25. Orphanage (2)
25. Orphanage (2)
Hello.
My name is Niv, and I'm a new arrival at the orphanage where the Saint-nim resides.
I came to Medherun City on an errand for my parents, and while I was away, my village was attacked by Spider Monsters.
The moment I finished my errand and tried to leave Medherun City, a guard stopped me. I didn't understand why he was blocking me, but the guard-ajusshi told me that Spider Monsters were attacking my village.
I wanted to leave because I was worried about my parents, but he stopped me to the end, saying it was too dangerous outside the city.
After everything was over and I went to the village, what I saw was a ghost town where all the adults, friends, and my parents had vanished.
I cried my eyes out. Truly, until all the water in my body was gone.
The village had already been visited by so many people that everything in my house was gone. It was the same for the other houses.
A village already emptied out must have been a tasty treat for mercenaries or bandits.
In the end, I couldn't even recover my parents' keepsakes and returned to the city. The problem was, there was no place for me in the city either.
There had already been damage to other villages, and there were many people in the city like me who had lost their parents or families and were wandering around.
Fortunately, an inn allowed me to work there.
If I had continued to work at the inn, I would never have had to enter the orphanage. The Spider Monster attacks continued to strike surrounding villages, and because of that, many travelers stopped coming to the city, and eventually, the innkeeper told me they were sorry.
I knew what that meant, and knowing how grateful I was for the place to sleep and the work they had given me, I bowed deeply and thanked them before leaving.
A huge city. In a city dozens of times larger than the village I originally lived in, there didn't seem to be a single space for me to live.
The money I had was pickpocketed and disappeared, and just like that, I sat down on the street.
I wanted to do something to survive day by day, but I wasn't the only one acting like that.
In the end, I decided to make the worst choice.
I decided to enter a brothel to sell my body. But I had no choice. My body and mind were already exhausted, and I was so hungry that I was tired of living by eating dead rats on the street.
Just as I made up my mind to sell my body to live rather than die like this and headed toward the brothel, a beautiful knight caught me.
Snow-white hair and snow-white armor.
It was Knight Commander Gwen, the most famous knight in Medherun City.
As soon as Knight Commander Gwen saw my appearance, she took my hand. I thought it was disrespectful to hold Gwen-nim's snow-white hand, so I tried to pull away, but—is it because she's the Knight Commander who protects this city? Her strength was so great that I couldn't pull away.
Knight Commander Gwen held me like a princess and took me to a place that looked like a church.
I was flustered because we suddenly arrived at a church.
"You'll be safe here."
The church was none other than the orphanage.
"Gwen-nim, what brings you here?"
"Amber-nim, hello. It's nothing else, but—"
Gwen-nim explained about me to Amber-nim, who was in front of us.
"Understood."
"And is the Saint-nim doing well?"
"Yes. She is doing well."
"That's a relief."
'Saint-nim?'
I know about the Saint too.
A person who receives the love of the Goddess who protects our world is called a Saint.
I thought the Saint was in a country called the Holy Kingdom, far away from here?
After Gwen-nim talked with Amber-nim, she carefully handed me over to Amber-nim.
"You'll be fine here."
"Th-thank you."
That was how I was able to enter the orphanage.
"You're quite dirty, so the shower room won't be enough. You'll need to soak your body in warm water."
The first thing I did after entering the orphanage was, of all things, take a bath.
Amber-nim carried me down to the basement and took off my clothes in a place that looked like a changing room.
I had gotten used to my own body, but even so, when I took off my clothes, the smell of food waste wafted out, and I hung my head in shame.
She led me, who was like that, into the bathhouse without a second thought, and a beautiful bathhouse that I had never seen in my life unfolded before my eyes.
Although it was an orphanage, I was curious why there was a bathhouse in a church building, but it was such a beautiful bathhouse that I couldn't bring myself to say it.
"Who is it?"
As soon as I entered the bathhouse, a beautiful, melodious voice reached my ears.
I naturally turned my head in the direction the voice was coming from, and.
"Wow..."
There was the Goddess.
Long hair that went past her hips. Even so, it was maintained in the best condition, and the overwhelming figure that was exposed so openly was beautiful enough to make even me, a woman, fall for her.
Her face, her figure, just everything—it was impossible to believe she wasn't a goddess.
I just stood there with my mouth open, feeling ecstatic just by looking at that beautiful body.
Feeling that it was disrespectful to even look at that body, I squeezed my eyes shut.
'That person must be the Saint-nim.'
I realized it immediately. That person right there is the Saint-nim!
"Hmm? Amber. Who is that child?"
"Lea-nim. This is the child that Knight Commander Gwen just asked us to take in."
'So the Saint-nim's name is Lea-nim.'
"Is that so? But why here— Ah. She must have been outside for a long time."
"Yes. If it's alright, may this child use the bathhouse?"
"It's fine."
"Thank you."
"Niv. Let's go in."
I was startled by Amber-nim's touch.
"W-w-wait a minute! I, I'm too dirty!"
Confirming that I was about to enter the bathhouse where the Saint-nim was, I shook my head violently.
Water that looked so clean and holy I thought it was crystal. On top of that, my body, which was full of unholy things from not washing for a long time and living on the ground—I'm going to enter the bathhouse where the Saint-nim is soaking?
I might fall straight into hell!
"It's fine. This place is always kept clean by magic. Don't feel burdened, come in. If you haven't been able to wash for a long time, it's right for you to come in here."
'H-how can her personality be so beautiful too!'
I blushed without realizing it at the Saint-nim, who was smiling at me.
No, that's a foul.
To have that face, that body, and such a beautiful heart.
Isn't that why the Goddess chose her?
"Uwaaa..."
The bathhouse.
I had never experienced this in my life.
Ordinary citizens sometimes never get to use a bathhouse in their entire lives. Of course, sometimes we fill a large basin with water, but a place filled with water this large, and it's hot water at that!
Usually, when taking a shower, we boil water and mix it with cold water in a large basin.
But to take a bath in a place where such hot water is filled in a giant bathhouse...!
"Haa..."
I carefully entered the bathhouse.
The warm water gently embraced my body, which had grown cold from long-term homelessness, and melted away the cold energy; it felt like I had come to heaven.
"Fufu. How is it? The warm bath feels good, doesn't it?"
"Yes, yes!"
I answered the Saint-nim's question in a loud voice immediately. No matter how uneducated I was from living in a rural village, I knew exactly how to treat high-ranking people because I got along well with the village elders!
"You won't be able to relax if I'm here, so I'll step out first."
"Ye, yes!?"
"It's fine, Amber."
"Yes."
"Please wash this child well."
"Understood."
The Saint-nim, who stepped aside first for me, someone who had no parents and had even considered becoming a prostitute on the streets.
I stood up on legs that were trembling even though they had no strength because my tension had been released, and I bowed deeply to the Saint-nim to express my gratitude.
"Fufu. It's nothing. Rest comfortably before you come out."
==
"Uh... um..."
As soon as I came out of the bathhouse and arrived at the changing room, my brain froze.
If it were the Colony, it would be one thing, but there are too many humans around, so I can't make clothes out of my own body.
Even if I could, it's better to wear real clothes in case of an emergency, so I wear clothes when I'm at the orphanage.
The problem is that I've been wearing all my clothes with Amber's help until now.
First, I have to put on underwear.
Even if it's the Middle Ages, it's a world where magic exists, so the underwear isn't much different from Earth's.
It just doesn't have hooks or wires and is just made of cotton.
Wearing all the underwear, I put on the pajamas that Amber had prepared.
'Good. All clear.'
It was less of a big deal than I thought. I mean, what problem could there be in putting on clothes?
But this can't be helped; I haven't worn clothes for over a month.
When I was in the Colony, my body would just turn into clothes, so there was no need to put them on or take them off.
When I'm at the orphanage, Amber puts them on and takes them off for me 24/7, so I'm not used to putting on or taking off clothes.
'I've become incredibly lazy....'
There's no particular problem living in the orphanage, but one big inconvenience has arisen.
That is, I can't smoke whenever I want.
I just acted like a kind-hearted nun at the orphanage, but before I knew it, I was being called a Saint in Medherun City.
On top of that, since it's an orphanage with many children, it was hard to smoke.
Of course, no one would say anything to me even if I smoked, but the problem is that the tobacco leaf material for the cigarettes I smoke is human.
Ordinary humans wouldn't know, but adventurers or knights who have fought a lot might notice the smell of burning human.
Then the orphanage that cultivates this delicious human might collapse in an instant.
In the end, I hold back the urge all day long and go down to the cave connected to my room to smoke.
'This isn't like some delinquent secretly smoking in the bathroom back in the day.'
But it can't be helped.
For the time being, I have to do it this way when I smoke.
'That aside, Dagos will like the new human who came in.'
Our [Overlord]-class kids each have diverse tastes.
Dagos, who prefers commanding over fighting, likes soft human women, Gluttony, who fights on the front lines, likes muscular humans, and Evolute likes smart humans.
Should I be thankful that their tastes are all different...
I think I should just fatten up the new human who came in and do some exercise with her before giving her to Dagos.
Looking at her, she seems to have some age, so I think I should hurry a little.
Humans are the most delicious when eaten before they age.
Of course, I don't really know!