A Lucky Day

“Orca?”

“….”

“I have some delicious snacks. Would you like some?”

“….”

“A drink?”

“….”

“A-a rare whiskey that just came in recently…?”

“I’m a student!”

“Yes….”

Apparently Orca didn’t enjoy alcohol.

Given how she used to roam back alleys, I’d assumed she’d like drinking.

Was that just my prejudice?

I’d wanted to see her reaction after giving her alcohol when she became an adult someday.

What a shame.

…I should secretly give her some when I have the chance.

“Hmph.”

“Hmm….”

But that’s a story for another time.

Right now, I needed to figure out why Orca was acting this way.

Surely she wouldn’t be this upset over just a few snack crumbs on the bed?

Well, it is annoying, but…

Is it really worth getting this angry over?

Orca isn’t usually bothered by such things.

The environment she grew up in was far too harsh for something this trivial to disturb her sleep.

“Um, is something bothering you…?”

“No.”

“Ah, okay.”

Hmm, the atmosphere feels awkward.

I thought today was lucky – things went well and I got to enjoy games alone with a like-minded friend after so long.

But now it feels like an unexpected problem has appeared.

Why is she angry…?

Orca isn’t the type to get upset over nothing. There must be some reason.

But I can’t figure it out at all.

“Hello, Teacher Ophelia-nim. Are you here?”

“Ah…”

“Go ahead. It’s really nothing important.”

Should I really go?

I remember reading online:

When lovers get angry like this and tell you to leave, actually leaving makes things worse.

…Well, Orca and I are just teacher and student, so it shouldn’t matter?

We’re not lovers.

“I’ll be back. If you get hungry, have some snacks.”

“Sure.”

Fortunately, Orca didn’t look too pale.

Doesn’t seem like she’s sick or anything.

I sighed in relief and opened the Counseling Room door.

“Hello.”

“…Ah, Watcher-nim. Hello.”

“May I come in for a moment?”

“Um… that is…”

I subtly glanced back to check Orca’s reaction.

She doesn’t look sick, but seems somewhat displeased…

“The inside of the Counseling Room is a bit messy right now. I think I need to clean, so it might be difficult at the moment.”

“…I see.”

“My apologies.”

This should be fine.

Orca and Anastasia’s compatibility isn’t exactly good, to put it mildly.

Having suffered persecution from church people since childhood, Orca despises the Church, while Anastasia wants to find clues to save her father through Orca.

I hope they can become friends someday…

But now isn’t that time. It’s too risky. At least until Anastasia’s problem is resolved.

When that time comes, I won’t refuse them meeting. No, I’d actively encourage it.

“I see. …Then, would you like to take a walk with me?”

“Pardon?”

“There’s something I’d like to consult about. …Is that not possible?”

“….”

I nodded at Anastasia’s suggestion.

“Alright.”

The consultation was probably just an excuse.

I knew that well. She likely wants to get closer to me first to make contact with Orca.

But I didn’t refuse.

Her wanting to befriend me means I can help her in return.

…And I want to be friends too.

It’s like when an idol group member approaches their fan saying “Let’s be close!”

Keeping a straight face is really tough, seriously.

In my excitement, I failed to notice.

That Orca was glaring at me with eyes full of displeasure.

***

“…So, what would you like to consult about today?”

“Hmm…”

…Did you come without even thinking of a lie?

I suppressed the urge to sigh at her clumsiness.

Well, whatever. She’s lived her whole life as a clergy member.

She comes from one of those stereotypical families you’d find in old resumes – strict father and kind mother.

Naturally, she wouldn’t be used to lying.

Though she’s not as blatantly obvious as cartoon characters, she’s still awkward at it. No talent for deceiving people.

“…Ah! W-well, you see. The Church is quite short-staffed lately.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Due to unfortunate incidents, the Church’s personnel have decreased compared to before…”

“You mean the war?”

“W-well, I wouldn’t call it a war exactly…”

“What else would you call it?”

This world’s power structure is clearly divided into two factions.

The Imperial Family that rules the nation, and the Church that spreads God’s word.

For a long time, these two forces maintained their territories without encroaching on each other.

…Well, they did. Meaning they don’t anymore.

You could say it was an event that happened before the game started.

You know those settings where a major event swept through just before the story begins?

The game I enjoyed was no different. That event was the beginning of everything.

Anastasia’s father being possessed by a demon.

A demon inhabiting Orca’s body.

Leo’s admiration for knights.

The reason Eileen abandoned her sword.

Stella getting caught in power struggles at a young age, leading to her meritocratic ideology.

All were connected to this war.

…And naturally, it wasn’t just playable characters who were affected.

Most NPCs were impacted by that event in some way too.

“…Yes, you’re right. I shouldn’t deny it. That was indeed a war.”

A prime example would be Teacher Ian.

That’s what drove him to become a terrorist bomber.

A man who lost his wife and daughter in the war between the Imperial Family and Church, wandering for years.

It’s somewhat regrettable that this led him to terrorism.

“But because of that, we’re striving to atone for our sins.”

“Striving…”

“Yes. We operate facilities to care for children orphaned by the war.”

“And?”

Anastasia’s words, spoken without having prepared any consultation content.

This is undoubtedly true without needing verification.

Her father might be different, but she would want this.

And the demon possessing her father couldn’t avoid operating orphanages due to public scrutiny.

“The problem is that facilities are woefully inadequate compared to the number of children.”

“I know about that.”

How could I not?

It’s painfully clear just from Orca’s background.

Though she doesn’t remember due to being so young, her family died in that war.

Orphaned Orca naturally ended up wandering cold streets.

If there had been enough orphanages as Anastasia mentioned, that wouldn’t have happened.

“Now we get to the main point… We’re hearing many reports that not just facilities but personnel are severely lacking due to the large number of children.”

“…That’s unfortunate.”

“Yes, truly regrettable.”

“So why are you telling me this?”

“I was wondering if… when you have time… you could visit the Church and help care for the children? They have difficulty experiencing maternal affection…”

Where exactly are you looking while saying that?

I subtly raised my hand to cover my chest area.

“Ah, s-sorry! I didn’t mean it like that…”

“…Forget it.”

“Ahem… W-would that be possible?”

Frankly, this is utterly clumsy.

Wasn’t she supposed to come for a consultation?

Where did the consultation go? Her intention to get closer by taking me to the Church is painfully obvious.

She’s really terrible at lying…

But then again, that’s why she couldn’t escape the demon’s scheme and just nodded along.

Instead of pointing out her clumsiness, I nodded.

“Alright.”

“…!”

There was no need for me to point it out.

In fact, Anastasia’s inability to lie felt somewhat endearing.

“Th-thank you…!”

“I’m coming too.”

I’d overlooked Anastasia’s mistake and accepted her proposal.

If not for the voice that interrupted her gratitude, we would have exchanged pleasantries and parted there.

“…Orca? Since when?”

“Since you left the room.”

That’s from the very beginning! How long have you been out here?!

As I stood shocked by her revelation, Orca looked at Anastasia and spoke.

“Is that okay?”

“Ah, yes. The more help we have, the better.”

“Then it’s settled. When are we going?”

“…How about this weekend?”

“Fine.”

Ah.

No wonder today felt so lucky.

I clutched my head.