17 Chapter 6: Financial Woes

Magnus sat on the ledge of the sixth floor of the old Memorial building with his feet dangling off the edge and a bottle of cheap wine to the side. On the twelfth moon turn, fourteen thousand seven hundred fifty of the Kirin rebellion, Magnus turned ten years old or seasons as they like to call it here in this world.

So in recognition of his birthday, Magnus decided to give the kids a day off to just relax, which he too could do with and while at it, he can get back to his new past time, stargaze.

There is a reason why this land is called the Starry Mountains and no it is not simply because of the mountains jutting out of everything. It is also because of the stars which light up the sky and the aurora borealis that appear whenever their mood strikes.

To a young man who grew up in the city back on Earth, where not even a lick of light appeared in the polluted skies. Seeing this wonderful show of lights is a real joy and it never gets old.

Magnus brought the bottle of wine to his lips and took a swig; the stuff was really bad. That was cheap liquor to you.

Magnus had no idea why he was stupid enough to waste good money on it, but these days his money purse was quite full. So just like any man who had way too much money on hand, he bought useless, nonsensical stuff.

Magnus sighed, he could have done with only good company, but the kids would ask where he got this weird tradition of celebrating your birthday each year. These folk of Pandora have the sense of it all, the only 'birthday' that they celebrate is when you become an adult; which is 14 seasons old.

It would take some time to get used to this world. It does have its own problems and all but which world doesn't, huh? No matter what humans fantasize about there is no perfect utopia out there. We could always work toward it and we should since that is our sacred duty.

But what would life be like without its difficulties?

Even though the wine was shitty as hell, Magnus took another swig at it. He was in a good mood lately; money flowed into his purse, the kids in the orphanage were happy, well cloth, and fed, and all was of no worry in the world.

But ahh, what a rude awakening Magnus was in for.

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The summer season came to a close and the autumn season began. Magnus made his way to the Matron's office, today it the day he has that conversation with her.

Magnus politely knocked on her door, three times like a gentleman would, immediately the Matron's voice came through as if she already saw him standing on the other side. "Come in, Magnus."

Once the Matron said his name, the thought that was a witticism joke immediately became a suspicion, but Magnus stored it away for a later date and opened the door.

"How do you do, Matron," Magnus said as he nodded his head to the old lady who was going over a parchment while she sat in a rocking chair.

"Good, good, go ahead and have a seat." The Matron said as she pointed to her bed, without looking up from her parchment. It would seem like this place acted not only as her office but her bedroom too.

Magnus did as he was told since this was going to be a long conversation, so he better make himself comfortable.

Once Magnus was seated on the edge of the Matron's bed, she looked up and asked, "I believe you came here to have that talk with me, huh?"

Magnus stared wide-eyed at the old woman, shock written all over his face, maybe the title he gave her was more correct than he would have ever imagined.

The Matron looked at Magus with a raised eyebrows and asked in her snappy tone, "Weren't you raised better than that boy? Do you stare at everyone with your mouth hanging open?"

Magnus instantly shut his mouth feeling slightly abashed, he had to give it to the old witch, she could give anybody a whiplashing with her tongue, but it is always the truth she speaks.

Clearing his throat, Magnus got into the meat of things since by some divine foresight she already knew what it was. "I wanted to ask how is our finance?"

The Matron nodded her head as if she were waiting for that exact same question, then without a single word she handed Magnus the parchment that was in her hands.

Magnus took it and silently read it over; when Magnus said the kids were raised well he meant it. Not only were they all taught how to read and write but they also learned their numbers, history, civics, art, and much more. It is thanks to the Matron that they learned so much more than the average commoner.

As Magnus read the parchment his eyebrows creased together in displeasure and his face took on a brooding look.

Finally, Magnus finished reading the parchment and gave it back to the Matron, "So," Magnus started off with. "The orphanage operating cost is 470 gold lions but we only get 400 from the Guild, where does the rest come from?"

"From the money, we saved up." The Matron answered back, "We were open for 18 seasons and we used to get 500 gold lions from the Guild four seasons back. So we saved up 420 gold lions but we had to dig in for 2 years, in the third year we used 30 gold lion, and in the fourth year we used none. Now we have 250 gold lions saved up."

Magnus opened his mouth to voice his next question but the Matron got to it "If you are wondering how we were able to cover the cost in the 3rd and 4th seasons, it was because you kids helped out a lot last season; you brought in a total of 32 gold lions. For the rest, I took on certain… jobs."

At that answer, Magnus simply raised his eyebrows but did not push for an answer since in his opinion everyone deserves their own privacy and secrets. Also isn't Magnus carrying his own secrets, like ones about another world?

"Well you answered all my questions though I do have one more and I do not want to sound rude or suspicious of you and the Mothers. But…"

"You want to know where the money you kids donated went, huh?" The Matron asked or more like stated.

Magnus nodded his head, feeling like a douche for even asking that question. Still though, it was an unsolved mystery and Magnus hates nothing more than an unsolved problem. "Also," Magnus added on a lighter note, "can you read minds because I am seriously getting the vibe that you are reading my mind."

"To answer your silly question, no I can not read minds." Then the Matron paused as she looked Magnus head-on with an eerie grin. "But I do have other abilities."

Magnus slightly felt uncomfortable under that grin, this old woman is getting more and more mysterious by the day.

"Moving on to your other question the answer is simple; the money that you brats collected went back into all of you."

"Whaaat?!"

"Do you think that the operating cost covers treats, toys, clothes, learning material, and et cetera? You did help a lot when you brought clothes, toys, and treats but the 42 gold lions that you brought in we had to use 17 to cover other necessities."

The young mech builder thought back to the parchment; it only covered the rent, food, and other small thing but not the things that the Mtron listed. Man, who knew that running an orphanage was so costly.

"Still though we are doing pretty good," Magnus said as he adopted a positive tone. Even though things were not as good as he had hoped, they were still making a profit here and they will be able to carry out Magnus's crazy plan.

"Even though we have to cover 70 gold lion by ourselves and the hidden cost as well. We will be making 170 gold lions each season, you make what- 50 goldish and us kids are making 120ish gold lions."

The Matron paused Magnus right there, she rubbed her forehead in frustration and said, "That is good and all boy, but there is one piece of news that I did not tell you."

Immediately Magnus did not like the sound of that but he did not interpret the Matron and let her continued. "The Guild made another cut this season," the way that she said it, in a defeated tone made Magnus blood boil. It was like she just declared that the orphanage's closure was written in stone.

Magnus did not know who he should direct his anger to was it the Matron for simply giving up like that or was it the Guild for cutting our funds, maybe it was this fucking cosmos that is out to get him.

"The inspector will be coming any day now just to tell us that." The Matron continued with but Magnus wasn't listening anymore, his world just shattered right now. All the hard work he put in, all the plans he made, everything was now null and void.

"How much is the cut," Magnus directly asked, cutting off the Matron rambling.

"Another 100 gold lions," the Matron responded, "now we will be getting 300 gold lions."

"Who are these fucking assholes we are even at war with." Magnus bellowed out loud, trying to find an outlet to unleash his anger upon.

"It is another world," the Matron responded like that was a normal everyday occurrence.

Magnus looked at the Matron like she just lost her mind, the helpless resentment that was on his face was gone and a bewildered, worried one took its place.

The Matron noticed the look on Magnus's face and asked him, "What is it, boy?"

"Are you okay, Matron?" Magnus asked in a very concerned tone. "Did the stress of running this place get to you? You know you could always share the burden with us, right? The Mothers, me, and all the kids are here for you."

Recognition immediately blossomed on the Matron's face and a seething look took over, "You think I am stark raving mad, huh, boy? You little ingrate…"

So much profanity, not at all for children's ear, came out of the Matron's mouth. Magnus tried to soothe and calm her down by saying all manner of things like; he was in the wrong, she was correct, and he is an ingrate bastard.

Man, old people can be such a hassle sometimes.

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"Alright I am heading out, and once again I am sorry. It was just shocking what you told me and hard to take in, you know?!" Magnus blabbered on, there was no way in hell that he believed in this other world nonsense.

It just wasn't possible, though Magnus did have to admit he did sound contradictory since he was from another world. It just isn't possible, how on earth would these dark age folk; who throw their shit out the window be able to travel to other worlds?

Anyways he took a hit to his mental psyche already and Magnus isn't up for another one, maybe when he see proof, he will be able to entertain that idea.

Nevertheless, this mess was his fault, he shouldn't have gotten the Matron off her rocker. You should never question an elderly person's sanity, that is a big no, no.

At the door Magnus paused, he suddenly recalled the other reason why he came here today.

"Ahh, Mathron, I wanted to say sorry." Magnus said as he awkwardly scratched his neck.

"You now for the, ahh, stuff that happened on the day that I, ahh, ran off." Magnus couldn't really remember what started the argument between them that day. Was it because he did not like being babied or something else? Oh, yes, it was about his last name!

Last names are only for the guild members, but Magnus stuck with his last name, Clade. His name was the only thing he had left and there was no way was going to let go of it.

From there their argument sprung up, deep down Magnus knew he acted on shock, fear, and arrogance! Now he thought about it maybe he has been sort of prick about that whole mess back on earth, too. He should have talked to his loved ones instead of acting angry and moody all the time.

"I was stupid and prideful, you know the too worst mash-up of characteristics. So I wanted to ask for your forgiveness."

The Matron looked at Magnus for a long time, too long for Magnus's comfort, but finally, she spoke up. "You know, you are a good kid, Magnus. Do not take to heart what I have said to. I am a bitter old woman with many unresolved issues."

That was a surprising turn of events for "the young mech builder, he could see that the old lady had a complicated past.

Still, it felt too uncomfortable for Magnus to see this force of nature down in the dumps, so he tried lighting her up. "That is not true, Matron, although you could be harsh at times, you too are a good person."

The old lady sadly shook her head and said to Magnus, "Ahh, my boy, if only you had an idea."

Before Magnus could say anything more, the Matron basically kicked him out with a show of goodbye. "Well enough of that, be on your way now."

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The very next day, the young mech builder sat on a roof overlooking the mugging that the kids were accomplishing. Magnus know that at one point he has to let go and give the kids a chance to work things out by themselves, even if it pained his heart.

Still though that didn't mean that he couldn't watch over them like a mother hawk.

However Magnus mind kept drifting over to the conversation he had with the Matron, crazy thing aside, there was still that looming threat of shut down.

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This season if they work tirelessly, they will be able to scrounge up enough money to only cover the operating cost of the orphanage but they will not be able to afford anything else. Magnus's dream just went down the pipe!

Now the bigger question that is on Magnus's mind; what about the upcoming seasons? When will the Guild make another cut that will inevitably shut down this place?

The worst thing about all of this is that Magnus can not do anything about it, all he could do is watch helplessly.

Right now Magnus and his crew of thieves were stretched thin, their reign of robbing was getting tenuous at best. The guards were coming down harder upon them, their targets were more weary, and their tactics were not as effective as they used to be when they were new. All of that amounts to less cash, more danger, and the rise in the chance of getting caught.

Magnus didn't dare venture into richer purses, he had a rule that they only stole from the average commoner. Iron shims were the currency of the dirt poor, and these folk made horrible targets. A, they are poor just like them and B, they know all the tricks of stealing so there is no way that anybody could get an up on them.

Copper thumbs are the currency of the average commoner, these are the people Magnus likes to steal from. They are doing okay for themselves so they would not miss their purses that badly and their purses are going to a great cause, helping poor orphans.

Then there are silver bolts, these are the currency of those who dangle off the Guilds if their purses are stolen then there would be trouble. The guards would crack down with brute force, it would make the effort that they are making right now look like a blind man fumbling in the dark.

Finally, there are gold lions; these are the currency of those who make up the guilds, and to steal from them would the height of idiocy. Everybody knows that you do not fuck with the Guilds.

As Magnus was moping around he heard shouting came down from the street, Magnus thought it was the kids who had another success and a victim who was screaming pointlessly. Still Magnus got up from his back and looked down at what was going on.

Immediately he jumped off the building, it wasn't dangerous or anything since the place he was on was only 1 story tall. Magnus rolled when he landed, not stopping for a single second, he ran headlong towards the kids

When he got to the scene one of the kids from the orphanage was being held by an older man, it was clear to Magnus that the kid was caught. A crowd gathered around as the kid fought to get free but the man's grip must have been ironclad since they kid was held steadfast.

The other kids gathered around, milling about the crowd unsure of what to do. Magnus knew he had to act fast because he could have sworn he saw guards far into the distance heading here.

Signaling with his hands to the kids inside the crowd, Magnus stepped forward and started shouting, "Rapist, Rapist, let go of my little brother."

"What a rapist?" one of the kids said inside the crowd.

"No way, out here in broad daylight?" another kid voiced.

"Let go of the kid, you pig!" this time it was not the kids who spoke but a man.

Following in the man's example another person spoke up, "yeah release the kid, you foul beast!" This person went beyond and above as he stepped up to free the orphan.

After that is was mayhem, people started to curse the man, some even attacked him, and others just wanted to help the poor kid. Once the kid was free, all the orphans scattered and not a single person noticed their absence nor did they know it was they who were in the wrong.