Chapter 40 – Bear-san Goes To The Orphanage
I woke up early in the morning and greeted the day without feeling fatigue, thanks to the white bear. It was a pleasant feeling.
I took some eggs out of the Bear Box, cooked them sunny-side up, sandwiched them between bread, and ate breakfast.
If I could obtain rice, soy sauce, and miso next, I could have a real Japanese breakfast for the first time in quite a while.
There was no set time for my appointment with the guild master, so I ate breakfast at a leisurely pace before leaving the house.
When I arrived at the guild, a guild staff member immediately guided me to the guild master’s room.
「You’re surprisingly early.」
「That’s because I immediately went to sleep yesterday. Isn’t the guild master also here early?」
「I stayed overnight because of the Black Viper case from the past few days.」
「The Black Viper case?」
「After that, a lot of rumors spread about you defeating the black viper. We received many applications for the raw materials.」
「Although I haven’t decided whether I am selling them or not yet..」
「I understand. However, even if you say that, wouldn’t it be annoying if traders and general storekeepers followed you around, trying to appeal to you?」
「Are people that interested in it?」
「Well you see, the skin can be used to make protective gear. It is light and strong, and it has magic resistance, too. There are a lot of adventurers who want it. Actually, all of the parts would fetch a high price. There are various uses for the fangs. Finally, if the magic stone is big enough, there is a possibility of it being a B class magic stone. It’s a material that anyone would want.」
「In other words, it’s necessary for me to sell it?」
「It’s your choice to sell it or not. However, if you don’t sell...」
「Merchants or the like will follow me?」
「That’s right. From the guild’s perspective, I would rather you sell to the guild rather than somewhere else.」
「I’m fine with selling or whatever, but I want part of the materials and magic stone.」
「Ahh, I don’t mind. If we circulate the skin and meat, things should calm down.」
「So then, where can it be dismantled? It’s probably impossible to do it in the warehouse.」
The guild master also recalled the size of the large black viper and became worried.
「There’s probably no choice but to do it outside.」
「Outside?」
「It won’t be a disturbance if it’s outside the city, I think. Sorry for the haste, but can you bring the black viper outside now?」
「Mmm, alright.」
The guild master and I left the room.
「Let me gather Helen and the staff members who can dismantle. I’ll leave behind the minimum number of people, so let’s do this dismantling!」
Around ten people were gathered.
Gentz and even Fina were included among those people.
「I thought there might not be enough people, so I brought her too.」
Gentz explained.
I walked towards the town gate together with the ten members of the guild’s dismantling team.
We arrived at a place that was a short distance from the gate, where we wouldn’t obstruct people who were entering and leaving.
「This area is probably good.」
At the guild master’s remark, I took the black viper out of the Bear Box.
A collective sigh leaked out from the dismantlement members.
「It’s huge!」
「Was this really defeated by Miss Bear?」
「Before that, it really fit in that item bag?!」
「Can we even finish this by the end of today?」
「You guys, it won’t finish itself if you just stand around and stare. As you dismantle it, carry the parts over to the refrigerated warehouse separately. The meat has transportation priority, so it’s fine to leave the skin for last. These are expensive materials, so don’t let it rot.」
The dismantlement members gave an affirmative response.
「Now then, Yuna, what do you plan on doing?」
「What do I plan on doing?」
「Are you going to stay here and observe? Or will you go home?」
「It’s okay for me to go home?」
If it was okay to go home, then I wanted to go home.
After all, I didn’t really want to watch the snake dismantlement or anything.
「I don’t mind. First, we need to transport the dismantled raw materials to the guild. You can decide on your portion there. We’ll sell the rest.」
「I guess I’ll head back then. When do you think you’ll finish?」
「No idea. I’ll send a guild staff member to your house when it’s completed.」
「Please send Fina, because she is able to enter my house.」
「Got it.」
It’ll be boring just going back like this, so let’s go browse the food carts.
I arrived at the center plaza and searched for something delicious.
I wanted to secure lunch and head back quickly, since if I place it in the bear box it won’t cool down.
As I was loitering around the plaza, I noticed a group of ragged children in a far corner.
I made way towards a shop selling Wolf kebabs nearby.
「Oo, welcome! Miss Bear, you’re early today.」
I usually came here around noon.
「Hey, what’s with those children?」
I ordered one skewer and asked about the children.
「Those children are from the orphanage. They come from time to time.」
「What for?」
「To wait for leftovers from the customers.」
「Leftovers....」
「They gather the food left on the customers’ plates to eat. It is something thrown away by the customers, so we can’t complain, but it doesn’t give a good feeling.」
「Mister, give me 20 roasted kebabs please.」
「Stop it. Even if you let them eat today, what are you going to do tomorrow? If nothing can be done for them, it’s better if you don’t do anything.」
「However, isn’t there money given from the town since it’s an orphanage?」
「I wonder. Either way, I don’t know that much about it. Is money not being given? Is it just too little? Well, looking at that, it’s probably not a lot.」
I thought the feeling I got from meeting Cliff was one of a proper noble, but in the end he might still be a lousy noble.
Cliff’s evaluation began to drop as I made the mister grill more kebabs.
「Don’t say I didn’t warn you.」
He handed me the twenty kebabs.
I carried them over to where the children were.
The children stared at me silently as I carried the skewers over.
「One per person, now eat.」
When I said so, the children turned and looked at each other’s faces.
「I can eat it?」
A girl asked me in a small voice.
「It’s hot, so eat it slowly.」
I gave her one skewer.
The girl started to eat upon receiving the kebab.
The other children, seeing that, also accepted a skewer and began to eat.
「Thank you, Big Sis.」
「Can you lead me to the orphanage?」
I asked a girl.
The girl didn’t seem to understand the meaning of my words as she tilted her head to one side.
「You must be hungry. Don’t you want to eat more? If so, will you guide me to the orphanage?」
The girl gave a small nod.
「This way.」
After the girl walked forward, the other children also followed along with worried expressions, after a bit of indecisiveness.
The children’s trek seemed to have been a considerable distance. We arrived at the edge of the town.
There was only one ramshackle house erected in a distant lot.
To go this far, isn’t it too cruel?
There were cracks in the walls and places with holes.
It was more than likely that there were holes in the ceiling too.
Cliff’s evaluation dropped even further.
I shouldn’t have handed over the Goblin King’s Sword.
There are things that one should do before buying a connection to the king.
It would have been better to spend the money from selling the sword on the orphanage.
When I arrived at the orphanage, thanks to the children’s guidance, an elderly woman came out.
「Ara, who do I have the pleasure of speaking to? My name is Bow, the director managing this orphanage.」
「I am the adventurer Yuna. I saw these children at the central plaza.」
「Central plaza...... did you all go again?」
She looked at the children.
「I’m sorry.」
「Teacher, sorry.」
The children apologized one after another.
「It’s okay. It is all because I wasn’t able to give everyone enough to eat. Did these children do something to you?」
「No, it is because these children looked like they were starving at the plaza.」
「I apologize. Though it is embarrassing, but there isn’t much for them to eat here.」
The director answered me with difficulty.
「What about financial support or the like from the city?」
「Yes, it gradually decreased starting from a year ago, and was cut off roughly three months ago.」
「Cut off... 」
That feudal lord......
「Yes, it was pointless to give the necessary money to us.」
「How are you dealing with meals?」
「About that, I visit restaurants, inns, grocery stores, and fruit stores to receive the edible food, which was either bruised or damaged, and thus unsellable to customers, for us to eat.」
Cliff......
My rage grew hotter bit by bit.
「Even then, the quantity is still small, so these children go to the central plaza......」
「I understand. Miss Director, I have ingredients with me, so please let these children eat until they are full.」
I was guided to the kitchen in the orphanage. I pulled out a lump of wolf’s meat from the bear box that was dismantled.
Since it would be an unbalanced meal with only meat, I also lined up the bread and casket of oren juice I had bought up.
「Erm, Yuna-san」
「Miss Director, please help out as well. Before that, is there anyone else besides Miss Director in this orphanage?」
「There is also a girl called Liz. Right now she went out to receive food.」
This orphanage is being cared for by only two people?
I grilled the wolf meat, prepared the bread, and poured the oren juice as I set the table.
「There’s enough for everyone, so don’t rush and take your time to eat.」
「Everyone, say your thanks to Yuna-san.」
At the director’s signal, the children all began to eat at the same time.
Everyone ate like they were competing.
Smiles appeared on their faces.
「Yuna-san, thank you very much. It has been a long time since I have seen these children smile.」
「There is still wolf meat left, so if there are children who are still hungry, I’ll grill more.」
「Thank you very much.」
I headed outside the house after watching the children eat for a while.
The few children who noticed followed me.
「Big Sis Yuna, where are you going?」
「I intend to repair the house. This hole-riddled house must be cold right?」
I confirmed the places that were riddled with holes and cracks once I got outside.
I filled the holes and cracks using earth magic.
「Amazing, Big Sis Yuna!」
「Can you tell me where there are other holes,?」
The children who live here should know about this in greater detail.
I fixed the places they told me about.
I also climbed on top of the roof, though I didn’t know the locations of the leaks so I blocked off the entire roof with a thin layer of hardened dirt.
Next we entered the house and, while we were in the middle of repairing the interior walls, Miss Director arrived.
「What are you doing over here?」
「As you can see, I’m mending the walls. Isn’t it cold when the drafts enter through the cracks?」
I closed up the walls with earth magic.
I found a room with lots of beds.
I wonder if everyone sleeps here together?
For the time being though, I intended to separate the boys and girls. I put the beds in a small room.
There was only a small towel left on the bed.
Was this a substitute for a bed cover?
It would be cold like this, right?
If I remembered correctly, there should have been 23 people total in this orphanage.
I took out 30 sheets of wolf furs and handed them over to Miss Director.
「Yuna-san?」
「Please hand these out to the children. It must be cold with just one towel for the bed. There’s also one for Miss Director and some spares.」
I returned to each room and finished the repairs for the walls.
Everyone had finished eating by the time I returned to the dining room.
The wolf meat I had prepared in reserve had not decreased, however.
「Did you not eat any?」
「With Yuna-san’s permission, that will be tomorrow’s portion. The children also said rather than eating it today, they would like to eat it tomorrow.」
「Ah, sorry. I forgot to say it. I have prepared enough for several days, so it’s fine if you eat that.」
I took out fresh wolf meat from the bear box.
If there is just this much, they should be okay for a few days right?
「Umm, why are you willing to go this far for us?」
「It’s the adult’s fault if they won’t work and are unable to eat. However, if a child is unable to eat, it is not the child’s fault. It is the adult’s responsibility. The surrounding adults should help if there aren’t any parents. That’s why I’m helping the children. I am a supporter of Miss Director who is trying her best for the children’s sake.」
「T-Thank you very much.」
「I’m acquainted with the feudal lord here, just a bit, so I’ll go make some complaints.」
「Please don’t do that.」
「Why not?」
「The land here is being lent to us thanks to the feudal lord-sama, but if we were to rouse his anger and were driven out as a result, any hope of a place for us to go would disappear.」
「The feudal lord here is that terrible?」
「This place that we live in was given to us for free, so that isn’t really the case......」
「But, there’s no financial support, right?」
「We are grateful to at least have a place to live.」
Cliff is the worst huh.
「 I’ll be going back for the time being, okay?」
「Yes, umm, thank you very much.」
「Big Sis Bear is going back?」
The children gathered around me.
「Don’t worry, I’ll come back again.」
I patted their heads.
「Look, Yuna-san is also troubled. Everyone, please give her your thanks.」
「Big Sis Bear, thank you!」
「Thank you!」
The children thanked me in turn.
I left the children behind and returned to the bear house.