Double chapter! Don’t miss the previous one.

---

The Weitz Orphanage is currently operating with only the support of the Kuzunoha Company. 

When we began to support them, their biggest supporter, the Rembrandt Company, pulled out.

The other small and medium companies didn’t want to worsen their relationship with us through the orphanage, or didn’t want to get suspected in what relationship they have with us, so they slowly retreated.

The Rembrandt Company pulled out most likely because they thought we were looking for talents here and they showed consideration. Investing in something without doing anything would be a minus for the company, so they must have judged that supporting the same orphanage as the Kuzunoha Company wouldn’t have merits for them or us.

And in reality, the relationship between companies and orphanages in Tsige are pretty distorted.

I learned about this recently, and I had almost no awareness of this at the time when I first started.

“Honestly speaking, I think this orphanage wasn’t to my expectations.” (Makoto)

““!””

After finishing our greetings and having some casual talk, a conference began between me and the chief people of this place.

“Lime Latte. Since it was the place that raised such a great talent, I had high expectations so I gave you a warm support until now, and yet, aside from him, there has been no one that has caught the eye of my subordinate Tomoe.” (Makoto)

Sorry. 

I honestly don’t think that at all.

In the first place, at the time when I began giving money to this place, I had absolutely no intentions of employing a hyuman at all.

“Lime-kun is our number one most successful person here after all. A person like him wouldn’t appear often.” 

That’s obvious too.

The Weitz Orphanage…or more like, almost all the orphanages in Tsige are simply places to make children into adults. 

A place to not let children die as children, would be the accurate way of putting it.

I have studied the situation of the orphanages in preparation for this matter, but the current situation of the orphanages is that it is a harvesting place for companies and a hotspot for hyuman trafficking. 

There’s people aiming for the support money, but it is not like the support money is that good of an amount.

In other words, managing an orphanage with those expectations and hoping for the support of a company is practically impossible.

There’s the need for deceiving or it won’t work.

The gold given by Tsige, mostly provided by the Merchant Guild, is not the cost of management itself. You would have to pull the charity of a company on top of that, and somehow manage to survive with that, which is the current state of most orphanages.

Only a few skilled orphanages get a net plus from pulling money.

Then there’s the orphanages that are barely operating without much to feel guilty about, including this orphanage.

And well, that was the clear layer. It may sound bad, but the remaining ones are basically evil pet shops or worse than that.

Sadly to say, more than half of the orphanages fall into this terrible category.

Even the Weitz Orphanage that is categorized in the decent ones only has the bare minimum education for the orphans.

I understand that, unless you are the sons or daughters of a big company like Rembrandt-san, you won’t be able to enter Rotsgard.

But there’s practically no chances to invite a teacher in Tsige with the limited amount there are. 

The staff members can only teach the minimum they know of. The education of those staff members themselves is tragic, so you can easily imagine the results.

“It seems like that’s the case. Looks like you can operate with our support alone now, but even with that, it is not easy to manage at all.” (Makoto)

“We have been receiving excessive support. But for the staff members working here, each minute is their life here, this is their livelihood. We are aware that in this current state where we are only relying on the Kuzunoha Company, we have to better ourselves. Everyone is doing their best everyday, but…” 

…About that…

If this were the pattern where there was extra money and the director and staff members were wasting it in dressing themselves and partying, I wouldn’t have gone for a laborer stop, but something even harsher.

However, the choice of these people was different. 

They increased the amount of children. Just because they had more leeway in good clothes. 

I can only call that a bad move.

And so, they have accepted more people than the capacity they can take.

Tomoe was amazed by this too.

216 really is too many for this place.

They are currently like an indian work-commuting train. 

Instead of doing that, shouldn’t they have put money in the equipment of this place?

Put money in their education?

What’s most saddening is that the latter words were as if they were saying ‘I feel bad about it, but please understand this and continue supporting us’.

I can clearly tell that, unless you are quite the eccentric person, you wouldn’t put money here without anything in return.

Of course Seina-san would suspect us.

“Impossible.” (Makoto)

“Impossible indeed.” (Tomoe)

Tomoe and I cut off the director’s words cleanly at the same time.

A laborer stop was the first thing that surfaced in my mind, but it might turn into something closer to a temple school.

There’s quite a lot of places in period dramas and in Edo that would turn into temple schools.

Wonder why.

Also, why is Tomoe getting all shy here.

She certainly is showing changes too.

 It seems that, lately, she has stopped wrapping a sarashi around herself as a bra. 

Her attire is as always like that of a man, but that’s probably already her personal taste.

“First, you have increased the amount of children too much-ja. They might end up sticking out of the building at this rate.” (Tomoe)

Tomoe made a short cough and spoke out the obvious.

Even if you have gotten leeway in food and clothes, it would be troubling if you were to pick up one child after the other.

It may sound bad, but it is impossible to increase without a limit.

“Thanks to your support, we got a bit of leeway. We couldn’t drive away the children that were standing in front of the gate.” 

“Drive them away, you idiot. They are simply sucking onto your softness. There are orphans within your staff members, right? As people who have been in the same environment, you should be able to understand the selfishness of the people looking from the outside-ja.” (Tomoe)

“But that’s…” 

“Listen well, director. What you are saying is not kind or correct. By bringing in so many, you are definitely worsening the situation inside your own place. At the very least, in finance terms, you have practically no breathing room, right?” (Tomoe)

“…”

“With the leeway you got, you could have made the life of the children that were already living here better. In other words, you took away the better life environment from the children that could have gotten it.” (Tomoe)

“I by no means did that with such a thought in mind…” 

“What we are saying is that, if you were to continue as it is each time you get leeway, it would go against our plans.” (Tomoe)

Tomoe looks at me and passes me the baton.

The main topic comes here.

The staff members and the director were seated around the table. 

Seina-san is sitting at the side of the director.

Her eyes were overflowing with caution as to what we are going to be saying now.

“…You said ‘plan’ just now. Me, the staff members, and everyone else want to know what it is that the Kuzunoha Company wants. Since we have the chance here, could you please tell us?” 

The director asked me the exact question Tomoe guided him to ask.

Well, it is pretty difficult, but I will have them do it.

I don’t mind if we continue supporting you guys as we have until now -no, even more than before.

“Understood. But I want to say this first. Lime Latte was simply lucky.” (Makoto)

“!!” 

My words that were as if mocking their hero made anger rise at the other side of the table.

“What I am trying to say is, it is not like he became like that because he was raised here.” (Makoto)

Yeah.

No matter the orphanage he was raised in, he would have aimed to be an adventurer.

As a result, he would have either given up and died, or succeeded again.

But there wasn’t a single point the Weitz Orphanage contributed to towards the abilities of the current Lime.

There will be children here who will aim to become adventurers now and into the future.

There might be ones who will become successful like Lime.

But what’s necessary there isn’t the Weitz Orphanage, but the number of attempts.

It is merely a chance.

There might be the need to have hundreds, maybe thousands to die before one diamond comes out.

That’s all there is to it.

Instead of putting money on increasing such a stupid number, I will have the orphans here become clearly better when brought out to society.

“Raidou-sama, I don’t understand well the meaning of what you are saying.” 

“I have spoken the root of my wish. A clear action would be to educate them.” (Makoto)

“Edu…cation?” 

“Yeah.” (Makoto)

“At an orphanage? To children who are of different ages?” 

“Yeah.” (Makoto)

The director here is certainly a decent person.

But at the root, they have the tendency to separate these children from the regular ones, thinking: “they are just orphans anyways”. That goes for the staff members here too.

“Are you telling us to teach them as if it were a private school?” 

“No.” (Makoto)

That’s why talks like private schools suddenly come out.

There’s no need for the education to be so splendid.

You first have to begin it.

If it is just that, it should be simple and the threshold should be low.

“Eh?” 

“I am not telling you to just have them study. There’s also the need to train them physically. Wouldn’t it be good to have them train in things that would directly be useful for them in their work? Children have their respective traits, so even if they don’t have the aptitude, it is by no means strange that training can bring fruit to their future… Yes, go ahead.” (Makoto)

Seina-san was timidly raising her hand and looking at me.

She must have something she wants to say, so I give her permission.

“What will you be doing with the children by training them?” (Seina)

“What will I be doing? I think that children, who have at least learned to a certain degree, will have a higher chance of getting a decent job though? Even if a company is harvesting, I feel like it would be more effective if they are choosing after they get more knowledge rather than by just their base talent alone.” (Makoto)

“Are you telling us to give the most proficient children to the Kuzunoha Company?” (Seina)

“Huh? No no, the minimum requirement for our company is Lime-kun. That would be an impossible level to demand from the orphans. What I am trying to say is that education is an abstract wealth, and providing it to the children is the best of presents. It is true that giving them food, clothes, and a roof to sleep in is the bare minimum requirement of an orphanage. But it would be troubling for us if you were to get soft after obtaining spare money.” (Makoto)

“Troubling?” (Seina)

“Of course it would be troubling. In the current state, the future of the orphans will stay dark.” (Makoto)

“…”

“So I say, but it would be difficult to suddenly make scholars or researchers out of them. Tsige isn’t a city that flourishes in science. However, the current situation where practically all the choices they have is either a merchant apprentice or adventurer isn’t that desirable. To provide them a variety of choices, wouldn’t it be good to train them as crafters, give them basic knowledge, and the ability to read?” (Makoto)

Read common language.

But writing it requires a certain degree of training. In Tsige, the demi-human language is used too, and in tribes, the level of communication is low. But I would say there’s plenty enough worth in learning it.

“?”

“Ah, sorry. Don’t you think their choices would expand a lot if they were to learn both writing and how to do basic maths… Want to say something?” (Makoto)

This time, a male staff member raised his hand.

I can feel ambition, not only from Seina-san and the director, but from the other people of this orphanage as well.

It may not be Lime level, but I would say the quality is pretty good.

More than half of the staff members are currently dumbfounded though.

“Excuse me. This may be basic, but…uhm…what benefit would it have?” 

“I have explained the merits for the orphans themselves, and if skilled children were to show up, it would make the management of the orphanage easier. There would obviously be children like Lime-kun who would care for the well-being of the orphanage after all.” (Makoto)

It is not like all successful people from orphanages will be like that, but it isn’t rare for there to be people like Lime who would give money and things. It may be only a few right now, but once the laborer stop gets on its track, more people that came from here will bring money.

This might become a business.

It would be rough to expect the good will of people to be the main source of income, so if there’s some sort of contract that has them pay a certain amount of money if their job comes to fruition…

“That’s not it.” 

“?”

“What benefit does it have for you? I can’t tell at all.” 

“Aah. About that.” (Makoto)

“…I feel like that’s really important.” 

“We will have massive benefits.” (Makoto)

“…Where are you even profiting? From what I am hearing here, I feel like there would only be more money coming out from you.” 

“First, we will have the orphans become residents who are able to obtain a decent income. Residents that have jobs and have basic knowledge.” (Makoto)

Until now, they have been dying as fast as they come after all.

I am sure this will without doubt lead to an increase in population.

Well, there’s a limit to how much that increase will be with only this place.

What’s important right now isn’t a detailed number. 

What’s most important is having them think that I am crazy and am proposing something bizarre. 

“…..”

“By doing that, the amount of people in the city increases.” (Makoto)

“?”

“If the population increases, customers buying things increases.” (Makoto)

“…Huh?” 

“If customers increase, our company will also liven up. It is a splendid positive circulation. Everyone will have smiles, and it will become a plus financially; an ideal circulation will be born.” (Makoto)

“…A-Are you seriously saying that?” 

“Of course. That’s why we will be providing even more money and goods to the orphanage from now on.” (Makoto)

““…..””

Oh.

The gazes of everyone have gotten more impressive than I thought they would be.

Maybe I overdid it a little bit.

It should be okay.

Also, I don’t intend to let them ever escape.

No problem.

They will learn.

At times, ideals are harsher than reality.

When it has been realized, it is not settled that the place you arrive at will be as sweet of a thing as you thought.

“Have you understood what I want, Director?” (Makoto)

“…Y-Yeah. I think it is a splendid idea.” 

“Good. Then, about the plan for the management of the education and training for the orphans from here on. I will be leaving it to Tomoe here, so I would like you to select a few in charge from your side, and begin the discussion at once.” (Makoto)

Strike while the iron is hot.

A plan of hitting while the opponent is still surprised.

“R-Right now?!” 

“Of course. We have seen a big problem this place has, and have concluded that this should be dealt with promptly.” (Makoto)

“A big problem…” 

No no, they seriously look like they would think there’s no problems as long as they have a little bit of leeway. 

He is the type of person that would tread the red line and would say ‘it will work out somehow’ and do his best.

“There’s way too many children.” (Makoto)

“! No, Raidou-sama! We can’t. That alone, I refuse!” 

“And so, I will expand the building. We will need a place to train anyways. I have an eye on around 5 people that can serve as teachers. One of them is Lime Latte. The others are Carol and Keema, a pair of sisters that one is a woodworker and the other is a cook. They apparently were from here. Also, we will be transferring, from our Kuzunoha Company, two competent demi-human employees that are specialized in forests, Aqua and Eris. I also have an idea for blacksmiths, carpenters, and accessory makers, but we will coordinate that at a later day.” (Makoto)

“Wa, uhm…eh?” 

“But, director, I will have you promise me this. Refuse any new orphans. Just because you can obtain as much money from us as necessary doesn’t mean you can increase the amount of children as much as you want. As I said before, that’s heavily distant to what we wish for. At the very least, until things have settled down, I will have you guys concentrate on this new path. Is that okay?” (Makoto)

“O-Okay…” 

“Negotiations have been settled then! I am truly happy that we were able to have such a fruitful talk. Thank you very much.” (Makoto)

There’s not a single minus for the children currently here.

Only plusses.

Also, if there’s children who feel like this is a minus, I have no intention of stopping them, and don’t plan on keeping them here.

For the staff members of the orphanage as well, the teachers will be coming from outside, so for now, they don’t have to worry about their own ability as they work.

For now, that is.

It will probably get really busy. 

I will eventually have the basic teachings be done by the staff members here.

“Eh, are you going to be reconstructing this place?” (Seina)

Seina said boldly.

I said expanding though.

Well, fine.

Let’s rebuild it. 

It will simply be a job of half a day or a day.

It will be done on the same day, so there’s no need to prepare temporary residences. 

“Don’t like the idea of expanding, huh. Understood. Then let’s rebuild it.” (Makoto)

“There’s no way I don’t like it! I am plenty fine with expanding. Thank you very much!!” (Seina)

“Don’t mind it. It is a job that can be done in one or half a day anyways.” (Makoto)

Magic is great.

Having actual experience from that time at Rotsgard was big, and the eldwas have been continuously getting experience in construction at Asora.

Even though it was mainly digging holes and making walls, at some point in time, they are now able to make such intricate things.

I can only give my most heartfelt thanks.

“One day?” (Seina)

“Yeah, I will be bringing mages specialized in this area.” (Makoto)

“There’s no need to do such bourgeois construction work for an orphanage.” (Seina)

“It is not like we are bringing outside people, so don’t mind it… Ah, but…” (Makoto)

“?”

“In exchange for not paying the construction work, there’s a perfume I would like everyone to smell. This is a matter that’s completely separate from this, but I am currently gathering opinions about it. Could you participate in it?” (Makoto)

At any rate, I have done what I had to here.

I fabricated all this after Lime went haywire, so I would say I worked pretty hard. 

I changed gears and took out the perfume.

Everyone agreed, even if a bit dubious. I first gave it to the director and checked his reaction.

Tomoe nodded with a satisfied expression.

Once this is done, I will be going back…

I need Tomoe to stay here for a bit more though.

Then, maybe I should stay for a bit longer too. 

Once we return, I can ask what she thinks.

“!!” 

Seriously? 

I sprayed it once to have the director confirm the scent.

We are at the same table, so the scent drifted around to a certain degree.

When I did, the expression of Seina and a number of them visibly frowned.

Looks like the guess of Tomoe hit the mark.

This means Rio predicted that I would be coming here and set something.

Well, Rembrandt-san did tell me beforehand that he would be introducing Rio to me, but I shouldn’t believe or trust him.

I am impressed that he can pull something like this even though we have just barely put our hands in the matter of the Anti-God Cult.

I am glad we had that terrible experience with perfume in Lorel beforehand.

No, that wasn’t good either.

It wasn’t, but it looks like we managed to not fall on the same pit.

I glance at Tomoe to confirm.

In the eyes of a beginner, she is close to expressionless here.

But I can tell because I have known her for long. 

That’s her reaction when she has seen something disagreeable.

I seriously want to quickly have nothing to do with the Dusk Street anymore.

Previous Chapter l Next Chapter