Orphanage

The Emperor knew how to care for the people.

He was an Emperor born in the era of the apocalypse.

Well, he was made that way, I guess.

Anyway,

“Here it is!”

Olushia raised her hand high, introducing the Temple.

As promised, my condition improved, and I went out, and the destination was the Temple. The Temple was built of red bricks.

For reference, this was the Imperial Capital.

Of course, since I met the Emperor.

Imperial Capital.

[Belva]

The city’s information window floated in the sky.

Belva had rows of red-brick houses lined up like uniforms.

The roads were neatly organized as if redeveloped, beautifully laid out. Following Olushia along this road, we arrived at a place relatively close to Belva’s walls.

The Temple.

We entered the Temple,

and Olushia called Amel into an inner room, asking her to come this way.

Then, she took out a piece of clothing.

“Please change into this.”

“….”

It was a nun’s habit.

“We’re going to see the children, and they get scared if you don’t wear a habit.”

“If that’s the case.”

I changed.

A nun’s habit could be worn regardless of chest size. Still, given the size, it was accentuated.

“Oh my.”

“….”

Olushia led me inside.

We went to the Temple’s backyard, where there was a building attached to the Temple. The voices of children could be heard.

I wondered what she wanted to show me.

‘I don’t really like kids.’

‘(Is that so?)’

‘They cry over everything.’

We entered the building.

The Temple and the building were connected by the backyard, where there was a small garden. The children cultivated the small garden.

Some fetched water,

some sprinkled water,

and the remaining children played as if they were playing tag.

“Ah, Holy Woman!”

“Unni!”

“Noona! Ah.”

The children ran to Olushia with joy but stopped abruptly.

They saw Amel.

Olushia introduced Amel, and Amel awkwardly made eye contact with the children. The children also introduced themselves.

The children who were playing leisurely hurried into the building.

Olushia sat in the garden, tending to the plants.

She handed me a small, ripe fruit.

I ate it,

and it wasn’t great.

It was a cherry tomato.

I didn’t like cherry tomatoes. Just because it was a game and my body had changed didn’t mean my taste had changed.

“What do you want to show me?”

“….”

Olushia smiled meaningfully.

She picked another cherry tomato and put it in her mouth.

“These children were rescued from the Raid Battle.”

“Raid, you mean the Great Dream Devil?”

“Yes. The Dream Demons who served the Great Devil were plotting a terrible plan with the Succubus. Thanks to the Succubus and Cappuccino you captured, we were able to hear everything.”

“Rescue…”

Rescue?

Olushia explained the circumstances of the rescue.

Win also added details, explaining the situation.

The [Succubus] had been collecting Dreams in exchange for cooperating with the [Ancient Nightmare]. Here, Dreams were naturally people.

It didn’t just stop at making them dream.

The [Succubus], at the request of the [Ancient Nightmare], was conducting human experiments to create people who would only dream forever.

“….”

“These are the children rescued from that laboratory.”

The thought of whether it was okay to bring children from another country was useless. The important thing was that the children were rescued.

“If it weren’t for Americano, they would have been trapped in the experiment until they became adults. These children can live happily thanks to Americano.”

“Yeah…”

I felt awkward.

“It’s not just the children. If Americano hadn’t stepped in, we would have been the ones facing the Death Knight. The Holy Knight Order are also grateful.”

“….”

“Thank you for saving us.”

“Yeah…”

I felt awkward.

If it was just a thank you, I would have just brushed it off,

but the words ‘thank you for saving us’ were always like this.

I didn’t know how to react.

I averted my gaze with a sullen face.

‘(Hee.)’

‘What.’

‘(Nothing.)’

‘What is it.’

Olushia grabbed my wrist.

We entered the building… the orphanage.

Olushia secretly clenched her fist.

She shouted inwardly.

‘She’s touched.’

Olushia could read people’s emotions.

Even if Americano pretended not to know, she could read it.

The emotions she held inside were shyness and a sense of accomplishment. She was stubbornly ignoring the overwhelming emotions.

It was like the reaction of boys when they were embarrassed by praise.

The fact that a grown adult, and a beautiful woman at that, was doing that was cute.

Olushia introduced Americano to the children.

She told them that they were able to get out of that place thanks to this person, and made them say thank you.

“Thank you.”

The children had only dreamed in the laboratory, but they were afraid, as if they had had nightmares.

The impression given by fear was the most intense of all emotions, so they stimulated fear, according to the experiment report.

The Succubus needed the help of the Dream Demon to solve their breeding problems, so they did such a thing,

but it was cruel to the children.

Like that,

“….”

Even though they had been tormented by nightmares for half their lives, they were laughing and talking after only a month.

The fact that such bright children recovered so quickly was because they were naturally bright.

‘…It’s more accurate to say that only children with such personalities survived.’

Dreams had an impact on their mental state, and children with bright personalities lasted longer. Those who couldn’t died.

Someone’s death was a common occurrence on the northern front,

but,

‘It’s still unsettling when a child dies.’

It happened in Dwarfneer, but Succubus in other regions could easily do the same thing.

The fact that the same thing had been happening in other places made her uncomfortable.

Now that she knew, she would stop it, but this was all an aftereffect of Americano’s actions.

“Why are your breasts so big, Unni?”

“I wonder?”

“What do I have to do to become as pretty as Unni?”

“Hmm… eat a balanced diet?”

“What’s that?”

Poke poke.

The children quickly became interested in Americano.

They were originally friendly children.

The initial wariness was due to the memories of the experiment, but once they let their guard down, they were very sociable.

The fact that they quickly became friends with the children who were originally in the orphanage showed the sociability of the rescued children.

Poke poke.

The girls poked Americano’s chest.

They were poking her with pure curiosity, and Olushia, who was watching, was actually a little nervous.

But she sat still without much thought.

“I guess there’s nothing but breasts inside.”

“I heard they think about lewd things a lot when they grow up.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Noona, do you like tomatoes?”

“….”

Anxiously.

Americano didn’t know how to handle children.

She didn’t know, but,

I could read the emotion that ‘she secretly likes the attention.’

“….”

‘Should I leave them alone?’

Olushia decided to leave Americano with the children.

“I have something to do, so could you stay with the children for a moment?”

“Yeah…”

She left the room.

It was true that she had something to do.

In fact, the orphanage was a burdensome facility for the Temple.

They received a budget, but not all of that money went to the orphanage.

The Imperial Capital was better off, but if it were a Temple in a province that wasn’t the capital, both the Temple and the orphanage would easily fall into poverty.

Of course, the money was tight because they had taken in orphans this time.

Even if it wasn’t just one or two people, but as many as 20, it was burdensome even for the Temple in the Imperial Capital of Belva, no matter how much donation they received.

Olushia received the household account book from the head Priest, who was the director.

“Half a year is the limit.”

“Even if we reduce expenses as much as possible, to maintain it in a manner befitting the Temple of Belva…”

The number of people donating had increased significantly in the era of the apocalypse,

but the expenses for the children’s food, clothing, heating, and so on were even greater.

The head Priest’s policy was to show an appearance befitting the Temple of Belva in the Imperial Capital, even though they were orphans.

Unless that policy was changed, the period for which the status quo could be maintained was half a year.

‘I wish I could have invited her here with pure intentions, but.’

Olushia brought Americano here not to show her that ‘the children you saved are doing well.’

She wanted to tell her that she could be proud of her actions because there were people who had been saved, but,

‘Saving people’s lives isn’t everything.’

If you can’t take care of them after they’ve been saved, especially in the case of children, they’ll end up on the streets and die.

‘I don’t want to burden Americano, but…’

The Empire is running much tighter than it appears.

If there is money to feed the orphans, it is better to allocate it to the budget to feed the soldiers, which can save more people.

Above all, as Olushia, who knew that the battlefield was a money-eating hippopotamus, she could never ask for a budget.

Still.

Olushia, with a minimum of conscience, did not intend to tell Americano about the Temple’s situation.

It had to be in the form of Americano donating on her own.

The director somewhat agreed with that opinion.

“Still, wouldn’t it be better to give her a little hint?”

“….”

Cassandra.

She said.

If the children were entrusted to the Temple in Belva and shown to Americano, the orphan problem would be solved.

It would be better than burdening other orphanages.

There are two patterns for the problem of orphans.

Give up some and not starve.

Or become poor together.

The era of the apocalypse.

There are many orphans.

Amel sprinkled snowflakes on the children.

Non-cold Magical Power ice crystals fell in clusters.

The children liked it and snatched the snowflakes from the air.

They even put them in their mouths, but it wasn’t harmful, so I left them alone.

“How did you do that?”

“Sprinkle more!”

“Auntie… Ouch.”

“What do you mean Auntie to Unni!”

“Yeah! Where is there a pretty Auntie like Unni.”

I don’t mind, though.

Amel created a little more Magical Power ice with [Frost] and [Freeze].

As I made them, the floor of the playroom was covered in white.

They gathered the snow piled on the floor and threw snowballs or made snowmen.

Amel sat still, watching the children play.

‘(You hate kids, right?)’

‘I do.’

I hate kids.

But that wasn’t a hatred for the kids themselves.

‘Kids can’t take responsibility.’

‘(You’re more petty than I thought?)’

‘Did you just find out?’

The responsibility for the children falls on the adults who take care of them.

Even if they die trying to protect them, even if they cause problems and fall into crisis, the children cannot bear that responsibility.

It was unpleasant to be held responsible for something I didn’t do.

‘Aren’t you being irresponsible?’

‘(Whatever.)’

Win appeared in front of me in a form only Amel could see.

She placed her hand on the head of a child nearby and stroked it.

‘(Only someone who intends to take responsibility to the end can say such a thing.)’

‘Whatever.’

‘(And Cappuccino’s abilities have become even stronger after the Raid. I can see right through your heart now. Why don’t you just honestly be happy that there are people who were saved thanks to you? Arrogantly, you can say, “Woohoo, you know you’re alive thanks to me! So your life and death are in my hands! Follow my orders and listen to the director well!”)’

‘What is it.’

‘(I just thought it would be fun to do this. You’re too emotional right now.)’

Is that so?

Win shrugged her shoulders.

‘(This isn’t your world. You won’t be treated like a bad person for being a little violent. Rather, if you only verbally abuse and give instructions, you’re kind.)’

‘Hmm…’

‘(How long has it been since you acted arrogantly, and you’re already trying to go back to the old days.)’

Win spread her arms wide.

As if pointing to all the children in the playroom.

‘(Does seeing the orphanage kids remind you of the old days?)’

‘….’

‘(You’re someone who can show off. In reality, there are only a handful of people who are better than you, right? Besides, you seem to have vaguely noticed it, but I’ll tell you directly.)’

Win pointed to the entrance of the playroom with her index finger.

‘(Olushia, she brought you here hoping for donations.)’

‘What…’

Orphanages cost a lot of money.

I know very well that it costs a lot of money to raise a child until they become independent, even if it’s just enough to not be poor.

‘I have a lot of money, though.’

I hardly ever had anything to spend it on anyway.

I also had accumulated settlements.

Even if I invested money in equipment, the money left over would be enough to invest in an orphanage.

‘(Invest?)’

‘I have to educate them. There’s no school here, right? It’s better to educate them so they can earn a living on their own later.’

‘(You’re not going to get angry and say, “That Holy Woman tricked me!”?)’

‘It’s okay.’

What’s the point of getting angry?

It’s just a game anyway.

I wasn’t going to refuse to give her money just because she was asking for money, saying that I didn’t want to spend it.

‘Overlapping my childhood.’

As Win said, maybe that’s it.

I didn’t intend to, but they were rescued by my hand. It was inevitable that living in poverty would be unsettling.

I can’t concentrate on the game if I’m unsettled.

I can’t enjoy the game if I’m unsettled.

Someone tugged at my sleeve.

A girl tugged at my sleeve.

“Why?”

“That’s… I can’t say it…”

She was a passive child.

Hesitating,

she said shyly.

“Thank you for saving us.”

“….”

I was speechless.