Entering the ramen shop nervously, wondering if this place would become a battlefield.
Although it sounds nice to describe it as a traditional place, in reality, it’s just old-fashioned.
Still, not without reason, I’m not getting any younger, and I already know in advance that the ramen here is delicious.
That’s why I don’t want anything important to happen at this shop…
“Don’t be so scared. I wouldn’t do anything bad to my extraordinary benefactor, would I?”
“…”
“My name is Ruan. I run an orphanage.”
“An orphanage, you say.”
With that face?
Looking like he could kill someone?
But I can’t say that.
If I said it, I’d be killed.
“Well, to the kids, I’m either feared or disliked, or they try to imitate me. I get what you’re saying.”
“Imitate?”
“It’s about having a distinctive character. Originally, I used a unique way of speaking so that everyone would remember me, but before I knew it, some people were imitating me.”
“Hmm…”
Come to think of it, the heroine of this world used to use a distinctive first-person pronoun, and she seemed embarrassed about it as if it were a dark past.
Could this person be related to the heroine?
Or maybe speaking strangely is just a trend among adults in orphanages in this world.
“You want to know the truth about this too, don’t you?”
The man kicks the aluminum case at his feet.
“No, I’d rather not know.”
“I’ll tell you anyway.”
I said I didn’t want to know.
“Though, it’s nothing special, really. I just accidentally dropped it there.”
“It’s good it was found and returned to you.”
“Well, I dropped it because I was being chased by some weirdos along the way.”
He’s taking the conversation in a strange direction.
“But it’s strange, isn’t it? They seemed to be after this, yet they didn’t take it when it fell. And now it’s back in my hands… Could it be because it was found by you, my extraordinary benefactor?”
“It’s alright. I’ll leave now.”
“Alright, I’ll get your ramen!”
“…”
Sitting down.
Splitting the chopsticks.
Starting to eat the ramen with the cleanly split chopsticks.
…Yeah, it’s delicious.
It’s okay because it still tastes good.
Anyway, let’s change the subject.
“However, you’re running an orphanage?”
“Yeah, it’s called ‘Garden of Light’.”
“Wow!”
“And by the way, ‘Thirteen Rakudo’ is the sponsor.”
“Wow…!”
You’re really involved in this, huh?
“Well, it’s not like we’re anything special. Nowadays, if a facility has ‘Thirteen Rakudo’ as a sponsor, especially if it’s related to children, it’s pretty much under their influence.”
“Is that so?”
“I don’t think it’s because they like kids or anything. It’s more like they have a strange enthusiasm for education. You know, recently there was news about ‘Thirteen Rakudo’ completing the development of a large-scale cutting-edge educational institution called ‘Cinema,’ right?”
“Well, yeah…”
I heard about it, but it’s something that only exists in this world; I’ve never heard of it in my past life. It’s not that I’m not interested, but it’s just not something that came up in the stories or setting materials.
“They often email us and come to guide us… um, what was it again?”
He pauses for a moment, then claps his hands.
“Kouo.”
I ask without changing my expression as much as possible while slurping my ramen.
“…And who is that person?”
“It’s nothing unusual. He says stuff like ‘the emotional education of children is very important.'”
“I see.”
“And he wrote something like this too. ‘Only wrong adults are born from wrong adults. To break this cycle, it’s necessary for the right adults to take charge of education.'”
That certainly sounds like something the “King of Light” would say when he wasn’t mad.
Above all, upon further thought, it’s not like the “King of Light” wouldn’t have been involved in that business already.
In essence, the “New Generation Project.”
It’s about taking custody of all children from the moment they’re born, cutting off all information from society, and providing “equal and correct education.” It’s about sweeping away the “habits” that adults have built up and educating literally a new generation.
”…..”
That makes sense too, and it’s unsettling how it makes sense in a bad way.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
I answer while slurping my ramen.
“What kind of society do you want, Mr. Ruan?”
“Hmm?”
He seemed momentarily taken aback by my question, but then he quickly put on a serious expression and rested his chin on his hand.
“Well, I guess it’s about professions like mine disappearing, isn’t it?”
“Is that so.”
Indeed, that’s true.
But whether the “King of Light” can make that happen…
Well, never mind.
Still, currently, the “King of Light” is doing various things concurrently, and this is just one of them.
Since it wasn’t discussed in the original work, I don’t know what kind of impact it will have on society…
“If you don’t want to get hurt, hand it over.”
There was an armed individual with a distinctly antisocial appearance standing there.
