“Good grief, it is because you said something like let me meet Boss that things ended up like this.” 

“…”

“Look, here. Who would see this and think it is an orphanage?” 

“…..”

“And can you guys say ‘this is the Weitz Orphanage’?” 

“…..”

“The surroundings have cleanly changed too. Haaaah…” 

A long sigh from Lime Latte.

Rooftop of the Weitz Orphanage.

The sky still isn’t bright, but it will soon be.

It is that hour of the day where there’s still slight darkness of the night.

“…What? Don’t you like that the orphanage is pretty now?” 

A staff member of the orphanage and the childhood friend of Lime pouts.

“With the Boss moving the Kuzunoha Company in such a flashy manner, you are already residents of hell, you know?” (Lime)

“I understand that this can’t be considered a small remodeling… Are they going to be asking for money later?” (Seina)

“As if we would do such a trifle thing.” (Lime)

“Then what’s this ‘hell’ you are talking about?” (Seina)

“Big Sis Tomoe has told you a variety of things, right? The demands of that woman are rough, you know.” (Lime)

“A ‘yoseba’, was it? It is something about having children get jobs and have them study.” (Seina)

“That’s right. You won’t be able to just simply look after the children as you have until now.” (Lime)

“…? Teachers will be brought from outside by the Kuzunoha Company, right? Including you.” (Seina)

“You are one happy-go-lucky person… There’s no way a teacher can look after their studies and their training, right? You guys will be studying like crazy too from now on. You probably don’t understand the implications of that yet though, Seina.” (Lime)

“What’s with that.” (Seina)

‘Isn’t the fact that we can learn stuff a really good thing?’, is what Seina’s face was saying.

“All the people of the Weitz Orphanage have been pushed from a damn crazy high cliff.” (Lime)

A cliff called the Kuzunoha Company.

Lime Latte is a person that experienced this from a pretty early stage as a hyuman.

He was a person ranked at the top of the tops. His resilience is on another level.

There’s also Toa and her group who are on the tops of Tsige, but even with Lime getting the blood of a dragon and not being hyuman anymore, he was still falling.

The difference between falling and climbing was truly clear.

“Don’t say silly stuff. I would say the orphanage as a whole is climbing up from the very bottom. It has been like that since the time we began receiving the support of your place.” (Seina)

“Listen here, Seina.” (Lime)

“?”

“Climbing is something that you can stop by yourself. But there’s normally no way for the person themself to stop from falling.” (Lime)

That’s right, the difference is whether you can stop by your own will or not.

The end of a fall is crashing.

The Weitz Orphanage can do their best to make it a hard landing or a soft landing, but the choice to turn back doesn’t exist.

“…”

“There’s already no choice but to go as far as it will be taking you. You might be learning a spell or two after three months.” (Lime)

“Stop that. There’s no way that’s true. You are right that Tomoe is a strict person, but isn’t Raidou a kind person?” (Seina)

Seina looks at the big tree.

The tree that suddenly grew at the rooftop of the orphanage.

The children will most definitely grow noisy at this surprise once morning comes.

She doesn’t acknowledge that action of Raidou. Rather than calling it kind, it is more soft. She didn’t even try to hide that dissatisfaction in her face.

“…It is true that he is kind, I can testify to that. But…he is far more dangerous of a person than you can ever imagine.” (Lime)

Lime looks at the tree that Seina was looking at, and gets close to it.

He lightly kicks the trunk, but the big tree doesn’t budge at all.

By the way, Seina has already punched and kicked it several times.

“What part of not killing Rio is scary?” (Seina)

“It is because he doesn’t allow him death that makes him scary.” (Lime)

“?”

“You know, even when he has become a tree, he is still conscious, you know?” (Lime)

“?!” 

“Rio can tell that you are punching and kicking him.” (Lime)

“Being turned into a tree while still retaining your self might be a bit creepy.” (Seina)

“Fuh!” (Lime)

“! Why are you laughing?!” (Seina)

“Because it is deviated. Rio is an elf. His way of viewing time is different from us.” (Lime)

“…Yeah.” (Seina)

She has been threatened plenty of times.

When she becomes a parent, when she becomes a grandma.

It is true that the elves and hyumans have completely different views of time.

“That’s why, even if he may be slightly inconvenienced in movement, for Rio, just becoming a tree isn’t that much of a pain.” (Lime)

“…I see.” (Seina)

“Aah, you have heard about it, right? There’s apparently something like a secret elf ceremony where you become a tree out of your own will, and pass the rest of your life as a member of the forest.” (Lime)

The original of that secret ceremony and the one in the highest of spots is the Tree Punishment.

An ability that turns, not the caster, but other people into trees.

It is a secret special technique of the Forest Onis that they are proud of. The ones who can use this get impartial admiration.

“…Then, it doesn’t work well with this guy.” (Seina)

“The thing is, that’s not the case. It is the location.” (Lime)

“Location, as in here? Putting it bluntly from my point of view, having to be together with Rio forever feels the worst, you know?” (Seina)

If this is Raidou’s way of punishing her, he truly is a fearsome man, is what Seina thought from the bottom of her heart.

“Rio is the kind of piece of shit that loves seeing the face of the people being sold as slaves regardless if it is hyuman or demi-human. Despair and frustration, and at times he would also mix forgiveness and hope as spices as he enjoyed playing the slaves like toys.” (Lime)

“……”

“That Rio will have to watch over this place for the rest of his life…the face of the children.” (Lime)

“…Ah.” (Seina)

“It will depend on you guys, but for Rio, the sight of children standing back up and trying to grasp happiness with great joy would be a stomach churning sight that he would have to watch forever.” (Lime)

“That damn elf…” (Seina)

“Yeah, moreover, Rio’s strength will be continuously used by the orphanage through his roots. There’s no need to ask for his opinion or his approval at all. Rio will automatically continue protecting the Weitz Orphanage.” (Lime)

“H-Haha…what’s with that? That sounds awesome.” (Seina)

“There should have been many who have faced hardships because of him just like you. But, from now on, the closer you get to the children, the more pain he will be tasting. Till the day he withers. You guys will have happiness, Rio despair. Do you think he is soft? …In my eyes, Boss, who was able to decide on a punishment for Rio immediately…looked dangerous.” (Lime)

Revenge and atonement at the same time; term undefined.

“The harder we work, the more Rio suffers.” (Seina)

“Yeah. The other torturer maniac has been planted in the big park. It is spacious, so when the time requires, you can use it to take refuge. When you have the chance, check it out. He is a normal hyuman, so he won’t be as big as this one though.” (Lime)

The man that tortured people to their very limits and enjoyed their pain will be watching the happy people at the park. 

Since he is a hyuman, he will be tasting the pain of time to the fullest extent.

Or maybe…Kanta will, in the middle of it, begin to feel pleasure at that horrible torture.

“Lime.” (Seina)

“Hm?” (Lime)

“Raidou-sama isn’t scary at all then. Isn’t he an amazing person?!” (Seina)

“…Well, that’s one part of it but…no, that’s okay. You are right.” (Lime)

‘Doesn’t it have style?’, is what she said.

Lime had many other things in his mind as well, but he decided there was no need to speak those out in this peaceful darkness.

“Aah, it has been a while since I have seen dawn. Isn’t it beautiful?” (Seina)

“You simply didn’t sleep at all. I am already tired of looking at it.” (Lime)

“Tomorrow…no, from today on, I will work really hard. There’s rarely any job that fulfills both my dreams and my revenge after all!” (Seina)

“For me, the fact that this place has gotten this splendid and the Kuzunoha Company’s influence has gotten stronger makes my dream get further away…” (Lime)

“Eh, what?” (Seina)

The low mumble of Lime didn’t reach the ears of Seina.

If this place gets too famous and it gets connected to the Kuzunoha Company, the objective of Lime about moving this place to Asora might change in direction.

Lime should have shown his own desires about the orphanage to Raidou. He felt slight regret about it.

But it is not like everything has gone down the drain.

The staff and children of the orphanage will definitely take a deeper interest in the Kuzunoha Company now. 

If that happens, it might be possible to move around half of the children to Asora, is what he thinks.

Fortunately, Seina, the director, and the others want to increase the number of children. With a building this great, there’s no doubt that will come true in a not so far future.

Right now it is good that they have gotten their favor.

Lime refocused.

“It is nothing. Seina, you owe us a big one now, okay? Don’t go forgetting it.” (Lime)

“…Yeah. If there’s anything I can help you guys in, tell me. I can’t do much, but I will cooperate with everything I have.” (Seina)

“You promised.” (Lime)

“Indeed I did. I, Seina, am not the kind of ungrateful person who would do nothing after being given so much!” (Seina)

“Right. I am relieved to hear that. Then, I will be giving you a piece of advice.” (Lime)

“?” 

“Expand your connections. Best if it is from the same trade. Get along with as many as possible.” (Lime)

“Why?” (Seina)

“Because you will be lacking in manpower instantly. Just warning you here again but, you can’t increase the amount of people without the permission of Big Sis, got it?” (Lime)

“Hm?” (Seina)

“What I am saying is that you should get people you can trust in for when the time requires it.” (Lime)

Lime has analyzed his superior Tomoe in his own way.

She wouldn’t trust a person that someone suddenly introduced to her, and it is rare for her to hire them immediately.

Depending on the job, there might be times like that, but that’s the extent of it.

On the other hand, if it is people that Lime has been acquainted with for long and she knows their nature to a certain degree, she would be pretty generous, and would have a good relationship with them.

Of course, there’s cases where she would cut them off even with those conditions. 

But the inclination is important.

Lime is the subordinate of Tomoe and the senior of Seina, so there’s no doubt it is positive advice.

“T-That’s true. I have heard of almost no person who has passed the interviews of Tomoe-san…” (Seina)

“Even with a rough estimate of mine, I say your work will increase by 3 times in amount. You might be able to manage somehow with motivation for now, but motivation won’t get you far. Tell that to the people around as well.” (Lime)

“…Thanks, Lime.” (Seina)

“Don’t mind it. I will have you guys return the favor one day.” (Lime)

By coming to Asora.

The details of his favor were spoken only in his mind.

There was no romantic mood at all between the two childhood friends as they welcomed the morning.

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