CH 84

Chapter 84: The Reason to Live as an Adventurer

After leaving the closing of the store to the other workers at Plutos, Mari and the rest of the group went to the Gold Rock Café.

The group consisted of two women and one man. They also had a Slime with them, so it curiously drew everyone’s attention onto them.

But Mari completely ignored their gazes and inquired.

Mari: “Yuto, you were giving money to that orphanage, weren’t you.” Yuto: “......how did you……”

Mari: “It’s because of her. She saw you doing so at the place.” Although Eliz did not quite understand what was going on, she stared intently at Yuto on cue.

Eliz: “MーMr. Yuto. Ummm, what kind of relationship do you have with that woman?!”

Yuto: “What kind? …….ummmm….I don’t really have one, I think?”

Eliz: “So you would give money to someone unrelated to you…? Mr. Yuto! Are you a masochist?!”

Mari: “That’s not it.” Eliz: “OW!!”

Mari swiftly chopped Eliz’ head, and Eliz withdrew her head into her body.

Mari spoke gently as if trying to get Eliz, who glared at her with teary eyes, to understand.

Mari: “That was the same orphanage that Yuto grew up in. Eliz, do you know why Yuto left the orphanage?”

Eliz: “NーNo…...I don’t.”

Mari: “It was to decrease the number of mouths they had to feed. When Yuto saw his younger brothers and sisters were starving, he left the orphanage on his own ー even though he didn’t have any place to go.”

With that, Mari turned to glance at Yuto.

Yuto strained a troubled smile while scratching at his head.

Mari: “If I wasn’t paying for some of his meals, he might have died somewhere along the way.” Yuto: “I’m very thankful to you, Miss Mari, for your help.” Mari: “Yes, yes. Keep the compliments coming.”

Yuto sincerely bowed his head in appreciation, but Mari jokingly accepted the gesture.

If she took his gratitude too seriously, it would be difficult to continue inviting Yuto to join her for meals.

Mari wanted to keep the relationship casual enough to be able to invite him any time.

Yuto: “The person I gave the money to was named Rita, and she became the director of the orphanage four years ago.” Mari: “What about the previous director? It was an elderly lady, right?”

Yuto: “Yeah, the director that was there when I lived there, couldn’t keep up with the kids’ energy and retired.”

Mari: “I see….” Children carry an abnormal amount of energy inside them.

When they wake, they immediately play with all their might, and after lunch, they fall asleep like Magic Artifacts that ran out of Magic Power, and when they wake up, they rampage until nightfall.

A child is like a small, baby dragon.

And it’s no wonder that the elderly former director had to retire having to deal with such lively kids.

Yuto: “At first, I was embarrassed and left the money there without telling anyone. But Miss Rita caught me doing it and scolded me. She said, ‘Why do you have to go about hiding when you’re doing a good deed!’ like that.”

Up until then, Yuto was throwing gards over into the Orphanage.

It was because the amount he was donating was so small, he was embarrassed to do it in person.

He was embarrassed of the fact that he could only donate a few gards at most.

But…..

[Even if it’s just one gard, no matter what, a donation to an orphanage is a deed deserving of praise. If you really are doing this for the children, then please set an example for these kids. If you do so, they will have a chance to grow up to be an adult like you.] When Yuto was caught leaving gards behind, Rita chastised him thoroughly and told him that. With those words, Yuto decided to act differently.

Honestly, Yuto did not consider himself to be a role model or a respectable adult.

But if there is a child that might mimic or emulate his behavior in the future, then maybe it’s possible to build a future where everyone helps support the orphanages.

Thinking of it that way, he did not think that directly handing the money over was a bad idea.

Mari: “So Yuto. You have enough money to spare for others?”

Yuto: “Oh…...ummmm……”

Mari: “(sigh)...........so you only take the bare minimum you need to survive, and you’re donating the rest, aren’t you.”

Yuto: “...............” Having Mari call him out exactly made Yuto speechless.

From the previous Monster Slaying Requests, Yuto finished paying back Eliz for the debts he owed her.

But as Mari said, because he was able to now have more money than usual, he set aside enough for him to eat and donated the rest.

Eliz: “So that’s why Mr. Yuto never had money.”

Yuto: “YーYeah…….”

Eliz: “Even ranking up to C-Rank, he’s making more money, yes. But even so, he’s always eating that 50-gard bread. I feel so bad for him…...yes.”

Yuto: “Oh, no. I eat the 50 gard bread because I like it.”

Eliz: “Huh?” Yuto: “Huh?”

Eliz freezes in her seat as she looks at Yuto with disbelief.

And Yuto is equally confused by her reaction and tilts his head.

To Yuto, the 50 gard bread is a magical, affordable source of food that can fill you up.

He is not forcing himself to eat it whatsoever, and he actually likes it.

Mari: “We’ll set aside the topic of the 50 gard bread for another time.”

Yuto: “Oh, but I don’t mind discussing it. Why don’t we discuss this more?” Mari: “Your request has been declined.”

Yuto’s perspective on the matter was abandoned immediately by Mari.

The polluted water source due to the fight with the Chaos Slime was just about to complete its restoration.

Right now, the bread store is still closed, but they should be re-opening soon.

Yuto wanted to share the wonderful news to the group but was shot down prematurely, and Yuto sagged his shoulders in disappointment.

Eliz: “But Mr. Yuto, why would you go that far to donate? If you saved up your money, you could afford better gear. With better gear, you’ll be able to protect yourself better.”

Back in the day, Mari also asked him a similar question, and Eliz’ words brought back memories for Yuto. But at that time, Mari didn’t know that Yuto was donating his money to the orphanage.

Yuto: “Because that orphanage is a very important place for me.”

Yuto has no recollection of his parents.

Before he realized it, he was living in the Kronos Orphanage.

At first, he was frustrated about the lack of food.

And even though they barely have enough to eat, the director would bring more children to the orphanage.

Again, the amount of food decreased.

Yuto: (Why would she bring more children here when there’s not enough food for the children already here?)

Yuto was flustered with the Director’s decisions.

But one day, for the first time, Yuto walked around outside of the orphanage.

In the slums, he learned that there were many children there.

And unlike him, they didn’t have any food to eat, and they had no shelter against the rain and cold winds.

In the slums, the beaten and abandoned corpses of children stripped of their belongs lay strewn everywhere.

Yuto learned why the Director wanted to make an orphanage.

And that the Director was keeping the orphanage going all by herself.

And he finally understood her motives and reasons.

The Director wanted to save as many of the children who were being treated like trash and dying every day.

And Yuto understood how much that orphanage the Director built was a safe haven for Yuto and the other children.

It was at that moment.

Yuto began thinking this way.

[I want to protect this orphanage just like the Director. I want to help so the children here do not have to live with an empty stomach.]

And that resolution was the foundation of Yuto’s determination to become an Adventurer.

Yuto has been supporting the orphanage from the shadows.

If the orphanage disappears, Yuto will lose his purpose of why he lives as an Adventurer.