Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Invitation
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Maybe I should go.
The desserts had run out, so I went to restock the fridge.
I visited the dessert shop run by the canine-kin owner again.
After carefully packing the colorful desserts, I placed the tray on the counter.
I was leisurely waiting for them to be boxed up.
“Little one, would you like to visit the orphanage Red sponsors?”
The owner said this after he finished packing everything.
The unexpected topic made me freeze, unsure how to react.
An orphanage. Come to think of it, Red had suggested it to me before.
Of course, I refused back then and had completely forgotten about it since.
Why would he suddenly bring that up?
Anyway, if I had to choose, I’d rather not go.
Just as I was about to shake my head to convey my refusal…
“You really don't want to go?”
The owner spoke first, startling me.
I fumbled with my face, wondering if my hood and mask had come off and revealed my expression. But they were still properly in place.
How did he read my mind?
Seeing my confusion, the owner gave me a warm smile.
“There are ways to know what someone is thinking without seeing their face. Emotions leak through one's actions.”
“…”
“Normally, I believe the person’s own will is most important, so I didn't plan on bringing it up first. But whenever she comes here, she keeps asking about you. Things like ‘Does the kid look healthy?’ or ‘Does he seem okay?’ She’s so concerned.”
Only then did I understand why the owner had brought up the orphanage.
It’s only natural to feel pity for a child in a sorry state.
Especially for a child in such shabby clothes, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume they're having a hard life.
It’s not strange to want to show kindness to a pitiful child.
But for kindness shown to a child she'd only met once…
It felt a little excessive, and I tilted my head.
“Red loves children. That’s why it’s hard for her to ignore a child like you in such a state.”
Hmm.
The owner's explanation seemed to make sense, and yet…
I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
It wasn't just because of my distrust of people.
My intuition was telling me there was some other reason.
Could it be that she somehow figured out I was the Grim Reaper after that fight? No. That can't be it.
If she really had noticed, something would have already happened by now.
“Just go once and show her you’re doing well.”
“…”
“And who knows, you might even like it once you get there.”
Along with the packaged goods, the owner handed me a small terminal.
The owner pointed to the terminal.
“She left this here. If you don't know how to work it, I can show you.”
I didn't refuse.
I took the terminal and stared at it blankly.
“If you follow the directions on there, you’ll find the orphanage. Well, the choice is yours, little customer.”
I nodded and walked toward the entrance.
Just as I was about to leave.
“A child should live where they can be a child, not in a world where death is commonplace.”
I heard the owner's lonely mutter.
Leaving the sweet-smelling shop behind, I returned to my base.
*
The deliberation was long, the decision hesitant.
There was no need to go to the orphanage.
It wasn't like I had money stashed there, nor did I have any special reason to go.
Besides, it was a place sponsored by Red.
It would be better for my well-being not to get involved with such a strong and dangerous Fixer.
The more time I spent with her, the higher the chance of my identity being exposed, and if that happened, things would get really tiresome.
It wasn't mandatory. The choice was mine.
I could just ignore it.
But she went to the trouble of preparing all this for me, and my conscience wasn't cold enough to simply ignore it.
Even if I ignored it, my daily life would remain the same, but maybe going wouldn't change much either.
I wasn't going to live there. Just showing my face for a moment wouldn't cause any major problems, right?
As soon as I returned to my base, I stored the desserts I bought today in the fridge and left immediately.
I followed the map on the terminal.
‘I hope it’s not too far.’
How long had it been since I set out?
It felt like at least three hours had passed, but I couldn't be sure without a clock.
Honestly, regret started creeping in midway, and the whispers of my inner demon constantly tormented me, telling me to turn back.
But the time I'd already spent walking felt like a waste, so I did my best to ignore it and silently moved my legs.
My efforts weren't in vain, as I was nearing my destination, and the scenery of the streets began to change little by little as I got closer.
The streets grew narrower.
Skyscrapers gave way to low-rise buildings.
The bustling noise faded into a quiet atmosphere.
As I emerged from the narrow street, an alarm on the terminal announced my arrival.
I glanced at the terminal, then looked ahead, repeating the motion two or three times.
‘This is the orphanage? It’s… completely different from what I imagined.’
Since Red was the sponsor, I expected a magnificent building.
I thought it would be a place that brought to mind phrases from books, like ‘the heart-stirring chirping of birds,’ ‘a warm garden,’ or ‘a house full of hope and dreams.’
‘It’s a really old building.’
Well, it's still much better than where I live, though.
‘But how do I get in?’
I approached the entrance, which was closed off by an iron gate.
I grabbed the iron bars tightly and shook them, producing a rattling sound.
It was a perfectly ordinary iron gate with no special devices installed.
The fence was just as ordinary.
Since it was a place where children lived, I thought there would at least be security robots or devices.
Did they think the area was safe enough that they didn't need them?
From what I'd seen, this area didn't seem particularly safe either.
Well, that's not what's important right now.
‘I need to let someone inside know I’m here. How do I do that? I can’t speak, so I can’t shout. Is there a doorbell anywhere?’
No matter how hard I looked, there was no doorbell.
I couldn't just wait until someone came by.
Should I just rip the gate off and go in? Honestly, I could easily break a gate like this with just a little bit of magic.
It was a very simple and easy plan, and I nodded in satisfaction.
Unfortunately, it was obviously out of the question.
I didn't come here to fight.
There was no need to cause a commotion by acting violently.
‘Should I climb the wall? It doesn't seem to have any special devices, so it should be fine.’
The wall was high for a kid with a small body like me to climb.
But for a not-so-ordinary child, a wall like this barely even counts as an obstacle.
If I just gathered a little strength in my legs and jumped, I could get over it in an instant.
But this, too, was rejected.
The moment I entered without permission, it would be game over.
The best-case scenario was to enter peacefully, as a guest.
‘Maybe I should just shake the gate. Then someone might hear the noise and come out.’
Yeah. That's a good idea.
Just as I grabbed the gate with both hands, ready to give it a good shake.
“Stop right there!”
A booming voice rang out.
It came from the top of a large tree near the entrance.
Lifting my head toward the sound, I saw someone standing at the very top of the tree.
The sunlight was blinding, making it hard to see clearly, but it looked like a human figure.
“This is the Sunshine Orphanage, a place full of dreams, future, and love! No villain dares set foot here! Not as long as I, the guardian Rene, protector of the future, people, and peace, am here! Haaah!!”
The figure leaped high into the air.
They somersaulted several times in mid-air, attempting a cool landing in front of me.
THWACK!!
Unfortunately, the landing was a spectacular failure.
The moment they landed, their feet slipped, and their face greeted the ground.
‘Ouch! That must have hurt. It looked pretty high.’
I picked up a twig lying on the ground and poked the person sprawled out in front of me to see if they were dead or alive.
The person flinched, then quickly got up, simultaneously doing a backflip and, this time, successfully striking a pose.
Their face was red from hitting the ground and dirty with dust, so it was practically another failure.
But they didn't seem to mind.
‘Come to think of it, that pose…’
I know that pose.
I once picked up and read a comic book that had been thrown away in a junkyard. The pose was identical to the main character’s.
They probably thought it was a cool pose.
But I was the one feeling second-hand embarrassment.
Isn't it embarrassing for a grown adult to act like that?
Whether they knew how I felt or not, they changed their stance to a threatening one.
“You’d better reveal your identity if you don’t want to get hurt!”
Embarrassment aside, the sheer force of her presence sent a jolt through my shoulders.
This woman is strong.
I stared at the woman, inwardly surprised.
On the outside, she looked like an ordinary human.
An adult woman with long blue hair and a beautiful face—nothing else about her seemed the least bit special. And yet, she exuded this much pressure.
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
She was not an opponent to be underestimated.
Her name was Rene, wasn't it?
She told me to reveal my identity, but I was the one who wanted to ask questions. Who are you, and why are you suddenly doing this to me?
As the silence stretched on, Rene’s expression grew stern.
“Why aren’t you answering? If you won’t reveal your identity, I’ll take that to mean you have something to hide. In that case, I won’t go easy on you. Just so you know, I don’t hold back just because my opponent is small.”
It looks like she's about to attack.
What should I do?
This is a problem.
She's different from the common thugs on the street.
I couldn't take her on lightly, but if I used my full power here, I would not only damage the orphanage but also risk revealing that I'm the Grim Reaper.
This is a real mess.
Isn't there a way to resolve this peacefully?
I tried to rack my brain for a way out of the situation, but unfortunately, no light bulb appeared above my head.
Just then, as I was observing the woman, I noticed something strange.
‘Her outfit looks just like a kindergarten teacher’s.’
Come to think of it, didn't she call herself the orphanage's guardian earlier?
In other words, she was affiliated with the orphanage.
“Now, prepare yourself!!”
In the tense, touch-and-go situation, I hurriedly took out the terminal and showed it to her.
The woman, who had been about to push off the ground and lunge, saw the terminal and tried to stop abruptly, nearly slipping and falling forward.
“Is that…!? Can you hand that to me for a moment?”
I handed the terminal to Rene.
Rene fiddled with the terminal.
Her expression and demeanor gradually began to soften.
“So you’re the child Red told me about.”
Rene bowed her head deeply with an apologetic look on her face.
“I’m sorry. I mistook you for a bad person because of your suspicious outfit.”
I waved my hand to show it was okay.
“Red is away on business right now. It would be better to wait inside than to stand out here. Come on in.”
Phew. I’m glad it ended well.
I now understood why the orphanage didn't have any security devices installed.