Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: 2. Orphan Gacha Probability-Up Event
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Not long after I went to bed, I woke from a light sleep.
The reason wasn't that I needed to use the bathroom or anything like that. Rather, a clear sound had suddenly rung out in the room.
The small bell I kept in the director's office.
That very bell was the source of the sound.
Ding—
"...Hoo, so it happened despite all my efforts."
It was one of the few magic tools I owned. A bell that automatically rang whenever someone entered or left within a certain range around it.
I couldn't set the range myself, and it didn't distinguish between people coming or going, so during the day it was nothing but a noisy nuisance.
But in the dead of night like this, it served as the most reliable alarm.
'The orphanage was built right on the edge of the bell's range, and we put up fences... so if it's ringing at this hour, it's one of two things.'
Someone had broken into the orphanage.
...Or someone had run away from the orphanage.
'Probably the latter.'
Handling such a special line of products had its advantages—like not having to pay fines for abandoned goods—but it also came with risks like them requesting a return on their own or sneaking out of the establishment. It was actually a miracle that nothing had happened for a whole year.
To prevent that, I'd done my best to make the display environment as pleasant as possible for the products. But products have their own natures, each different from the others. Even precision machine factories produce defective goods sometimes; a handicraft workshop like this is even more prone to it.
'Please, if someone's running away, let it be a 1-Star Orphan.'
Wishing at least for minimal losses, I got out of bed. Of course, whether it was a 1-Star or a 4-Star that ran, my job was the same.
Persuade the runaway product nicely and bring them back, then tighten up product management from now on.
'Should I give them more free time, or prepare better snacks? No, they might like more Talent Training time... Adding meat to the menu would be good too.'
Anyway, I had to retrieve escapees as gently as possible. Violence? Even if I dragged them back that way, they'd just run again. Here, it had to be through talk, considering the products' feelings as much as possible.
If they wanted something, I'd grant it. If I'd done something wrong in managing them, I'd apologize. With that resolve, the moment I stepped out of the director's office—
Ding.
"...?"
The bell rang once more.
I quickly grasped what that meant and grabbed the mop from the corner of the director's office before charging out.
'If it was a runaway, they'd have gone all at once, so no reason for the bell to ring twice. That means...!!'
An intruder.
The moment I made that judgment, I headed down to the first floor of the orphanage and looked toward the front door. Sure enough, someone was taking advantage of the darkness to sneak in and look around.
They could be a traveler or someone lost, at best.
Crack!
"Gaaahhh!!"
"Quiet. Make too much noise and you'll wake all the products."
But no such person would be carrying a whip with metal shards attached. And the way they eyed the orphanage was blatantly predatory. Call it an industry insider's instinct? It was the look of someone appraising goods to steal.
So without hesitation, I ambushed from my hiding spot on the first floor and shattered their arm. It was a trick I'd learned as an adventurer—even someone like me with no combat talent could wreck a thug's shoulder if I struck by surprise and nailed the angle.
As they collapsed screaming, I shoved the mop handle into their mouth to gag them. When terror filled their eyes, I smashed the other shoulder and kicked the whip far away with my foot.
"From now on, I ask the questions. Say anything weird, irrelevant, or pointless, and your legs go next. You want to walk out of here at least, right?"
"Mmph! Mmph!"
"I'll take that as a yes. Should I pull it out?"
And that brings us to the present.
Following what the blubbering fool promised to tell me in exchange for anything, I headed to the Happy Orphanage, the mastermind behind this.
"You're lucky."
Lucky I caught him alone. What shameless scoundrels. Losing in fair business competition, so they try to smash the rival shop physically?
Before leaving, I'd checked on the products and gone pale realizing the 3-Star Orphan and 4-Star Orphan had run off. And they'd even stolen my silver coins—had I mismanaged them that badly? In my rage, I went ahead and wrecked the intruder's legs too.
But hearing him out, it turned out this orphanage director had ordered the 3-Star and 4-Star Orphans to do it.
Ultimately, using products for bad ends is the user's fault, right?
I'd disposed of the intruder's body properly enough, but now came the real problem.
'What to do.'
The Happy Orphanage was a competitor I'd heard of—a fairly large operation around here. Among villagers, it had a reputation as marginally the least awful orphanage.
But apparently that was because some nasty guy had been actively spreading how "fine" the Happy Orphanage was. And the guy who'd eyed me suspiciously last time seemed to be from there too.
'Anyway, with the director and boss dead, the Happy Orphanage will be in chaos.'
But that didn't mean it'd collapse. If he were just the director, maybe, but according to the intruder, he was also the boss of some "Smile Family" organization. His underlings would now be gunning for each other to become the next boss.
In other words, getting involved with Happy Orphanage affairs could drag me into a mess. Fine for me alone, but awkward with products still growing here.
After a moment's thought, I turned in the direction he'd come from.
'First, find the products.'
According to the intruder's gang, the 3-Star Orphan Tricksy and 4-Star Orphan Karen, plus three others, had been sent by Happy Orphanage as spies from the start. That's why they were used goods, why they seemed to have ulterior motives.
But 3-Star and 4-Star Orphans from Happy Orphanage or not, I couldn't let them go. Especially the 4-Star. How much sunk cost had I poured into magic tutoring for her?
At least the products only had scratches, he said, so I hurriedly followed his trail.
It wasn't long before a blatantly suspicious abandoned house came into view.
"Kids?"
"D-Director!!"
The moment I opened the door to the ruin, Tricksy—who'd been sobbing inside—ran and hugged me. I hugged her back right away, but gripped my inner coat pocket tight, wary her 3-Star talent might pick my silver again.
But Tricksy didn't steal any more silver. Seemed that function had been wiped when her user died.
"Tricksy, you okay?"
"S-Sniff, yes. B-But Karen more than me!"
"Karen?"
"Karen collapsed and won't open her eyes!"
"What!?"
Shit, our precious 4-Star Orphan!
Rushing to Karen lying nearby at Tricksy's words, I ignored the odd mana lingering around. No time for that.
I scooped Karen up and checked her heartbeat and breathing—thank goodness, faint but alive. But not a state to relax in.
'Mana exhaustion? No, this is worse...'
It felt like she'd squeezed every last drop of mana. Down to the mana needed for basic life functions.
"Tricksy, know what happened?"
"N-Not really. She just fainted, and when I woke..."
"She was like this? Got it. Anything else to say?"
"Th-Those Happy Orphanage guys were definitely swarming here... but now no one's left!"
"Besides that."
"...Ah."
Under my questioning, Tricksy looked at me with trembling eyes for a moment.
Then she bowed her head, sniffling.
"I'm sorry... From the start, from the very start, that's why I came to the orphanage."
"......"
"I stole your silver too, Director. You said talents like that weren't for this... but I used it. I'm so pathetic."
"............"
"I'm sorry, Director. If you chase me out, I'll go. But, but the others!"
"That's not it. That's not what I wanted to hear."
"Huh?"
"You're growing kids, right? Can't be wandering around awake at bedtime. I don't know about the rest."
"D-Director?"
"Anyway, you've apologized, so that's enough. Let's go back, Tricksy. Sleep in tomorrow and the others might eat all the breakfast."
"...Yes!"
Why would I chase out a 3-Star Orphan? I'd have stopped even a 2-Star or 1-Star, but a 3-Star? No way you're leaving. You're stuck in our orphanage now.
Leaving Tricksy—who smiled brightly, oblivious that ownership had transferred—I first hoisted Karen onto my back. The suddenly vanished Happy Orphanage executives nagged at me too.
'Surely not heading to our shop?'
"Tricksy, excuse me a sec!"
"D-Director!?"
An ominous thought made me panic, so with Karen on my back, I scooped Tricksy up with one arm and raced to the orphanage. Thankfully, it looked fine from afar, no signs of more intruders.
Just in case, I placed the orphanage security measure—aka the orb from Hella—in front of the gate and entered. Few left now, but Hella comes tomorrow; I'd grab her skirt hem or whatever for more.
Straight to the director's office, laid Karen on my bed, and grabbed various remedies and potions.
"Tricksy, you head back to bed now."
"Huh? B-But Karen..."
"I'll take care of Karen, don't worry. And aren't there kids waiting for you?"
"Waiting...?"
"When I came up, I glimpsed your roommates all awake together. If they come out looking for you, it'd be a bigger mess, right? Stop them."
"...Yes!"
A 3-Star Orphan here wouldn't help anyway. Setting her as leader activates a passive to prevent other orphans from running—zero worries.
The moment Tricksy left, I uncorked a potion and trickled it into Karen's mouth. Pricey stuff, but not as pricey as a 4-Star Orphan.
Luckily, it was just total mana depletion; she started coming to right after the mana potion.
"Ah...?"
"Karen, you with us? Recognize me?"
"Ah........."
Phew. Losing a 4-Star here would've had me bawling like a kid. My money! My retirement! My pension!
Relieved we'd passed the crisis, I fed her more potion, and her mind seemed to clear. Hm, save the rest.
Karen, opening her eyes to look at me—
"F-Father."
"...Yeah?"
"Father... Father........."
What now, father?
Suddenly calling me father? Then I recalled telling her a few days ago I wanted to be their father. Because of that?
Yeah, do whatever you want, my 4-Star Orphan.
"Karen."
"...D-Do you hate it?"
"How could I? Call me Father all you want if you like."
"Ah."
"Karen?"
"Father......"
At my permission, her extremely anxious expression broke into a radiant smile. Then she sat up and hugged me.
Uh, do parent-child duos do this much skinship? Well, as orphans craving paternal love, I got it.
Hugging her back, Karen shuddered in my arms and gave me that familiar look.
You know, like Laila after the avalanche, when I woke in the Beril Count Family and she stroked my head—
"Father... I'm sorry. I must apologize to you."
"Apologize? You? Hm, for sneaking out at night..."
"I... used magic."
"What?"
"On the Happy Orphanage executives... Th-Those bastards were gonna kill Tricksy. And burn you and the orphanage..."
"...So you aimed magic at people?"
"Y-Yes. Sorry, Father. Really sorry. You told me not to. Your words..."
Karen wailed like she'd committed a mortal sin, but my mind raced hearing her out.
So Tricksy passed out and didn't know, but the executives all died to Karen's magic? And the director-boss died to me.
In other words, Happy Orphanage right now—
'Is completely defenseless?'
"...Father? Why the grin?"
"Oh, Karen. That's... no need for you to apologize."
"Huh? But, but you said—"
"I meant the innocent. Think. Were they sinless? Good people?"
"...No."
Hm, her eyes look pretty scary. Mana's gone kinda dark too.
Did she evolve weirdly? I'd secretly slipped her a spellbook to check—her talent stayed 4-Star Orphan. Good, no issues.
Confirming her product value intact, I stroked her head and whispered.
"That's right. Of course, don't aim magic at innocents or good folk. But those villains? No hesitation needed. Especially since they targeted us first. That's justice."
"Justice......"
"I want to praise you, even. Thanks to your magic, Tricksy and you survived."
"Father, I did good? Worth praising?"
"Of course, Karen."
The lack of bodies must be her magic too? But did basic spells have no-trace ones? Wondered briefly, but I don't know magic well, so whatever.
Anyway, with Karen calmed, time for the real priority.
Happy Orphanage defenseless, and word of last night's events spreading through the village soon.
'Their management wiped out, and we're the clear victims?'
Opportunity.
Time to merge orphanages!