Chapter 292: Off to the Orphanage
“Is this where Kaede-chan is?”
We had arrived at the orphanage located in the northeastern part of the Commercial City Comets. I wasn’t sure who operated it, but given its location in the slums, it was clear that the management wasn’t doing well.
“Looks like it.”
After contacting everyone through telepathic communication, we decided to come together after lunch to visit the orphanage.
“If her hair color has changed, we might not recognize her.”
“I’m more curious about how she changed it.”
Ivan grumbled, while El looked on with keen interest. Phonia seemed a bit restless, but I wondered if there were many children around her age at the orphanage. By the way, I had given Riflesia some gold coins and a few tools that looked like they could be found at a hundred-yen shop in Japan. She was surprised by the amount, but my sense of money had been skewed lately, so I couldn’t really tell what was appropriate anymore.
“Well then, shall we go in?”
We all entered the orphanage together. Despite being located in the slums, the exterior appeared relatively tidy.
“May I help you?”
From the open entrance, a woman appeared. She looked to be in her forties, and her wrinkled face clearly showed signs of wariness.
“I’m Shuu, an adventurer. We’ve come in response to a request.”
“Adventurers, you say…?”
As we introduced ourselves one by one, her expression softened slightly.
“I am Mirabel, the head of this orphanage. What brings adventurers here…?”
“We heard that Kaede-san is here. Is she around?”
Upon mentioning Kaede’s name, Mirabel’s expression hardened.
“…What business do you have with that child?”
I sensed a hint of suspicion in her tone, but it seemed she was willing to listen. What was our purpose, anyway? If we found the person we were looking for, would it be enough to simply take her away for now?
“We’re searching for Kaede-san, whose family has gone missing. We would like to confirm if she is the same person.”
If by any chance she was someone else, it could lead to a false hope for Mr. Jinpei. We needed to verify her identity first.
“Family…? I’ve heard that her hometown is far away, somewhere she cannot return to…”
Mirabel’s previously relaxed demeanor tightened slightly, but I understood. If Kaede had told her that, it was only natural for us to seem suspicious.
“Rest assured, I am an S Rank Adventurer. Distance is no obstacle for me.”
“Ah… I see. And if she turns out to be the person you’re looking for… what will you do?”
It was hard to tell if my rank had influenced her response, but at least she seemed to be considering it. Regardless, the decision would ultimately rest with Kaede.
“I wish to reunite her with her family, but I believe that decision should be left to her.”
“…I see.”
After pondering my answer for a moment, Mirabel let out a deep sigh and relaxed her shoulders.
“I apologize for my suspicion upon our first meeting. Please, come inside.”
Her expression shifted to a wry smile, and she invited us in.
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
There seemed to be some underlying circumstances, but what could they be? I exchanged glances with Rio and the others before following Mirabel.
We were led into a guest room. It wasn’t particularly large, but it was clean and well-kept, lacking the signs of hardship one might expect from a place in the slums. As we walked down the hallway, I caught a glimpse of a small child peeking around a corner, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Please, have a seat and wait. I will go fetch Kaede.”
Pointing to a six-person table, Mirabel stepped outside the room. I took a seat in the middle, with Rio on my left and Phonia above her. El stood rigidly behind us, while Ivan sat on my right. Nil lay down between Rio and me, yawning widely.
“Thank you for waiting.”
Mirabel returned, and behind her was a girl. She had dark blue hair that reached her chest and a distinctly Japanese appearance. She was about the same height as Rio and looked to be around our age. Her strong black eyes showed a hint of confusion, but I felt a familiar resemblance to the photo Mr. Jinpei had given me.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kaede.”
She had brought tea, and as she set down cups for everyone, both Mirabel and Kaede took their seats. We introduced ourselves in turn and explained the reason for our visit.
“We’re searching for a person named Yanagihara Kaede, who has black hair and black eyes, and we ended up here. I was told by someone named Riflesia that she was here… but you have blue hair.”
Mirabel and Kaede exchanged glances, nodding at each other before Mirabel spoke first.
“If you were sent by Lady Riflesia, then you are not from the Arclight Kingdom, are you?”
Considering the circumstances, it seemed she was wary of pursuers from the kingdom.
“No, we are not. If anything, I think that kingdom should be destroyed.”
“Is that so…?”
Mirabel’s face twitched slightly at my unguarded remark.
“Hehe, the blue hair is due to a special potion made by the headmistress that changes the color.”
Kaede seemed to relax a little, offering a smile. So, such a potion exists. Perhaps it was a dye for hair.
“So, am I the Yanagihara Kaede you are looking for?”
It seemed she took my honesty as a joke, as she asked with a chuckle.
“That’s what we need to confirm now… Do you recognize the names Yanagihara Juushirou and Yanagihara Jinpei?”
“—Huh?”
The moment my words reached her ears, Kaede’s eyes widened in surprise.