There Will Be Many More Fun Things in the Future.

In some ways, he’s the child who would have the most difficulty adapting to life here.

Beans has learned many things as a noble’s child even if she lacks sociability, and Dale liked people from the start.

Even Maki, being made by human hands, should be able to blend into civilized society without much difficulty.

“Is it because you might go berserk like earlier?”

But this child suffers from an emotional disorder, not even being an ordinary barbarian.

As a thoughtful child, it wouldn’t be strange for him to worry about such aspects.

At first I thought that, but Latello was shaking his head and denying my words.

“…No.”

It’s probably not a lie.

In reality, his eyes looking around showed no trace of the madness from just before he was about to rampage.

“There’s nothing threatening me here. Even without Dale, if there’s no stimulus… I can calm my emotions by staying still like this.”

“…Right, you were that kind of child.”

I wonder if it wasn’t for nothing that this child came to this academy as a representative of barbarians.

Yes, if there’s no danger, this child could become more docile and gentle than anyone.

“At the academy too, there was hardly any clear malice towards me. So I could usually stay calm.”

“It’s a peaceful place. Even incidents that happen are just at the level of children’s pranks.”

At the same time, the fact that this child doesn’t rampage means that place is that comfortable for him.

“Peaceful, you say?”

“Yes, it’s not bad to sit and watch like this, right?”

“…”

Latello looks around the square silently.

I too took time to look around with Latello while leaning my weight on the bench backrest.

The market area was bustling, and not a single worry could be found on the faces of passing people.

Even though they all came from different countries and experienced different cultures.

They all mingle without hesitation, creating the warmth of this street.

“The place I lived.”

Did he remember something while looking around such a scene?

Soon Latello began to quietly tell me his story.

“The place I lived was a place where even a small carelessness directly led to death.”

It was a story about the barrier wall built in the Empire’s border region and the magical beasts beyond it.

In some ways, a place even more dangerous than the front lines.

Although there was no human malice there, it was a place where you had to feel great threat at every moment just for being alive.

To the extent that there wasn’t even time to feel grateful for being alive.

“We couldn’t find food in safe places, and places with abundant food were always teeming with danger. Staying in one place for a long time gave targets a chance to attack us… So we had to live endlessly wandering through nature.”

“You too?”

“Yes, I don’t remember well, but I’ve seen children born in the tribe learning to wield weapons as soon as they’re weaned. I must have gone through such a process too.”

Pitiful…

If this boy had been a child soldier, I would have evaluated it that way, but coincidentally, Latello was a child who lived far from the protection of civilization.

One who simply accepted the essence of the world called survival of the fittest…

As he merely grew up and adapted to such an environment, it would rather be rude to point out that aspect as wrong.

“The Empire made an offer to us. If you give us information about this land you’ve roamed all your lives, we’ll provide you with comfortable meals and lodging.”

What should be pitied is rather the fact that he finds an environment without danger unfamiliar.

Leaving the environment one originally lived in tends to cause great psychological anxiety for young children.

“Usually hostility is shown towards outsiders, but the opposite didn’t take long. We were born with the ability to instinctively detect crises, but there was no particular hostility from them.”

“…Of course. It’s an era of peace.”

If they rashly invaded or colonized, the human rights association would come after them with a stick.

For those who gauge even the psychology of their targets by instinct rather than what’s visible, they must have already grasped that the Empire side trying to conquer the magical beasts had no malice.

“Later I learned. That what they wanted to do with us was a concept called ‘trade’.”

And this child had a much deeper eye for seeing the world than I thought.

“We had the information they wanted. And they had the abundant food and lodging we desired. Although it would take time to coexist because our origins are different, the common point of being faithful to what each other wants will greatly shorten that time.”

As if looking at the world with such insight, the boy’s two eyes gazing at the street began to gradually change to half-closed.

“…In terms of living under the rule that there’s a price for everything.”

For me…

No, uttering a realization that no civilized person could overlook.

“A price, you say?”

“Yes, I think everything has a price. Wherever people live.”

The boy born of barbarians soon took his gaze from the street and turned to me.

“Teacher Seine.”

Calling me.

He quietly put into words the question that came to mind while looking at the street.

“What was sacrificed to protect this street?”

“…”

For a very brief moment.

Brief, but I felt my breath stop.

I thought he was just big in size, and not yet very knowledgeable about the ways of the world.

I never thought I’d hear such words from the mouth of this young boy, who’s only 15 years old at most.

“…There’s no such thing.”

Surely anyone among the passing people would say the same if asked.

In the daily routine of going to and from work.

No one would think there’s any sacrifice in going to festivals on holidays.

“There isn’t… Does that mean my words were wrong?”

But I couldn’t bring myself to pity this boy who has realized such a truth of the world.

If I pity that, I would have to deny this boy’s words here and act to limit that thought.

I just realized.

A cruel truth I had forgotten…

Or rather, tried to ignore all along.

I was reminded again by this young boy’s realization.

“It’s just everyone doing their share of work while dividing it up.”

“Dividing…?”

“Yes, living requires paying attention to so many things. Just living alone, there’s laundry, dishes, cooking… Repeating that every day is a burdensome and tiring thing, right?”

Lest such inner thoughts be detected. I smiled lightly, pretending to be at ease, and quietly looked up at the sky.

“So civilized people devised a way to gather common things among such tasks and handle them at once. That’s the concept commonly called occupation, and money was created to assign relative value to different fields.”

“Money, you say?”

“By exchanging harvests from labor… Furthermore, exchanging manufactured goods through trust, it makes everyone do their best in the tasks they’re assigned.”

Well, it seems like I’m teaching materialism in front of a child, but what does it matter?

It’s not wrong in reality, and speaking in a roundabout way like this is probably the best way to make the situation not awkward.

“The act of exchanging visible things for the effort that follows the roles each person takes on… If such transactions are carried out perfectly, can there really be any sacrifice in between?”

“…No.”

“Right?”

Saying that a transaction receiving compensation is a different concept from sacrifice.

Having heard him understand in that way somehow, I hid my relief and quietly patted his back while standing up.

“Getting hungry? I’ll treat you, so tell me what you want to eat.”

“Is that okay?”

“The job I did this time was quite tough, so I received a lot of incentives. I can afford to buy you kids meals as much as you want, so choose whatever you like, whether it’s a buffet or anything.”

Growing children will eat a lot, but well, wasn’t it a life without many places for money to go out except for retirement preparations to begin with?

Moreover, since they’re children I decided to take in, I should make sure there’s nothing to spare in food and clothing, even with the heart of caring for children.

“Aaaaaaah!!”

A scream is heard as I was wrapping up and moving forward like that.

Feeling doubtful, I turn my gaze and see a girl who just ran out of the clothing store throwing herself into my arms and bursting into tears.

“Teacher! Teacheeer!”

No, not a girl but a boy.

But why is he wearing a dress?

And what’s with the makeup on his face?

“Dale, don’t run away. There are still clothes I selected with my information left. We need to get Kongkong’s confirmation on whether they suit you.”

“That’s right! The makeup isn’t finished yet so hurry and come this way!!”

“N-no!! I’m a boy! So why do I have to wear a skirt and put on makeup!”

“Boy? No. As a result of compiling all the people I’ve encountered so far, Dale is clearly female. If you claim to be male, it’s only right to corrupt you into female.”

“Whatever it is, it’s awkward to stop here! So hurry and come this way, we can’t let you wander around with the work half-ruined so hurry!!”

“Kyeeeeeeeek!!”

Dale bursts into tears clinging to my clothes as Maki and Beans approach from afar.

It seems that while I wasn’t looking, they came to treat Dale like a doll to dress up.

“T-teacher… Please help me…”

But seeing him cry while clinging like this, hmm. How should I put it?

I’m thinking he could live with his ‘pepper’ removed like this, should I who became a woman first give various advice?

“You two. I think it’s best to stop there.”

But unlike me, Latello is in a state of disapproving of the two.

“It’s not good behavior to try to wield something the person doesn’t want.”

Beans belatedly realized her actions at that gaze and turned her eyes away, but Maki just tilted her head in doubt.

“I never wielded. Wielding is a word for objects. Was Dale an object?”

“He’s not an object, but you’ve been treating him like one all this time.”

“Me? But Kongkong also did makeup on Dale similar to me.”

“Th-that’s because I couldn’t leave Dale to you alone so I joined in. But somehow it suited him well so I just…”

…Well.

I was worried after leaving them alone, but it’s really fortunate that they seem to have blended in, even if by chance.

“Hehe.”

As I watch that sight with satisfaction, a smile begins to form on Dale’s lips who’s in my arms.

In contrast to having been in a troublesome situation just moments ago…

“From now on.”

Well, they’ve gotten closer while bickering.

Just as growth is accompanied by pain, minor quarrels can occur in the process of getting closer…

For a child who never even had the chance for such quarrels, the current sight must look very good.

“There will be many more fun things in the future.”

Hoping that such distance will become closer, and even closer.

I prepared to blend into daily life with them, together with the child who threw himself into my arms.

---

But such happy times passing like that is really in the blink of an eye.

“You’re here, little one.”

“…Yes, I’m a bit late.”

Eventually, around the time the children fell asleep, I left the dormitory for a while and headed to the street I had promised in advance to meet with Master.

Judging by the work clothes and gas mask she’s wearing, it seems she was working until just now.

“Did you see the kids well?”

“Well, yes. I should have helped when I had time, but I feel sorry for just resting while everyone else was busy.”

“You fool. What would a teacher do if not watch the kids?

Master clicks her tongue and adjusts her mask.

Then as she was about to advance into the night street, she suddenly stopped and quietly asked me.

“By the way, your outfit has changed a bit since I last saw you.”

Is she concerned about the clothes I’m wearing?

I smiled bitterly and showed the hem of the clothes I bought at the clothing store while going around with the children during the day.

“We’re not going to a festival now, so I can’t wear something like that, right?”

A black coat contrasting with the white gown.

It was clothes prepared for the funeral happening today.