Chapter 47: Driving Out the Orphan Gang

The closest comparison was probably Sea King, which he had played before, but the difference in scale was enormous. Moreover, Sea King still had a clearly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠defined protagonist character and focused on that individual’s success, so the feeling was completely different.

Since he was fumbling around while learning the systems, his first game ended in complete disaster very quickly.

“Damn it.”

Still, his interest did not cool at all. He immediately started over, used what he had learned, developed his nation much faster than before, and began fighting seriously for world supremacy.

Early on, an Orc nation suddenly unleashed an absurd number of warrior units, forcing him to desperately create alliances through diplomacy, incite wars to have others strike them from behind, and continuously recruit armies just to hold the line.

Aren’t Orcs overpowered?

Kamchan was intimidated by the endless waves of Orc warriors pouring out. At this rate, he felt he would probably try playing as Orcs himself next time.

Fortunately, after constructing a cavalry training camp and receiving horses from allied nations, he was finally able to counter them through unit compatibility advantages.

But then, just as he pushed forward and gained momentum, his diplomatic relations with allied nations suddenly worsened. Once the supply of horses was interrupted, the frontlines stalled again. During that deadlock, one of the neighboring countries dissatisfied with Kamchan’s expansion attacked from behind according to the game’s logic and carved away a huge chunk of his territory.

This was probably the moment when the game was at its most fun. The point where players understood the systems moderately well but had not yet mastered everything or fully learned the AI patterns.

Kamchan fought fiercely back and forth against the computer. If his mother had not shouted for him to come eat dinner, he probably would not even have realized six hours had already passed. He might even have only come to his senses the next morning when it was time to leave for school.

“Wow... this game is seriously...”

The hairs across his body stood on end. He truly felt that the person who made this game was a genius. Kamchan picked up the package case he had carelessly tossed aside earlier and checked the developer company and representative’s name.

“Epex Ras? Wow... seriously.”

It somehow felt tragic to enjoy something this incredible all by himself. But then again, very few of his friends knew Aran well enough to play it properly, so they probably would not experience the same level of emotion.

Can’t this be translated into Ruta?

Naturally, thoughts like that began surfacing. Honestly, even though he could speak Aran, he still felt he would become more immersed if he played in Ruta instead.

If only I were better with computers, I could translate it myself.

“Kamchan! Aren’t you coming downstairs to eat already?”

Kamchan’s thoughts were interrupted once again by his mother’s loud voice. He glanced reluctantly back at the game screen before leaving his room. At the same time, he decided he should look for some computer programming books at the library tomorrow.

A week after Ras began investigating orphanages, five or six people arrived in front of his office building.

They wore neat white robes layered with short black vests. The outfits themselves were not especially unusual, but since all five of them wore identical clothing, they naturally attracted attention.

They were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Priests. In Earth terms, they could be compared to pastors or nuns, but their role carried more of a practitioner’s meaning than that of religious leadership, making them somewhat similar to monks as well.

“This is the place, right?”

“Yes. It seems so.”

A kind-looking middle-aged Priestess answered while looking at the shop signs on the building’s first floor. At the same time, she observed the unusually large number of children nearby and became even more convinced of her judgment.

The group immediately entered the building and climbed the stairs.

If one traveled about ten kilometers toward the outskirts from here, the scenery changed completely from the downtown district into a neighborhood filled only with old one- and two-story houses. Crossing the stream at the eastern edge of that district led to a small mountain, beneath which stood a fairly large orphanage.

These people had come from there. As their clothing indicated, they belonged to a religious order, and at least within this city, they were considered among the most reputable.

In particular, the Priestess in her forties, despite her gaunt frame, had intense blue eyes that seemed almost to shine. She was so beloved that people even called her the Mother of Orphans. In truth, her appearance seemed somewhat strict, but she embodied the idea that sincerity eventually reached people’s hearts, earning tremendous love and respect from the children in the orphanage.

“This is it.”

The group glanced briefly toward Ras’s office on the second floor before stopping in front of the iron door on the third floor. A chubby male Priest with an honest-looking face spoke quietly, his tone carrying more pity than tension.

“Then let’s go in.”

A relatively sturdy man stepped forward, opened the door, and entered first, while the others slowly followed behind him.

Soon, they encountered children. Little kids around five or six years old pressed themselves ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tightly against the walls, staring at the strangers with eyes full of fear and curiosity. However, perhaps sensing they were not dangerous people, none of them ran away.

“Who are you, mister?”

At the child’s question, spoken while blinking wide eyes, the gentle-looking older woman stepped forward and answered. Her tone was astonishingly soft and warm.

“We’re people who are going to live together with all of you from now on.”

The child tilted his head and asked again,

“So... are you going to live here with us?”

“No. This place isn’t bad, but it’s dark and cold, isn’t it? There’s somewhere much nicer.”

The other Priests also stepped forward and told the children similar things. Without mentioning the word orphanage, they instead talked about a warm and clean place where there was plenty of food, no abusive adults, and lots of friends.

The young children were quickly captivated by the kind adults smiling warmly while telling them such wonderful stories. More than the tempting descriptions themselves, it was because they were children who longed for parental affection and naturally fell for the Priests’ loving attitudes.

Even if they could speak and understand words, children that young were far more instinctive creatures than most people realized.

Several of the children nodded at the Priests’ invitations and took their hands. Since they were not even ten years old yet, it was unavoidable.

Just as five or six children were about to be led out the door by the Priests, hurried footsteps suddenly thundered from deeper inside.

“Who are you people?!”

It was a boy who had stayed behind to guard the place. The Priests flinched momentarily at the rough voice characteristic of puberty, but the boy who emerged from the shadows looked only about fifteen years old at most.

“Hello. We’re from Sky Haven.”

The kind-looking Priestess answered with a warm smile. But unlike the younger children, the older boy was not fooled so easily. After seeing their clothing, he immediately realized where they came from.

“You came from an orphanage!”

The boy panicked for a moment before spotting the children holding the Priests’ hands. Grinding his teeth, he charged toward them.

“Let go of the kids!”

But the Priests did not retreat. Instead, they embraced the children protectively and turned their backs as though telling him to strike them if he dared.

The boy glared at them while gripping the knife handle hidden in his clothes. But in the end, he could not bring himself to draw it.

Damn it!

The boy was not weak-willed at all. If anything, he was vicious. Yet even so, he could not attack a Priest. It was not because Priests held political power.

Priests were respected by society. Especially those who devoted themselves to caring for orphans. The existence of orphans revealed the cruelty of the world, but paradoxically, orphans could only survive through the mercy and compassion of others.

The moment he injured a Priest, they would lose all of that support, and surviving on the streets would become nearly impossible. And beyond such practical understanding, the boy himself instinctively recoiled from the idea of attacking a Priest.

In the first place, he carried a knife to protect himself from the world, not to attack others. Unless he was cornered or facing death himself, no matter how vicious he was, he could not bring himself to stab someone in the back.

In the end, the boy could only stand there helplessly while watching the Priests lead the children away.

Naturally, Ras had orchestrated all of this from behind the scenes. How had he convinced Priests who originally had no personal interest in the matter to move? The answer was surprisingly simple.

Money.

The orphanage overflowed with the desire to rescue children but lacked the financial means to do so. If that was the only obstacle, then Ras simply needed to provide the money. On top of that, he also helped slightly by telling them exactly where the children were located.

The orphanage already possessed facilities and operational experience, so the cost of taking in one additional child was lower than Ras expected. If it had been too expensive, even he would have given up.

But after hearing that thirty thousand Del would allow them to save more than a dozen children, Ras decided it was worth it.

Of course, the Orphan Gang numbered around fifty, not merely a dozen. But there was no need to take everyone away. Ras only needed to instill fear in Murstin that all his subordinates might disappear.

“Damn it all!”

And indeed, when the Priests visited for a second time, the Orphan Gang apparently decided they could not endure it any longer and fled completely. Another gang might have fought back viciously, but since these children were weak and fundamentally gathered together only to survive, they chose escape immediately.

“There’s a chance they could come back, so please continue checking on the place for a while longer.”

“Ah. That could happen, yes. Understood.”

After hearing from the Priests that the Orphan Gang had vanished, Ras let out a sigh of relief. Still, just in case, he requested that they continue watching the area for a while.

Of course, this was somewhat excessive worrying. Someone like Ras, who had enough spare time to dwell on the past, was different. Orphans struggling just to survive each day naturally focused only on what was immediately in front of them.

But from the temple’s perspective, it was not particularly difficult, and Ras was a donor who had contributed an entire thirty thousand Del, so they willingly agreed.

Meanwhile, Ras himself did not go anywhere near the office building. He had gone through considerable trouble and spent quite a lot of money to avoid creating grudges. Compared to the interior renovation costs, it was not enormous, but it was still far from a small amount.

If he carelessly returned just to enjoy a feeling of victory and happened to be seen by members of the Orphan Gang who might still be lingering nearby, it could create suspicion. In that case, it might have been better to simply hire security and drive them out from the start.

Still, this really feels refreshing.

However, one thing continued to bother him.

Ella.

Sky Haven had only been able to take the very young children. There were no teenagers in their mid-teens or older there. That meant Ella must have left together with the Orphan Gang, and there was no telling whether he would ever see her again.

Of course, he had given her his phone number. But she had never contacted him even once.

Did she lose it?

Human feelings truly could not be helped. He knew her circumstances were terrible, and considering the age from his previous life, the difference between them was practically criminal.

Yet once his heart became drawn to her, he could no longer control it.

It’s not like I’m not a teenager right now too, right?

Without realizing it, he had already begun making excuses for himself. In the end, unable to suppress his wavering emotions, Ras decided that once vacation ended and he confirmed the Orphan Gang had truly disappeared from the office building, he would hire a detective if necessary and track down where they had gone.

Thinking about it carefully, it was not just because of Ella. It seemed necessary to confirm their whereabouts regardless.

If they had moved far away, there would be no problem. But if they remained somewhere nearby, then no matter how unpleasant the thought was, they could always return someday. In that case, he would need to take measures, whether by renting the entire third floor himself and using it as office space or perhaps opening another business there.

In any case, finally resolving a problem that had caused him constant stress made him feel incredibly relieved.

Still, he remained slightly uneasy. He had handled things carefully without directly stepping into the spotlight, but even without proof, he was in the most suspicious position possible. And unlike a courtroom, revenge could still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠come even from mere suspicion alone.

Of course, the Orphan Gang was not an especially violent organization, and they were always extremely conscious of society’s judgment. That made it difficult for them to directly target someone like Ras, who was now a legitimate businessman.