Book 20: Chapter 1 (4)

The next day. After leaving Bear Point Pavilion, s.h.i.+n and his group visited the church orphanage.

After the rescue mission for the kidnapped Millie, s.h.i.+n was swept away to Hinomoto while traveling on a s.h.i.+p and since then had not been in contact.

Ah, isnt it Mr. s.h.i.+n! Its been a while!

Ras.h.i.+a, who had learned Purification and had officially taken over the church, was the first to notice s.h.i.+n and the others. She seemed to be cleaning the garden and had a broom in her hand. Standing before s.h.i.+n and the others, she straightened her back and put on a serious expression.

Ras.h.i.+a?

Thanks to you, we can survive without destroying the orphanage. Once again, I would like to thank you.

The broom in her hand made it awkward, but her voice and gestures were very polite and conveyed that she was speaking from her heart. She wore a solemn aura, unlike how she screamed against undead monsters.

I heard that you also helped Millie and helped expose the fraud committed by the priest. Thank you very much.

It was supposed to be her first time meeting Schnee and s.h.i.+baid, but she must have heard about their cooperation, and Ras.h.i.+a once again bowed to everyone.

Ras.h.i.+a was teary-eyed, probably overcome with emotion as she recalled that time.

No, I just couldnt overlook it. Besides, I also had something to gain, so its a win-win situation. Right guys?

s.h.i.+n, who had not expected Ras.h.i.+as behavior, spoke to Schnee and the others in as cheerful a tone as possible.

Although it was a coincidence, they rescued the former player Milt from being manipulated and released Filma after being sealed in the Drop of Erathem.

If s.h.i.+n had not been involved in the church incident, Milt might have been used as a fighter for the Summit Faction, and Filma might have remained sealed up or been used for evil purposes. He didnt receive a reward for saving Millie, but he did get something in return. s.h.i.+n felt a little uncomfortable if they were too formal about it.

The church has saved many people, and it is natural for us to work together to overthrow the unscrupulous people who stand in the way.

Thats right. Besides, they tried to kidnap Millie and use her, so its a deserved retribution.

Picking up on s.h.i.+ns intention, s.h.i.+baid and Tiera spoke to Ras.h.i.+a. Schnee also smiled gently.

Ras.h.i.+a, perhaps sensing the mood, rushed to explain.

Im sorry. I didnt mean to make you all uncomfortable. Ive been getting a lot of help, so I wanted to say at least thank you.

No worries, lets make ourselves comfortable with each other. What about Millie? Wilhelm was with her, so I trust her to return safely.

s.h.i.+n had left Millie in Wilhelms care, so it was understandable that he was concerned.

Shes doing well. She had a somewhat eye-opening experience, so shes a lot more mature than before.

Ras.h.i.+a smiled as she said that Millie was leaving the orphanage less frequently. However, it seemed that she had not stopped. It was also when she was sneaking out that she met s.h.i.+n, so perhaps she was not sneaking out just to satisfy her curiosity.

As s.h.i.+n was thinking about this, he noticed multiple presences approaching.

Brother s.h.i.+n!

It was Millie who took the lead and jumped on him. The children from the orphanage followed her, and then Sister Thoria came up behind them.

Mwah!

s.h.i.+n was reminded of Yuzuha doing the same thing when he was rubbing her head as she hugged him.

s.h.i.+n stroked her head in the right spot, and she, in turn, moved her head that way. Somehow s.h.i.+n felt like he was dealing with a beloved cat.

He looked at the kids who had caught up with him, and they opened up a little distance, looking alternately at s.h.i.+n and behind him.

Behind s.h.i.+n was s.h.i.+baid. The Dragnils huge body would make the children look up at him and might be hard for children to approach.

However, rather than being scared, the childrens expressions were a mixture of interest and wariness. Since s.h.i.+baid was acquainted with s.h.i.+n and Tiera, their interest outweighed their fear.

Nonetheless, it seemed that even in this world, Dragnil was considered cool, and it was no illusion that the boys eyes seemed to be s.h.i.+ning.

This dragon person here also helped us to save Millie. Hes a good person, so dont worry.

Tiera said, and the children slowly approached and bowed their heads. Like Ras.h.i.+a, they thanked them for helping Millie. Not to the individual, but most likely to everyone.

Speaking of which, isnt Wilhelm here?

s.h.i.+n said, looking around as he responded to the children. Wilhelm was not at the Adventurers Guild, so s.h.i.+n wondered if he was here.

Brother Wil is at work. He said hes going to defeat a skull or something?

Oh, you mean the Skullface subjugation?

Although Wilhelm had no party, his combat power completely differed from an ordinary partys. His weapon had been strengthened, so his ability was several levels higher than before he rescued Millie.

While Wilhelm may have appeared blunt, he was a kind man who cared about the children. He was among the few people who saw s.h.i.+ns fight with the unique Skullface firsthand. He might also be wary of the possibility of another one like it appearing.

Is there something you need from Wil?

Ras.h.i.+a tilted her head.

I wanted to ask him a few questions about Wraith Plains. There seems to be a bit of a commotion.

I see. Its not a big deal at the moment, but if it continues, I might not be able to say that anymore, said Ras.h.i.+a.

It seemed that even the townspeople were also starting to hear rumors. They do not appear on the roads, and there is no direct damage, so it is still only a rumor.

When s.h.i.+n first arrived here, merchants and adventurers were attacked by Skullface, which appeared in the forest. He remembered some people heard the adventurers talking about it.

People from all walks of life come to the church, including those who come to pray and those who wish to be cured of injuries and illnesses. Ras.h.i.+a said that since there are different types of people, she can find out somewhat how such rumors are spread.

s.h.i.+n had requested information as a reward when he had her learn Purification, so she was conscious of remembering even the smallest conversation.

When she took notes and summarized them, she said excitedly that she was surprised to find more information than she expected.

Come to think of it, did I request that?

Dont tell me you forgot about that

Ras.h.i.+a was stunned, but s.h.i.+n was hardly aware of the reward at the time. He just wanted a reason to lend a hand.

My bad. Also if Wilhelm is there, it should be okay even if the number of monsters increases a little, and we plan to help out a bit. So when the time comes, Ill blow them away all at once.

Please dont overdo it.

s.h.i.+n said it jokingly, so Ras.h.i.+a seemed to take it that he hadnt really forgotten. She responded in a light tone that matched s.h.i.+ns.

She and Wilhelm must have seen s.h.i.+n reap Skullfaces, but she was quite confused at the time, so she may not remember it.

So, aside from that, I came today to find out how Millie was doing after that incident. I couldnt spend much time with her because of the trouble. From what I saw, there didnt seem to be anything out of the ordinary about her.

s.h.i.+n decided to send Wilhelm a message card later and changed the subject.

While Ras.h.i.+a and s.h.i.+n were talking, Millie was running around the square in front of the orphanage riding on Yuzuha, who had grown a little bigger than her.

Previously, Yuzuha had run away to Millie after being pulled by the children who had gathered around her. However, when she was big enough for a child to ride, the children at the orphanage did not needlessly pull her tails and whiskers. Perhaps Yuzuha had learned that if she remained small, she would be again used as a toy by children.

I agree. She didnt want to leave Wil when she returned, but now shes doing the same as before.

I see. Thats a relief.

Earlier, Ras.h.i.+a mildly described the experience as eye-opening, but it could have been traumatic.

However, from what Ras.h.i.+a said, that did not seem to be the case, and s.h.i.+n breathed out a sigh of relief for a moment. Mental trauma could not be healed by recovery magic; s.h.i.+n could not do anything about it.

Now that I think about it, what do you tell the other kids about Millie?

I told them that she had gone out for a while. Fortunately, no other children besides Millie saw her at the crime scene.

Fortunately, Millie was the only one who came to the crime scene.

Ras.h.i.+as wounds were quickly healed with s.h.i.+ns items, and both Millie and Wilhelm returned safely. They also wiped up the blood at the scene so no one would know they were injured.

Some of the orphans were beasts. The children with a sharp noses might have noticed by smell that something had happened, but Ras.h.i.+a and the others stayed the same, so they didnt poke at them.

Its over now, so if they dont know, thats fine.

The original culprit was eliminated. There was no guarantee that someone with knowledge of Millies power would not do something similar, but the danger had been greatly reduced. There was no need to go out of your way to tell the other children.

The orphans were divided into two groups: those chasing Yuzuha, Millies ride, and those playing with Schnee and her group.

It all started with Millie and Yuzuha, but the child who had begged Tiera to play with her made the same request this time. Starting with Tiera, who was already popular with the orphans, other members also seemed to have gathered orphans.

The boys either followed Yuzuha or went to s.h.i.+baid. The girls either approached the women they were interested in or went to s.h.i.+baid.

Its hard to believe that they were wary of him initially.

Hes quite fond of children.

s.h.i.+n and Ras.h.i.+a look over to see s.h.i.+baid walking with the orphans on both shoulders. The boys were on the right, and the girls on the left. Both were cheering and frolicking. The children who couldnt get on were clinging to his arms or hanging on, but his strong arms didnt budge.

When the child clinging to him was about to fall, he deployed a small defensive barrier to catch the child. s.h.i.+baid later told them that he used to do the same thing in the early days of his empires establishment.

s.h.i.+baid would take turns carrying the children who begged him, Im next!, Then me!. Some of the older children were also mixed in there.

I guess you could say hes the most popular.

Its me and Thoria who deal with the children. Many other women have come here also. So the children dont get to play like that very often.

Not that there werent men who would be willing to play with the children. However, few of them were accustomed to playing with children, so it was a bit awkward for them. The situation seemed different for those who play with the children instead of those who receive them.

After leaving the orphanage and starting work, they were already adults in the world. It was not easy to change jobs, and it was difficult to make a living unless you had a job.

They must learn to work hard to make a living and cannot think about playing. Ras.h.i.+a said thats probably why she was worried.

s.h.i.+n did not know what to say to this reality, which was harsher than he had imagined. Even the children smiling innocently would eventually have to contend with this reality.

While she was thinking about this, some boys approached s.h.i.+n and the others.

They were probably waiting for them to finish their conversation.

Hmm? Whats wrong? Is it me? Or is it Ras.h.i.+a?

Um, thats

A few of the boys pointed toward s.h.i.+baid.

Oh, thats what the kids wanted, s.h.i.+n thought.

Many of the children were excited to be on his shoulders or hanging from his arms, but only s.h.i.+baid was currently doing that. The women were either fussing with the little ones or playing make-believe with the girls, making it difficult for the boys to get close to them.

Sety was the only one being chased by the children, and there must be a childish reason for it.

Schnee and the others could easily carry a child on both shoulders if they wanted to.

But it would be unreasonable to expect a child to know what they were capable of, and even if they did, a boy would probably be too embarra.s.sed to hold on to them.

s.h.i.+n, however, was different. He was not as big as s.h.i.+baid, but his physique wasnt bad either. He had once visited the orphanage, so his personality was somewhat well-known. And above all, they were both male. It was easier to ask for a favor.

All right! Those who want to ride on my shoulders, line up! Take your turn!

s.h.i.+n announced with a smile, trying to make it as casual as possible. In these circ.u.mstances, he couldnt say no to the children.

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