“I see, that look on your face is different.” (Makoto)

“?”

Tomoe tilts her head in confusion.

I ended up saying that unconsciously. 

In the room prepared to welcome the outside traders and guests in the Weitz Orphanage, the head members of the Weitz Orphanage were gathered.

Izumo, who is a student in Rotsgard and is now newly-wed, had been given a construction video about the Weitz Orphanage, and this orphanage has gathered the gazes of admiration of certain groups. 

The director, Kimaro Hanza, was most likely an old man that has been unacquainted from barefaced greed, but he was related with the old Hanza Company, and he had a good look on his face that made me feel the shadow of his time when he was a merchant. 

That goes the same for Seina and Tigu who are acquaintances of Lime.

They didn’t abandon the children who were clearly above the capacity they could take care of, and continued doing their best in their studies together.

Hyumans can unexpectedly do whatever they put their minds to. 

They were standing there with accomplished expressions as if they had overcome that boundary. 

As expected of the education of Tomoe…I guess.

The gazes of their surroundings must have made a complete turn, so it does feel as if it was also the result of them living on the edge though.

There’s also a number of staff members I don’t know, and there even seems to be newly hired employees. 

These ones still have those innocent faces.

But the fact that there’s those with that expression must mean that the Weitz Orphanage has begun working in the direction that we wanted to, including the matter with the slimes. 

“No, I just thought that leaving any job to you is always the right choice, Tomoe.” (Makoto)

“I am greatly honored by those words.” (Tomoe)

“It has been a while, Raidou-sama. Thanks to you, we have been able to get acquainted with many people, and we have been able to spend surprisingly fulfilling days with the children.” (Kimaro)

“Yeah, Director-san. It has been a while. There’s work, studying, training, and a whole lot of children with good faces. This could have only been possible with the splendid efforts of the staff members. Thanks for your hard work.” (Makoto)

After congratulating Tomoe, the director gave his greetings first, so I greeted back while mixing some words of praise.

There’s no doubt being able to learn if you want to is a splendid environment for children, and the many children there are doing their best with gratitude towards their current situation. 

But not everything can go the same for everyone. 

This situation has already begun to become natural for them, and there’s unfortunately children who are beginning to slack. 

Even so, seeing the faces of Tigu and Seina, I don’t feel that uneasy. 

I am sure they will be giving some sort of opinion regarding the sluggishness and complacency in today’s meeting. 

“I have heard about the current situation of the orphanage every now and then. Today, I am having you stand here with the understanding that there’s problems and requests.” (Makoto)

The staff members nodded meekly at my words. 

“About the monthly holiday meals…” 

“By covering a part of the field in the garden …” 

“About education, the orphanage doesn’t have that many books, so if it is possible to borrow some books…” 

“Peeping has gotten more pronounced between a certain number of boys…” 

“The punishment for the children that are thinking about leveling up by defeating the farm slimes…” 

Etc etc. 

Matters that seem like they will be reaching a resolution internally, and other outside matters; there were quite a lot of consultations and requests. 

I am surprised there weren’t any unreasonable requests like wanting to increase the number of children. 

I think this is a sign that their view of things has changed greatly. 

And the garden at the 3rd floor that was planned to be a gymnasium of sorts has completely become cramped. 

If they are beginning to have fields and farms, of course that would happen. 

Fortunately, the areas surrounding the Weitz Orphanage have been bought mostly by us, so maybe we should consider making the plantation outside. 

If we are going to be doing this, it should be in the form of an expansion.

The ideal would be to spread the slime farm to the surroundings, which would also serve as security, but…it seems they like the Rio tree a whole ton.

Replanting Rio elsewhere would be a minus in terms of power for the building, so I want to avoid that. 

Then, it really should be the gym or the plantation.

What to do.

It seems they want to try out something similar to a greenhouse…

Also, books, huh.

This is something that’s happening currently, but there’s a plan of making a library in Tsige. It would be best if they share some with us. 

Right now there’s no plan of having a limit to the people using it. 

Will they reduce the amount that can be borrowed? Or will they have the orphanage give money to borrow books for the orphans?

I feel like this will become a societal norm. 

As for now…

“I would say around 1 bookshelf.” (Tomoe)

While I was digesting the topics of the orphanage, at the time when I was wondering what to do and looked at Tomoe, she gave a great answer.

One bookshelf.

You could say it is good enough. More than this and we would have to rely on the library. 

As for the peeping and the slime leveling, it feels like growing boys going full-throttle here.

It is to the point that it would be troubling to throw that to me. 

It should be fine to just properly scold them yourselves, right?

Subjugating the slimes is basically disturbing the farm, so they can just punish them with no food for a day. 

Lynching tamed slimes is the act of a fiend, good grief. 

“Also…a strange letter arrived. If possible, we would like the opinion of the two of you.” 

When the conversation was close to being wrapped up, Director Kimaro gave us a letter. 

It is a pretty proper letter.

It is not on a whole different level like the ones nobles use, but feels higher than the ones normal companies send. 

About the contents…

“…!”

“…What.” (Tomoe)

Tomoe and I saw what was inside at the same time, and her ‘what’ wasn’t from surprise, but because she was baffled.

“We honestly don’t understand the intention behind it…moreover, when speaking of Rotsgard, that’s the city where the Kuzunoha Company has their other store. We thought that maybe this is a matter that involves the Kuzunoha Company in some way.” (Kimaro)

“None.” (Makoto)

A letter from Rotsgard to an orphanage in a remote city. 

I gotta say that’s an unnatural line-up of words.

Thinking about it normally, their connection with them is zero after all. 

Just as the director said, there might be a connection here with the Kuzunoha Company, so it was the correct decision to consult with us. 

By the way, this is a letter from Rotsgard, not the Rotsgard Academy. 

It was a letter from one of the craftsmen associations affiliated to the Merchant Guild that flowed here most likely from information of Izumo.

It says that they are greatly interested in the building that was constructed with the latest of construction methods and would appreciate it if they were allowed to inspect it once. That’s basically the gist of it. 

It is basically a reward, but they do talk about wanting to donate.

“They told us they would want to be shown the building, but we don’t know the details of the construction method and construction in general, and I can feel the passion in this letter that was sent from very far away. Just brushing it away would be… We didn’t know what we should do about this.” (Kimaro)

It is like being told by a faraway country ‘hey, your house is super cool, so show me inside please’.

Moreover, it is with a passion that can’t be taken as a joke.

“We will be confirming this ourselves before anything. I was thinking about showing my face there anyway.” (Makoto)

“If it does come to the point of showing them, I will prepare someone that can properly show them around, so there’s no need to worry.” (Tomoe)

“Thank you very much. It would be one thing if this were a matter with someone inside the city, but when it comes to a foreign country, we don’t even know the etiquette.” (Kimaro)

Every staff member nodded profusely at the words of the director. 

They had the faces of veteran warriors, but now their faces turned into scared puppies and cats all of a sudden.

Well, this can’t be helped.

It is a skill that they have no need for and no leeway to learn currently after all.

They have at least become people that can take care of the children, so there’s no problem.

In that case, it is about time I begin thinking seriously about the request of Lime.

Accept a part of the orphanage into Asora, huh.

The demarcations of the city finished a long time ago, and we are doing well accepting adventurers. 

Mio and Tomoe for some reason seem to be into this orphanage idea too. 

Guess I gotta prepare myself here.

“And so, that’s how it is.” (Makoto)

I stood up after the conversation was done. 

At that moment, the door broke. 

The door falls down to the inside of the room while making a good sound.

And so, the culprits of this are…

The children.

“Y-You done?!” 

“…Well, you could say a variety of things are done here.” (Makoto)

The ones who cut away the silence of the broken door were the children. 

The meeting, their dinner, among other things.

Thinking about how there’s quite a lot of things done, I responded to them just like that.

“Then, I will show Raidou-oniichan something nice!” 

“Hooh.” (Makoto)

“Hmhmm~, I, the great mage Baran, have finally succeeded in startingup the elevator!” 

“That’s because you had the genius Luminera, right?! Don’t get cocky, you magic power idiot!” 

Aah, I see.

The children also have magic power and can learn magic. 

They do seem like children with flexible heads, so it wouldn’t be strange for them to learn how to use the elevator that was originally made for our use.

The fact that they add ‘great mage’ and ‘genius’ really does make me feel their youth.

So they want to show me their accomplishment, huh.

How cute.

“…Ban-kun, Mira-chan, what is it you should be doing now~? Breaking the orphanage, shouting at a guest, and while at it, what is it you said you can do in a place that you shouldn’t be going to? Go ahead, I’m listening.” (Seina)

Seina shoots a piercing glare at the two children. 

It is true that the elevator has its dangers. 

It would be better to be cautious about it so that the children don’t use it as a tool for entertainment. 

“Geh! Seina?!” 

The mood of the children made a complete turn when they noticed who the owner of the low and heavy voice was.

You could say they broke the doors of hell.

…

Great to see they are having fun.

It wouldn’t be that bad of an idea to ask them how they moved the elevator the next time I come.

Previous Chapter l Next Chapter