Chapter 415: Defense of the Orphanage
I reconsidered Rio’s proposal. If we were to transport them somewhere, there were a few possible candidates. On this continent, it would likely be the western side of the Grosenhang Empire, where the Hinomaru Branch is located. If we took our time, we could return, but that wouldn’t be the best option.
Next, there’s the world of the Majin Tribe. We don’t know of any way to travel directly between there and here, except through our Dimensional Magic, but it connects to a parallel world—Japan—via a Dungeon. If we were to end up in Japan, it would only be a matter of time before they noticed us uploading a plethora of otherworldly videos. That would be the worst-case scenario we want to avoid at all costs.
Another option might be the Eastern Island. According to the Hinomaru staff we dispatched there, it’s called the Brasveik Kingdom. If we took our time, there’s a possibility we could return to this continent. After all, they have successfully reached this continent with a large fleet. If peaceful trade were to begin with the nations of this continent, it might open the door for ordinary people to come here as well. However, given the current atmosphere, that seems quite unlikely and would likely take a considerable amount of time.
“So, the first candidate is the Eastern Island, huh?”
“Hmm…”
“Is there something wrong with that?”
“I was just thinking… what if they start to idolize those guys as Heroes and go on a second expedition or something…”
“Oh, that kind of scenario.”
If the country summoned them, it would be one thing, but I didn’t think ordinary people from another world could easily become Heroes—especially not classmates with questionable behavior. Still, there’s always a chance, albeit slim. However, we have a solid plan in place.
“Since we’ve established a Hinomaru outpost, let’s have them work in the shadows.”
What we have in Brasveik is not a branch but an outpost. We’ve expanded it using Earth Magic, but there’s no actual office set up. However, we can dispatch staff as we please.
“What do you mean?”
“I think we can spread some bad rumors about them and do various other things.”
“Ah, I see what you mean.”
Now that it’s decided, we’ll put the plan into action. Ideally, those guys would stir up trouble in Brasveik, but I have a feeling they might do that without any prompting.
“Alright then, off to the Eastern Island you go.”
“Bye-bye!”
And so, without even getting a chance to see our faces, our classmates were sentenced to exile on the Eastern Island. While they wouldn’t affect the large fleet currently heading this way, I hoped they would at least cause some chaos in the Brasveik Kingdom.
“How’s it going?”
With the classmate situation temporarily settled, we arrived at the Isolage orphanage where Ivan and Phonia were.
“So far, it’s completely peaceful.”
“Looks like it.”
As we watched the orphans and Phonia joyfully running around the garden, Rio sighed with a sense of nostalgia. Upon taking a closer look, the garden was reasonably spacious, filled with about twenty children at play. However, I noticed that only the younger ones were present. According to Ivan, the older children were out working in the city.
I asked the director, Katie, if the aid from Hinomaru was insufficient, but she explained that it wasn’t about that. It was necessary to encourage the children’s independence. However, while we had come to protect the orphanage, it seemed the older kids were all at work… The large fleet wouldn’t arrive just yet, but there were certainly some Brasveik citizens who had already landed and were speaking in their Kansai dialect.
“If we followed the children who are out, there would be no one left to guard the place.”
Moreover, it was unlikely that all of them worked at the same place.
“Could we ask them to take a break from work?”
“If they do, they won’t have a place to return to.”
It seems they would have to hire replacements for those who left, leaving them without a home to come back to.
“Well, that’s understandable.”
As we leisurely waited while keeping an eye on our surroundings, the children who had gone out to work began to return one by one.
“Thank you for everything!”
As Katie, the director who belonged to the small folk, was drawn out by the aroma of the dinner being prepared in the garden, she appeared once again.
“Oh, it’s nothing. We need to release some ingredients once in a while, or they won’t decrease.”
I tend to buy in bulk whenever I notice a shortage, so the stock just keeps increasing. Even if we serve some here, it would be like pouring water on a duck’s back, but it might be worth it to sell a large quantity to a major trading company. I should take a giant fish to Fleur’s place next time. When you think about it, a hundred-meter-long fish is even bigger than an Earth Dragon!
“Well then, shall we get ready for dinner?”
As Rio called out, cheers erupted from the children. It seemed they had all been eagerly awaiting this moment. The sun was starting to set, and our stomachs were beginning to grumble. While we set up tables and dishes in the garden, one child ran over to Katie, looking around anxiously.
“Hey, Al and Rem haven’t come back yet!”
“Eh?”
Upon hearing the news, Katie instructed the other children to search for the two within the orphanage grounds.
“I’ll go look for them too!”
Phonia, unable to contain herself, declared as she ran off with the other children to search.
“Is it normal for them to be back by now?”
“Yes, they should have returned long ago. They’re such gluttons that they usually come back early…”
A sense of foreboding washed over me, and I exchanged glances with Ivan, who nodded in agreement.
“I’ll check if they left their workplace.”
“Alright, Nil, you go too.”
“Woof!”
“Thank you. That helps a lot.”
After asking Katie for the location, Ivan and Nil dashed outside. There were no restrictions on going out, but fishing was prohibited. After Nina, one of the children, had been attacked, it was decided that orphans should not go out alone at night. I hoped that the two were still at their workplace, but if they weren’t, where could they have gone?