At the bottom, Gabi’s lower half was pinned under the weight of his horse’s body. His face turned bright red from the excruciating pain.
“Damn it… hey, you stupid horse! Get off! Move!”
He pounded on the horse’s body and shouted, but the animal didn’t respond anymore.
Anger. Frustration. Panic. And fear.
Gabi, spitting and sputtering, continued to scream and shout.
His luck had run out.
No one would come along the highway. No one was coming to help.
Worse still――.
“Ah…!?”
Perhaps drawn by Gabi’s screams and the scent of blood, a pack of wolf-like monsters gathered.
“Why!? There are monster wards along the highway! Why, just today…”
That’s right.
Why had monsters swarmed the Elpida OrphaNarge in the first place?
It didn’t make sense.
――But no matter how much Gabi questioned it.
Of course, the hungry monsters didn’t care.
“Stop. Don’t come… don’t come any closer…”
Step, step…
Splash. A monster stepped into a pool of blood.
“Stop… Help, someone… Help me…”
Sharp fangs filled Gabi’s vision.
“Help me! Gyaaaaaaaaahh!”
◆◇◆
“Isto-san! Hurry!”
Filoé’s voice snapped me back to reality, and I quickly climbed aboard Redelia.
“Alright, Redelia. Let’s go!”
“…Wait.”
Just as I entered, I heard a small voice.
A little girl was trying to leave Redelia as I entered.
Narg grabbed the girl’s shoulder.
“Hey, it’s dangerous! Get back inside!”
“No, no! I don’t want to go anywhere anymore! I don’t want to be alone! I don’t want to go to a place I don’t know! I don’t want to be lonely!”
“Stop being so selfish!”
Narg raised his hand to hit the little girl, but I caught it.
“Stop, Narg.”
“But!”
I looked at each of the children.
The little girl crying, and the others watching us cautiously from around Filoé.
All of them had dark expressions.
Gabi had abandoned them. Their guardian had left them behind, making them feel like unwanted, worthless people.
There was no light in their eyes.
I gently took Narg’s hand and lowered it.
Then, I hugged the crying girl.
Tightly.
So that my resolve and feelings could reach her.
“You can stay here. You’ll never be lonely again.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. Starting today, this is your new home. The new Elpida Orphanage. We’re all together now.”
The girl, who had been standing frozen, finally broke down into sobs.
I called out to the other children as well.
“Come on. All of you. From today, we’re a new family.”
Did my words reach their hearts?
Slowly, the light returned to their eyes.
It might have just been the reflection of the lamplight in their tear-filled eyes.
But that’s okay. It’s okay to cry.
What’s truly terrifying is becoming a hollow shell, feeling nothing at all.
Just like that day――when I was expelled from the guild and wandered the alleys.
The children mustn’t end up like that. I can’t let them.
“Hey, old man.”
Narg was standing at the entrance to Redelia, looking down.
He spoke quietly.
“Um… thanks. For everything you’ve done for us.”
“Yeah.”
“And, uh… I’m sorry about back then. I want you to forgive me. And… I’m sorry to Filoé too.”
Narg bowed his head deeply.
“I mean it. I want to stay here too.”
“It’s alright, Narg.”
I patted the boy’s head. His rough, curly hair felt comforting in my hand.
“You spoke up, even though it was hard. You did good.”
“Heheh…”
Narg looked up and smiled shyly.
I glanced at Filoé, who was wiping her eyes with a complicated expression.
She hadn’t completely forgiven him yet, but she seemed to understand how Narg felt.
‘Um…’
Redelia’s soft voice piped up. She sounded like she was about to cry too.
‘Master… is it okay to depart now? I’m so worried.’
“Oh, sorry.”
I gave Redelia the signal to depart again.
Then, all of a sudden――.
Boom, the ground shook violently.
Narg, having lost his balance, was thrown out of the doorway.
“Narg!”
I instinctively rushed out.
