CH 328

The sailboat is awaiting progress.

Since I’m forced to operate on multiple fronts, my home country, the new continent, and the earth, I cannot devote myself to only one thing. I have to proceed here and there in parallel…

I’m getting by because I can transfer to any place I want via another world, although there’s a restriction that it must be a place I’ve been to once in this world, without this transfer ability, I’ll be out of luck.

Without it, even within the same world, it’d be very difficult just to move between the capital of our country, Viscount Yamano’s territory, and the Marquis Bozes’ territory, but when it comes to the Vanel Kingdom in the New Continent and its surrounding countries…

Even on Earth, Japan, Wolf Fang’s home base, and so on…

If traveling between worlds could only return me to the point of origin, I would have died of exhaustion.

No, in that case, I couldn’t do a multi-front operation with a wide range of activities…

Well, that’s why I came to the orphanage in the capital of the Vanel Kingdom!

I have had various interactions with the orphanage in our country’s capital, but I have not had much contact with other orphanages.

…I’m kind of scared to think about the orphanage based on those kids, so I’ll try not to think about that place, yeah. I probably shouldn’t compare them.

My territory is so small in population that there is no such thing as an orphanage.

Of course, the parents sometimes die, but in that case, the grandparents, aunts, and uncles will take them in, and at the age of 8, they are already a part of the workforce. So, even if they have no relatives, there are villagers who will take them in and raise them if they work hard.

They are all as good as family members and are all in each other’s lives. No one is displeased with orphans because no one knows when their children or grandchildren might become orphans.

Besides, this is a world where people are prone to death.

Be it illness, fatal injury, attack by monsters, or war.

So, just like the children who have lost their parents, there are those who have lost their children.

…Well, it is what it is.

But that’s just in the countryside.

In larger cities, there are many orphans that no one will take in or take care of.

Vagrants and those who live in abandoned houses in the favelas and slums.

Those who are admitted to the orphanage should thank the Goddess for their good fortune.

That is, they may be unhappier than ordinary children, but at least they won’t die of starvation or cold.

Besides, even with both their parents, they’re not necessarily happy.

Anyway, I’m here at the orphanage today.

…With members of the Society, with a group of juveniles in tow.

“Welcome! Please, come this way!!”

The children and a few adults were lined up outside the orphanage.

Then one of the adults… an elderly woman who apparently was the director… ran up to us and said so to Micchan while bowing her head.

We’re not lined up in order of rank, but the fact that she came straight to Micchan means that she knows who the head of the society is and what she looks like.

And probably some other information as well…

Orphanage director, so scary!

No, well, after watching the performances of the children of our juvenile group, she came up with this idea and immediately tried to put it into practice.

Given her age and running an orphanage that doesn’t make much money, the odds of her being a bad person are pretty low. A human trafficking organization that uses an orphanage as a cover in the royal capital is too risky and unrealistic.

If she wanted to feed the kids well and buy them new old clothes occasionally, while it’s a kinda contradictory word, one can’t help but be a little tight-fisted when it comes to money.

And to raise money, information on aristocrats and rich people is essential.

Being a ‘good person’ is not enough to run an orphanage.

They need to have a high level of ability to collect money, a strong sense of community to obtain contacts to secure employment for children leaving the orphanage, and a resolution to get down on their knees to rich people in order to provide sufficient food for the children.

…It’s not a job that can be filled by an average person in the area.

“Please lead the way.” (Michelle)

Micchan is a good girl, but she isn’t overly concerned about adult commoners.

Such action would be looked down upon by the other nobles, and would only cause confusion and upset among the commoners.

…Even if the other person is a commoner, excluding young children, of course.

If the other party is a small child who does not yet understand things well, the other nobles will just think of Micchan as “a mild-mannered, kind-hearted girl who isn’t offended and smiles when touched by a lowly and dirty commoner’s child”, and there will be no problem.

Well, when I say ‘young’, I mean up to about 7 or 8 years old, everyone is tolerant.

For the people here, when they reach the age of 10, they’re pretty much almost an adult…

Besides, at the age of 10 or so, they are already working in stores as apprentices, or in the countryside, they are not at the level of “child’s helper” anymore, but are considered as proper laborers and begin to work on farms.

At that age, the excuse that “they’re just kids” is no longer acceptable for a lack of common sense in society.

…No, not quite a “child”, but…

Well, that’s the kind of society we’re living in.

It seems that the age at which children in orphanages become independent is higher in our country than in this country, but that may mean that this country has better laws and regulations to ensure that small children can work safely.

I’m not sure, but still…

Anyway, the majority of the children in the orphanage are younger than that, although some are a little over 10 years old.

And, perhaps because of their nutritional situation, they are all smaller than the average commoner child with a family. They look about two years younger in comparison.

That’s why “We can tolerate a little rudeness from the orphanage children” or something…

Well, it doesn’t mean that they’re having it easy, the adults do try to discipline and educate them. Even so, there’s a limit to what these girls can tolerate, and they will not overlook anything that’s intentional or malicious.

Besides, in the worst-case scenario, not only the individual, but the entire orphanage will be the target of the aristocrats’ wrath and then… everything will end.

Even if there’s no direct retaliation against the orphanage, if the rumor spreads that the orphanage provides children with the education that was disrespectful to the nobles, donations from the nobles will disappear, you know.

If it’s charity work to gain popularity among the common people, for self-gratification, or to satisfy a religious sense of mission, there are many other targets, even if it isn’t an orphanage. A soup kitchen in a poor slum, or serving bread to vagrant children…

The orphanage is, let’s say, it’s much like the customer business or the popularity business… and yes, just like the idol business. It’s like, “Please keep throwing money at us”.

The orphanage isn’t that big, and there’s no room for such a large group, so the meeting was held in the garden.

It’s far enough away from the center of the city so that there’s enough space.

…It seems that the land isn’t part of the orphanage, but there’s no landlord who will get angry even if it’s used as a playground or a kitchen garden. I mean, maybe this area isn’t privately owned land, but national land or something.

Okay, so let’s start the exchange between the juvenile group and the orphans…

…Even though they are children of the same age, it’s impossible to ask the orphans to suddenly have a pleasant talk with a noble lady.

So first things first…

“Society group, prepare to perform! Juvenile group, take your starting positions!” (Mitsuha)

At my command, the members of the Society grabbed the instruments loaded in the carriage and prepared to play, and the children of the juvenile group moved to the open area of the garden and stood still in the starting position of the dance.

……Alright!

“It’s Showtime!!” (Mitsuha)

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Author’s Note:

As usual, I will take two weeks off for the GW vacation.

During the vacation, I will be working hard on the book publication. (^^)/

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