Chapter 20

Leaving the Guild Union Branch.

“Ah—hahaha!”

Griffo has been laughing like this for a while now.

“To be liked by that difficult boss is impressive, as expected of Istu.”
“Can we really say I was liked?”
“Of course! I’ve introduced a few people before, but it’s been a while since someone talked so enthusiastically. You were eating even more than usual, too. It was worth introducing you to the boss! Oh, how delightful!”

“I honestly can’t laugh about it…”

It’s a good thing we received support. For someone like me, who’s a half-breed, money is a matter of life and death. Considering the future of those kids, this could be said to be a perfectly smooth start.

But in return, I feel like I’ve taken on a big headache.

“Well, don’t worry too much. You can do it. You’re not alone, right?”

Hearing that, I looked to the side.

Mitera, with a beaming face, noticed me and tilted her head slightly.

She had sauce on the corner of her mouth, which was rather endearing.

Griffo asked,

“So, what are you going to do now? Are you heading out right away?”
“No, that would burden the children too much.”

I hesitated in my words.

Actually, at the end of the meeting, I had already accepted the first request.

I was asked to gather information in a town called Minigel, which is a few days’ distance from here. Apparently, there have been incidents of adventurer disappearances occurring in Minigel recently.

“I’m still thinking about whether or not to take the kids with me.”
“I see. But I think it’d be fine to take them along. Traveling can be a place of learning. Securing food, clothing, and shelter is important, but you have the ‘means’ to travel. It would be a waste not to use it.”

That’s true.

The biggest feature of the new Elpida Orphanage is that it’s “mobile.” Considering the harshness of Raderia and the internal environment, it is more than suitable for traveling with children.

Griffo patted my shoulder.

“The boss wouldn’t say, ‘solve all the problems’ either. There’s no need to think too rigidly. While you’re in this town, feel free to use my mansion. I have nothing to do at home anyway. The people serving at home would also find it more fulfilling if there’s some liveliness.”

“Thank you very much. That’s a great help.”

Mitera seemed to notice the mess at my mouth and asked while pulling out a handkerchief.

“So, really, what will you do, Istu-kun?”
“Oh, about that…”

I had thought of something.

“I want to try something with everyone at the orphanage. For the future as well.”

After a while.

“Wow, amazing!”

Cheers erupted.

“The town of Wigarlus is so big! Istu-sensei!”
“Yeah. That’s right.”

I relaxed my expression and nodded.

—After leaving the Guild Union branch, I had brought the kids to the largest shopping district in Wigarlus.

We were here to shop together.

Sigurd had immediately given us a significant amount of cash as support. He had said to ask for more whenever necessary, but I couldn’t be that bold.

Today, however, I planned to fully rely on Sigurd’s assistance.

For the kids’ sake.

Thinking about it, even if our living situation has improved, the kids have been through tough circumstances.

Moreover, if their home was destroyed right in front of them, the emotional shock must be considerable.

I hoped that today’s shopping would brighten their spirits even a little.

And one more thing.

I wanted to learn more about the kids through shopping.

“Alright, everyone, today I’m the captain. No acting on your own. Got it?”

Narg, puffing his cheeks, took the lead.

As one of the older kids, he probably felt responsible to guide everyone. Surprisingly, he had a strong sense of responsibility.

Previously, that had manifested in a bad way as “bullying,” but if channeled correctly, it should become a driving force for progress.

Beside Narg, a 12-year-old girl named Eiri quietly raised her fist and said, “Oh.”

She seems to have a body type that doesn’t gain weight easily, and coupled with her height, she gives off a slender impression.

Previously, she was one of the kids who had been with Narg when the purple slime attacked.

She still gets along well with Narg.

…Well, not everyone listens to Narg like Eiri does, it seems.

“What’s with the attitude, Narg? Right, Sensei?”

Sutei leaned against my arm, a precocious girl—both mentally and physically—at the age of 13, with rather suggestive gestures for her age.

“Ahaha. Narg is really eager. He wants to have fun himself, too.”

Making a calm remark was a 13-year-old boy named Gloza.

He’s the kind of boy who warmly watches over everyone from a step back, acting as the hidden support.

This is just my intuition, but while Narg is the outward leader, I think the real leader who actually keeps things going behind the scenes is this boy.

“Wow, amazing, amazing, amazing…!”

On the opposite side of Sutei, the youngest, a 6-year-old girl named Miti, clutched my arm tightly, exclaiming in awe.

She was the girl I had comforted when we rescued her from the Elpida Orphanage.

Since then, she’s gotten quite attached to me and doesn’t seem to want to leave my side.

Well, since she’s the smallest, I feel relieved that she’s not running around all over the place.

Conversely, when I take my eyes off her, she disappears immediately—

“I finally found you! You always run off somewhere!”

“Ouch! Filoe, that hurts. Don’t pull my ear!”

The one being dragged back by Filoe is 14-year-old Regin.

Compared to his peers Narg and Filoe, he’s a notably mischievous boy who struggles with group activities. His curiosity leads him to wander off somewhere.

That seems to be a widely accepted understanding even within the orphanage—

“See? Just like I said, Filoe-ane. It’s easy to guess where this idiot would go.”

A girl who had been reading a thick book a little distance away sighed and said this.

Her name is Tira. She’s a 10-year-old girl who loves books and studying, and while she’s usually quiet, she can be quite sharp-tongued.

But at heart, she’s a good child.

The proof is that I know she hadn’t made much progress in her reading while waiting for Filoe and the others to return.

“What’s with you, Sensei? Smirking like that. It’s creepy.”
“Sorry, I just thought Tira is very family-oriented.”
“What!? Are you calling me a fool, even though I’m your teacher!?”

See, I’ve been scolded.

“Alright, alright, everyone. It’s a precious shopping day. Let’s have fun without fighting, okay?”

Mitera stepped in. She’s amazing.

These are the children of the new Elpida Orphanage.

Now, what shall we buy?

And what will these kids choose to buy?