Leaving the Guild Union Branch.
โAhโhahaha!โ
Griffo has been laughing like this for a while now.
โTo be liked by that difficult boss is impressive, as expected of Istu.โ
โCan we really say I was liked?โ
โOf course! Iโve introduced a few people before, but itโs 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!โ
โI honestly canโt laugh about itโฆโ
Itโs a good thing we received support. For someone like me, whoโs 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 Iโve taken on a big headache.
โWell, donโt worry too much. You can do it. Youโre not alone, right?โ
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,
โSo, what are you going to do now? Are you heading out right away?โ
โNo, that would burden the children too much.โ
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 daysโ distance from here. Apparently, there have been incidents of adventurer disappearances occurring in Minigel recently.
โIโm still thinking about whether or not to take the kids with me.โ
โI see. But I think itโd be fine to take them along. Traveling can be a place of learning. Securing food, clothing, and shelter is important, but you have the โmeansโ to travel. It would be a waste not to use it.โ
Thatโs true.
The biggest feature of the new Elpida Orphanage is that itโs โmobile.โ Considering the harshness of Raderia and the internal environment, it is more than suitable for traveling with children.
Griffo patted my shoulder.
โThe boss wouldnโt say, โsolve all the problemsโ either. Thereโs no need to think too rigidly. While youโre 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 thereโs some liveliness.โ
โThank you very much. Thatโs a great help.โ
Mitera seemed to notice the mess at my mouth and asked while pulling out a handkerchief.
โSo, really, what will you do, Istu-kun?โ
โOh, about thatโฆโ
I had thought of something.
โI want to try something with everyone at the orphanage. For the future as well.โ
After a while.
โWow, amazing!โ
Cheers erupted.
โThe town of Wigarlus is so big! Istu-sensei!โ
โYeah. Thatโs right.โ
I relaxed my expression and nodded.
โAfter 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 couldnโt be that bold.
Today, however, I planned to fully rely on Sigurdโs assistance.
For the kidsโ 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 todayโs shopping would brighten their spirits even a little.
And one more thing.
I wanted to learn more about the kids through shopping.
โAlright, everyone, today Iโm the captain. No acting on your own. Got it?โ
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 โbullying,โ 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, โOh.โ
She seems to have a body type that doesnโt 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.
โฆWell, not everyone listens to Narg like Eiri does, it seems.
โWhatโs with the attitude, Narg? Right, Sensei?โ
Sutei leaned against my arm, a precocious girlโboth mentally and physicallyโat the age of 13, with rather suggestive gestures for her age.
โAhaha. Narg is really eager. He wants to have fun himself, too.โ
Making a calm remark was a 13-year-old boy named Gloza.
Heโs 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.
โWow, amazing, amazing, amazingโฆ!โ
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, sheโs gotten quite attached to me and doesnโt seem to want to leave my side.
Well, since sheโs the smallest, I feel relieved that sheโs not running around all over the place.
Conversely, when I take my eyes off her, she disappears immediatelyโ
โI finally found you! You always run off somewhere!โ
โOuch! Filoe, that hurts. Donโt pull my ear!โ
The one being dragged back by Filoe is 14-year-old Regin.
Compared to his peers Narg and Filoe, heโs 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 orphanageโ
โSee? Just like I said, Filoe-ane. Itโs easy to guess where this idiot would go.โ
A girl who had been reading a thick book a little distance away sighed and said this.
Her name is Tira. Sheโs a 10-year-old girl who loves books and studying, and while sheโs usually quiet, she can be quite sharp-tongued.
But at heart, sheโs a good child.
The proof is that I know she hadnโt made much progress in her reading while waiting for Filoe and the others to return.
โWhatโs with you, Sensei? Smirking like that. Itโs creepy.โ
โSorry, I just thought Tira is very family-oriented.โ
โWhat!? Are you calling me a fool, even though Iโm your teacher!?โ
See, Iโve been scolded.
โAlright, alright, everyone. Itโs a precious shopping day. Letโs have fun without fighting, okay?โ
Mitera stepped in. Sheโs amazing.
These are the children of the new Elpida Orphanage.
Now, what shall we buy?
And what will these kids choose to buy?