The Weight of Their Smiles
Following the note from the angels, I trudged through the snow with feet that sank deeper with every step until I finally arrived at Snowfield Village. The path had felt strangely familiar, and before I knew it, I was standing at the village entrance.
"Heading back from Frost Territory again today? You work hard."
"Haha... Yes."
"Hurry on in. The kids are waiting."
After exchanging an awkward greeting with the guard at the entrance, I stepped into the village. Snowfield Village was small but charming, filled with quaint little buildings clustered together in a picturesque winter scene straight out of an online photo. It was exactly the kind of ideal snowy village I'd seen on the internet.
...The kids are waiting, huh?
According to the status window, I was apparently the eldest at the orphanage here. That explained why I'd walked all the way to Frost Territory—to run errands for the children I was responsible for.
"I should buy some bread to take with me."
Even though it was late, I decided to pick up a small snack for the kids who might still be waiting. The warm, sweet smell of bread drifted from a nearby building, so I headed straight for it.
"...Venice! You're here again today. Twenty loaves, same as usual?"
"Ah... Yes. Please."
"I had a feeling you'd come, so I already prepared them! They're still warm, so take them quickly!"
"Haha... Thank you. That'll be one silver coin, right?"
I handed over a silver coin to the shopkeeper, who recognized me just like the guard had. The menu listed five copper coins per loaf.
"Come on, not this again! I told you I'd sell them to you for fifty coppers! Here, take your change!"
The shopkeeper gave me a mock-offended look and pushed a pouch of coins toward me. Had this clone been close with her? Even so, halving the price felt excessive.
"Thank you, miss..."
"Hmph... Hmph! If you're really grateful, buy me a meal sometime!"
"Haha... I will. I'll be going now!"
After offering my sincere thanks to the slightly flushed shopkeeper, I made my way toward the orphanage. I should accept discounts when they're offered. All I had right now were two silver coins and the fifty coppers I'd just received. There might be more money hidden in my room, but judging by what the guard and shopkeeper said, this body lived hand-to-mouth in poverty.
As I walked, heading for the orphanage tucked away in the corner of the village, a strange sense of familiarity and warmth welled up in my chest.
"...It's an old building."
Up close, the orphanage looked ready to collapse at any moment. Rust covered parts of it, and despite the freezing winter, weeds had begun creeping up the walls. Cracks ran along the structure here and there. Living in a place like this had to be dangerous... It could fall apart at any time.
Creaaak...
The old door groaned loudly on its rusted hinges as I pushed it open—a sound straight out of a horror movie.
"Cough. Ugh... Dust..."
The moment I stepped inside, a cloud of dust hit me, forcing a cough. It seemed the place hadn't been properly maintained in a long time.
...This is worse than I thought.
The interior was far worse than I'd hoped. Even though it was a space where children lived, mold covered the walls and spiderwebs hung untouched from the ceiling. The old wooden floor was riddled with holes—some large enough for a child's foot to slip through. Worn-out furniture and a single dim lantern provided the only light. The smell of old wood and mildew filled the air. It was barely livable.
Children were supposed to grow up in a place like this?
If something this horrific were discovered on 21st-century Earth, it would be all over the news.
Thud, thud, thud—
Suddenly, the sound of multiple small footsteps echoed from deeper inside. Light, rapid steps pattered across the creaking floor.
"Big brother Venice—!"
"...Big brother Venice!"
"It's Venice hyung!!"
Bright, innocent children came running toward me, their cheerful voices a stark contrast to the gloomy surroundings. They threw themselves into my arms.
"You're still awake even though it's this late?"
"Yeah! We thought you'd come!"
"We were waiting...!"
Their clear, pure eyes sparkled as they answered. Not a trace of misfortune or sorrow could be seen in them. I found myself smiling without realizing it.
"I guess it can't be helped. Here, I bought some bread. Let's all eat."
"Waaah—! Delicious bread!!"
"...Big brother Venice, you're the best!"
"Line up in a single file. I'll divide it equally."
At my words, the children obediently formed a neat line without any pushing or cutting. I handed out the bread one by one.
Nom nom nom nom.
—It's so good! Bread is always delicious!
—Hehe... Thanks to big brother Venice.
—I'm so happy!
They devoured the bread with pure, radiant smiles. Even something as simple as a single loaf of bread brought them such genuine joy. Warmth and pride filled my heart. Just watching their smiles felt like it could become my reason for living.
"Um... Big brother Venice..."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Don't you need to eat too...?"
A timid little girl approached and asked. She must have noticed I'd given away all the bread without keeping any for myself.
...How sweet.
Pat, pat—
"I'm fine. I'm not hungry at all."
"Hehe... That's good, then..."
She purred like a cat as I gently patted her head, then returned to her friends. I watched the children laughing and chatting together, and simply smiled.
Grumble—
Of course, I was hungry. My stomach growled loudly after days without food, but it didn't matter.
...So this is what adults meant.
They always said watching children eat was enough to fill you up. I'd never understood that growing up—until now. If enduring a little hunger let me see those pure smiles, I would gladly accept it. It was just a small kindness an already-grown plant could offer to new sprouts.
"...I need to work hard and earn money."
I wanted to earn enough so these children could grow up without going hungry. If it meant protecting their laughter and innocence, I would do any grueling work without complaint.
...Maybe this body kept taking on dangerous errands every day because it wanted the same thing.
Probably. Just looking at them made my heart feel full—no more wishes needed.
Grumble—
Even though it was a hungry night, my heart was warm with the happiness the children had given me as the day came to an end.
***
The next day.
I woke up early and went looking for work. Following a merchant's request for a nearby herb, I found myself in a forest not far from Snowfield Village.
"Hup... I'll gather up to here and head back."
I filled my basket with the fern-like plants that had small flowers, just as the merchant had shown me. Whether it was luck or the plant being common, I quickly gathered a full basket. The forest wasn't far, so the walk back didn't take long.
"Haaam... You're working hard again today, Venice."
"Haha... You're working hard too, Mr. Ben."
"Hard work? All I do is stand here and look around. You're the one doing all the real work."
"...I'm not tired at all. I'll be going now."
"Alright. Take care."
—...He's so young, yet so diligent and kind.
I'd learned the guard's name was Ben when I left the village that morning. After finishing our chat, I headed straight to the merchant's building.
"...Huh? You already gathered them all?"
"Ah, yes. I guess I got lucky. Are these the right plants?"
"Hmm... Let me see."
The merchant looked surprised that I'd returned so quickly. He carefully examined each plant from the basket I'd handed him.
"Mm. These all look like Terridi leaves. How did you collect them so fast?"
"Haha. I really must have been lucky."
"Well, that happens sometimes. Here, two silver coins."
"...Wasn't the reward supposed to be one?"
"Ehh! Just think of it as an old man's tip! Use it to feed the kids properly!"
"Thank you, sir..."
I bowed deeply to the elderly man who had given me double the original payment. With this, I could buy snacks for the children. My heart felt light.
"...Oh, right. I saw some knight-looking fellow near the orphanage earlier while passing by."
"...Pardon? A knight?"
"Yeah. Full armor and a fancy sword. Not a friend of yours?"
"I'm sorry, sir... I need to go."
Why would a knight in armor and carrying a sword visit the orphanage? Unease gripped me as I broke into a full sprint toward the orphanage.
"Please... Let nothing have happened...!"
I prayed to a god I didn't even believe in as I ran, hoping my terrible imagination wouldn't come true.
"Huff... Huff..."
My body lacked stamina. Even though the distance wasn't far, I was already gasping for breath. Still, I pushed through without stopping and arrived quickly.
—Waaah...!
"............!"
Through the open orphanage door, I heard children's screams and crying. It was the sound of pure, happy children now sobbing in terror—something I never thought I'd hear from them.
Please... Let nothing be wrong... Please...!
Crash—
".....Kids!!"
I kicked the door open and rushed inside.
"Waaah...!"
"Big brother Venice... Help...! Sniff..."
The moment I entered, I saw the children sitting on the floor, wailing. Towering over them was a massive figure in shining armor, a sword at his side that looked capable of cleaving monsters in two.
"............"
The knight turned his cold, emotionless gaze toward me.