Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Lennon Orphanage (1)
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What in the world had happened?
The old man had clearly been bisected and killed.
His death was an indisputable fact.
Yet the body was gone.
There wasn't even a trace of blood.
It was as if the corpse had evaporated.
In contrast, the troll's carcass remained untouched.
So had he come back to life or something?
He'd looked like he could burst out of his coffin from the start anyway.
...There really are all kinds of weird old folks out there.
That's when I suddenly remembered the book I'd tossed aside.
Its title was *City of Immortality*....
Somehow, I had a feeling it might be connected to this situation.
I returned to the room and grabbed the book.
Just in case he showed up again and became a nuisance, it was better to have it on hand. It might contain his weaknesses or ways to kill him.
I said,
"Let's head out first."
I set aside the various questions this situation raised for now.
The cave was a sealed space.
It wasn't safe for us, and there was nothing particular to do here.
I put Allen and Iriel in front, then—unlike usual—personally picked up Veron.
To prepare for any potential threats.
Fortunately, no additional dangers arose as we exited the cave.
"Hoo."
Seeing the forest bathed in half-moonlight, Iriel let out a sigh of relief. Allen stretched, loosening his tensed muscles.
"Feels like I can breathe now."
With enemies potentially popping out from anywhere at any time, it was impossible not to be mentally on edge. On top of that, the body we'd thought was dead had vanished. It was only natural to feel uneasy about what was behind us.
The corpse couldn't have just crawled back to its coffin on its own.
Iriel furrowed her brow and said,
"What in the world happened?"
"Yeah. He was definitely dead...."
Allen trailed off. Unable to get answers from each other, the two naturally turned to me.
But how would I know?
I tossed the book I'd grabbed from the lab to Allen.
"Hold onto this."
"You grabbed it from the room?"
Allen caught it against his chest and asked.
I nodded in response, then handed Veron to Iriel as well.
"Fall back."
Then I turned to face the cave entrance again.
The cave began in the crevice between house-sized boulders. I unleashed a blunt burst of sword energy upward.
KABOOM!
A thunderous explosion rocked the silent mountains. Thick dust rose like storm clouds. As the wind gradually dispersed the dust, the rubble of piled-up rocks was revealed, like a grave.
"Whether it's inside or out, it'll be a real hassle now."
On the way back, I hadn't found any other paths inside the cave. There might be side passages, but blocking the entrance was the best I could do.
Whether it was still alive in there or had fled outside, it'd have to work hard to use this place again.
As I finished up and turned around, Allen was staring blankly at the cover of the book I'd given him.
"Know anything about it?"
"Nope."
Allen shook his head and stuffed the book into his bag. I walked past him.
We'd ended up pulling an all-nighter.
The faint dawn light was already turning night into morning.
"Guess we got all our sleep for today."
I heard Allen grumbling from behind.
We hadn't slept, but with the sun rising, we couldn't stop moving.
Lennon City, where the orphanage was, was still a long way off.
We had to keep pushing.
* * *
Through the large iron-barred gate, a three-story mansion came into view. The walls surrounding the mansion were as tall as an adult, and in the spacious yard, people who looked like servants strolled about leisurely.
"What business do you have?"
A man with a pointed goatee peered through the bars.
He eyed the ones who'd just knocked on the iron gate.
They looked plenty suspicious, like stragglers from a battlefield. If not for the child among them, he would've shooed them away without a word.
"We're here to see the director. If you pass this along, she'll know."
One of the men handed over a small iron badge from his bag.
It symbolized something. The guard took it through the bars, nodded warily, and said,
"I'll check it out."
He ordered a passing servant to verify the badge and returned to the guard post behind the gate.
"Phew, maybe we can rest now."
The grubby man let out a long sigh.
"I wanna wash up right now."
Someone who could pass for male or female at a glance said.
Their attire was masculine, but their delicate features and round, sparkling eyes carried a beautiful charm.
Given their state, it was a miracle they'd made it through the city gates looking like that.
Their clothes, caked with monster blood and dirt, were no better than rags, and their matted hair and sweat-streaked faces could put off even a beggar who'd starved for three days.
Those two were none other than Allen and Iriel.
A sight even beggars would envy.
I stuck out my tongue watching them.
After crossing deep mountains and valleys while battling monsters, they were quite the spectacle.
I'd left all the monsters we encountered while crossing the mountains to them, on the principle that a big sword is for big jobs.
That's why they looked especially like beggars compared to me and Veron.
We plopped down on the ground and waited for the gate to open. The floor looked cleaner than our dust-covered clothes, so we had no qualms.
Before meeting Master after so long, I passed the time reminiscing about my days in the beggar den.
"Ahh, when's it gonna open?"
Iriel bit her lower lip, voicing her frustration.
It had been quite a while since we'd sat in front of the gate like dead weights. My patience was wearing thin too.
If this weren't the orphanage where Veron would stay, I'd have kicked the door down by now.
Fortunately, the gate opened just before my patience ran out.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
We were led by a servant into the mansion's reception room, where a man came out to greet us.
"Hello. Apologies again for the wait. I'm Tral, the butler in charge of managing the Lennon Orphanage."
He opened the reception room door and bowed politely. While Allen and Iriel exchanged greetings with him, I entered the room first.
A beam of light fell from the window onto a small potted plant.
It was a cozy room, modest but overall neat and tidy.
Standing there in our state felt embarrassing.
The butler eyed our appearances carefully before cautiously suggesting,
"The director is out at the moment, which delayed our response, but I think it might be best if you all freshen up first. What do you say?"
He asked politely, and we readily agreed.
It was what everyone wanted.
"Now I look human again."
Cleaned up, Allen admired himself in the mirror from various angles.
After days without a wash and in fresh clothes, I felt refreshed beyond words.
As I toweled Veron's wet hair, I said to Allen,
"You two go see the director. I'll watch Veron."
Allen nodded understandingly.
The reception room talk would be about Veron.
It wasn't something to discuss with the child present.
The butler had said play education was happening in the back yard.
I'd take him there.
Once Allen and Iriel left, I tucked Veron under my arm and hopped over the balcony onto the roof, heading straight to the back yard before it got too late.
The moment I set him down, Veron's eyes widened, his face lighting up.
"Wow. It felt like flying in the sky."
"Your friends are over there."
Ignoring his commentary, I pointed to the kids playing in the back yard. Veron turned from me and stared at them intently. There were quite a few who looked his age.
The teacher watching them spotted us suddenly and tilted her head.
I said,
"It's the new kid."
"Oh, come here, dear. What's your name?"
She approached with a gentle smile.
She was a warm-looking woman in her thirties.
Veron didn't go to her but clung to my leg, shrinking back.
I pried the kid off and gave him a push on the back.
Propelled forward, Veron turned back with an awkward expression.
I said as kindly as I could,
"Go on."
Veron nodded slightly and walked slowly toward them. The approaching female teacher took his hand and led him to the children.
Arms crossed, I watched Veron mingle with the kids.
In a world gradually turning red, the playing children's faces were bright.
Some kids even approached Veron to talk. He seemed uncomfortable, but he was gradually chatting with them.
For some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene.
'He'll be fine here.'
This was an orphanage run under Lucian's sponsorship.
He'd been establishing and operating them in small cities less influenced by the empire.
This was a reliable place where I could entrust Veron with confidence.
He'd probably do well.
"Lord Jenes!"
I turned at the call.
Allen was walking over from the side.
Iriel was with him, along with an elderly man with neatly trimmed white beard.
He had a gentle face.
He offered a handshake and a benevolent smile.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Cross, the director. I've heard all about it. You must have had a tough journey."
While Cross introduced himself, Allen and Iriel watched me with anxious eyes, like kids about to cause trouble.
It was ridiculous.
Lightly ignoring their stares, I grasped the wrinkled hand of Cross.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jenes."
He squeezed my hand once firmly before letting go.
Looking toward the playing children, he said,
"That's the child, right?"
He was gazing at Veron.
Watching the kids, I said,
"The children look happy."
"It's the joy of my life. Hard to come by these days, isn't it?"
He looked at the children with pleased eyes. Allen and Iriel, who had been staring at me, now watched Veron too.
Allen chuckled and said,
"Kid was tense."
"Yeah. But it's good to see him fitting in."
Iriel smiled faintly. Spotting them, Veron waved mid-play. Allen and Iriel waved back, exaggerating their gestures as if urging him on.
Veron nodded brightly, laughing, then rejoined the kids. His expression was a bit stiff from awkwardness, but he seemed to be enjoying it.
Being a kid, he was blending into the atmosphere quickly.
Cross said,
"I heard you're leaving tomorrow afternoon."
"Yes. No need to drag out the farewell. I'll spend the morning with Veron and head out right after."
We planned to resume our journey tomorrow.
Staying a few more days wouldn't change anything.
"How about dinner with me tonight, then?"
"I'd be honored."
"See you then."
Cross patted my shoulder lightly and left.
The moment he departed, Allen rushed up in a fuss.
"Lord Jenes! You know how to use polite speech?"
"Yeah, what's going on?"
Iriel's eyes were wide beside him. The two were genuinely shocked.
So that's why they'd been so fidgety earlier.
Worried I'd speak casually to the director.
"Cut the nonsense. Did you handle Veron's matters properly?"
"Oh, yeah! They agreed to take good care of him. I explained everything. Veron will grow up great."
Allen answered confidently and kept going.
"But who knew you could use polite speech, Lord Jenes. At first, I thought my ears were wrong. You do know manners when you want to. I thought...."
Allen stopped mid-sentence.
He'd felt my cold glare. Realizing the situation, he started gauging my mood and backed off.
I knew why the guy was acting up, but I wasn't as clueless as he thought.
I knew how to be polite.
When I wanted to respect someone.
The director met that standard.
He looked older than me and deserved respect for his years. I had a soft spot for white hair because of Master, too.
In any case, I could tell just from the children's faces. It might not match parental love, but they seemed happy.
Even with sponsorship, you can't fake genuine care.
He was worthy of my respect.
After that, we stood quietly watching Veron. As time passed, the world grew redder.
And with it, our parting time drew near.