Chapter 401: Operation Commencement
Upon returning to the orphanage, Nina had regained consciousness safely. She looked healthier than expected, which was a relief.
“I’m hungry.”
“Big brother! Nina says she’s hungry!”
“Alright, alright.”
Phonia exaggeratedly relayed Nina’s murmurs as she lay on the bed, her stomach growling. It seemed that dinner at the orphanage had already concluded, and Nina had just woken up. Speaking of which, we hadn’t eaten dinner yet either.
“Then how about we borrow the kitchen and whip something up?”
“Got it! I’ll go tell the headmistress!”
As Rio suggested this, Phonia dashed out of the room without hesitation. Nina, who had been watching them with a blank expression, turned to us and spoke.
“Um, thank you very much. I heard from Phonia-chan that you saved me.”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. The one at fault is that adventurer.”
“But…”
“Little ones shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.”
As we continued our light banter, Phonia returned with other orphans and the headmistress, Katie.
“Shu-san, Rio-san, I cannot thank you enough for saving Nina,” Katie said, bowing deeply as soon as she appeared.
“Please, there’s no need for such formalities. Just lift your head.”
Though she was the headmistress, being a member of the small folk, Katie appeared childlike. Seeing her bow so deeply made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
“That’s not how it works.”
“Headmistress…”
Despite her stubbornness, Katie continued to bow until Nina, still on the bed, called out to her.
“Big brother said little ones shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.”
“Huh?”
Katie lifted her head slightly, still bent at the waist, staring at Nina.
“Eh?”
“Bufoff!”
“Ahaha!”
As I glanced back at Nina, Ivan burst into laughter, and Rio joined in with a giggle.
“W-Well, it’s different for adults!”
Katie protested, her cheeks slightly flushed, but my stance remained unchanged; even adults shouldn’t worry about such things.
“Ah, headmistress, you don’t need to worry either, you know?”
The moment I said that, Katie’s expression dulled just a bit.
“Is that… because I’m small?”
“That has nothing to do with it.”
When I sought Rio’s agreement, she nodded, though she seemed to be holding back laughter.
“That aside, if we can use the kitchen, let’s get going.”
As I shifted the conversation, another growl from Nina’s stomach echoed through the room. It seemed Katie couldn’t steer the conversation back, so we all headed to the dining hall together. While cooking, the orphans who had finished their dinner gathered around, filling the room with lively chatter.
“How many people shall we send to the Eastern Island?”
The next day, right after finishing breakfast with Nina at the orphanage, Mesaria-san suddenly proposed this in the dining hall.
“Send?”
“Our Guild specializes in Information Gathering.”
Now that I think about it, that was true, but Mesaria-san was moving way too fast!
“By the way, after calling for volunteers among all staff, 132 people raised their hands.”
“Bufoff!”
Both Ivan and I spat out the tea we were drinking at that revelation.
“…That’s way too many, right?!”
I almost made a retort, but that was Ivan’s role.
“What shall we do?”
Without even glancing at Ivan, who had fulfilled his role splendidly, Mesaria-san continued her work with a calm demeanor. I had no idea how many people were in the Guild, but how could over a hundred people volunteer? Wait, did she call out to staff from all over the continent? Even a few executives raised their hands? Is our Guild really that idle? Or are we super busy? I just don’t get it.
“We can’t use our funds, so we need to earn money and start building a base.”
“I understand.”
Since I had already shared information with Mesaria-san yesterday, she seemed to grasp that aspect well. It was both reassuring and a bit frightening. After all, this was an island where people who would kick Nina around belonged.
“Ah, right… Then let’s strip them bare of their secrets.”
“Understood.”
The moment I said that, I felt Mesaria-san’s eyes gleam with determination.
It seemed that until a base was established, we would have to shuttle members back and forth, but we also planned to explore the island ourselves.
“First, we need to find a way to make money.”
“I’ve heard that the ingredients are plentiful, so it’ll be something else.”
“Off the top of my head, rare metals or gemstones come to mind?”
“Let’s start by cashing in a small amount to avoid drawing attention. Once we gather information from the field, we can improve our efficiency.”
“Alright, let’s go with that. Sending everyone all at once would be pointless, so Mesaria-san, please decide on the personnel as you see fit.”
“Understood.”
After settling on a general plan during the relaxed breakfast time, Mesaria-san took her leave.
“Are we going to the island today?”
As we saw Mesaria-san off, Phonia awaited us with sparkling eyes, filled with excitement.
“Yeah, once we send everyone off, we’ll head there too.”
“Yay!”
I watched Phonia bounce with joy, a smile creeping onto my face despite myself.