“Starting from today, this is the place you will be managing, Luna orphanage.”
The building seems to have originally been a church. However, it was already impossible to imagine how it originally looked like. At any rate, the building is very tattered. The paint was peeling off the roof and the walls, even the window glass were almost all broken. Wild grass was expanding freely in the garden, the entire place was basically, a mess.
It was easily understandable that maintenance of the place has been neglected for many years.
With a sigh, I tried to open the door. However, the door instantly fell off its hinges.
The soldier who has guided me here has already returned to the castle.
Having been left here, there was nobody else other than me inside this orphanage that might collapse at any moment. It was just like a ruin.
Haah… I sighed again.
Through the different world summoning magic, I and my class have been transferred to this world. The other guys have received real skills, while I was only bestowed with「protection」 and elementary 「appraisal」. Thanks to that, I was assigned to manage this desolated orphanage alone.
Well, the fellows from this Waltham kingdom had said something about protecting this country and defeating the demon lord in order to go back to our world. Those were things I couldn’t help but feel doubtful about. Thus getting expelled from the castle might have been a better result than staying there. Besides the shallow words, those fellows had said, living with my brainless and carefree classmates in this different world will prove to be extremely discomforting.
With that being said, getting appointed as this orphanage’s director isn’t bad at all.
However,
“Even so, this is pretty awful. Is this place really usable?”
Walking down the passage while brushing away spider webs, I sighed at my bleak future perspectives.
At that moment.
(......There’s somebody in that room…… Is there a homeless person or something living here?)
I went into the room with great caution.
And then,
“Is……. someone there? keho keho”
(TN: keho is literally the sound of coughing.)
Together with that voice, a young girl with cat ears growing on her head showed up.
From her voice and body figure, she should be around 12 or 13 years old, but I wasn’t so sure about that. Because half of her face was very unattractive as it was completely inflamed.
There was an unpleasant wheezing sound coming from her lungs whenever she took a breath. Moreover, her movements were very sluggish. The cause is most likely due to a fever.
“Oi oi, are you alright?”
I called out at the girl however she said,
“I— I’m sorry. I don’t have anything left. Please, don’t beat me.”
“What are you talking about? Oi, what exactly are you…...”
“Hiiuu—”
The girl gave out a frail scream while her body shuddered.
Upon looking more closely, there were whip marks and various injuries covering her whole body.
“Listen to me. I’m not going to beat you, it’s something useless that will only waste time. I just want to ask for your reason for being here.”
“Re—really…?”
“Aah, that’s correct. Also, do I appear to be a violent person?”
“Y—yes…… Ah, no.”
Lucia, is what this girl is called, was making a dubious expression. After several interactions, we became slightly more familiar with one another. But as expected, I should still remain vigilant.
“I’m sorry...... I have calmed down a bit.”
“Hmm…… So what on earth is going on? Why is a kid like you alone in this kind of place?”
I asked her, then she talk about her circumstances bit by bit.
To summarize, she was a slave owned by some large merchant just until several months ago, but she seems to have been abandoned. Beating her frequently, this merchant would appear to be a man who enjoys inflicting pain and violence upon others.
The whip marks on her were the result of punishments. Due to her young age, she had no sex appeal and thus had received the worst living conditions. However, a doctor has found out that she had caught a mysterious disease just recently. As a result, she was abandoned at the ruins of Luna orphanage.
To simply put, this girl was waiting for death to claim her here.
“But, being alone is very lonely. Father and mother have died in the war, and I may not live for long either. But, please! At least stay together with me before I die. I don’t want to be alone anymore… Gusu, hic hic”
(TN: Gusu is literally the sound of sniffle, sobbing.)
“Till you die huh. I don’t mind, do whatever you want.”
I easily gave her my consent. Hearing my words, the girl made a surprised look and asked.
“E-even though I’m just a beastman, you’re willing to stay with this sick and ugly girl together?”
“Stop that. That’s just a trivial issue. Besides, even I don’t have anywhere else to go. To sum it up, this is simply a great opportunity to help one another, there’s no need to thank me.”
I nodded indifferently.
“Thank you very much. Now I can die in peace…...”
I sighed at the girl who began to cry.
“Stop crying. Don’t get this entire place wet. From what you have just told me, you’re just another normal girl, it doesn’t matter whether you’re ugly or not. And as a man, I will not abandon somebody like you, it is one of my responsibilities.”
“N—normal… me? Ehe~, I’m happy even if it’s a lie…… But, I had hoped you could have seen me when my face was still normal. If that had happened, perhaps…...”
Her previous appearance huh… I see...
“Regrettably, I don’t have any powers to heal you, so don’t expect anything from me.”
But if it were my classmates, wouldn’t one of them possess a skill that is capable of saving this girl……?
“It’s alright. I was already taken to the doctor when I was sick. But after being diagnosed, they said my illness was something that couldn’t be healed even with the strongest resurrection magic. I’m afraid there’s nobody else who can cure this sickness.”
She said as her gaze slowly fell.
The girl was already prepared to accept death. That resignation was clearly visible in her ruby-like pupils.
At that time, the girl shuddered and started to collapse sideways. She seems to have reached her limit just from speaking with me.
“Tch.”
I unconsciously reached out to support her powerless body.
However, it was at that moment, a torrent of light gushed out from my outstretched hands.
And when the lights had settled, the girl let out a surprised cry.
“N-no way…… To cure an illness that the resurrection spell can’t, even the injuries on my face and whip marks are gone…… Everything is healed…...”
Standing there was a peerless beauty with chestnut colored long hair, red pupils and cat ears were on her head.
What is going on……? It’s true that the light was released from my hand but…?
Is it a skill? No, that’s not it. My skills are only 「protection」 and elementary 「appraisal」...... Those were incapable of healing any form of sickness.
I was deeply thinking about my skills and the cause behind this. And while I was doing so, detailed explanations suddenly started to flow into my mind.
(What exactly is happening!?)
Although I was confused, I hastily read the sentences.
…...「A skill that protects any intimate things nearby in every manner. An extraordinary ability that manifests only upon a person with true talents once every 100 million years.」
That’s rather messed up…...
What does that really mean? I was just an insignificant ordinary high school student back in my previous world. But in reality, there was an extraordinary talent lying dormant inside me?
Ah! Now that I thought about it, the female sage back at the castle had mentioned something about enchanting a skill. Could this be it?
The effect of that was obvious, the complete recovery of the girl in front of my very eyes. Considering the whole situation, it might have even more healing power than a resurrection skill.
When I was absorbed in thinking about what just happened, the girl spoke to me while crying.
“Gusu gusu, thank you very mush. I—I thought I wath really going to die…… It felth so lonely…...”
(T/N: she’s sort of lisping.)
Apparently, her words are not forming properly.
“Stop crying, it’s very depressing to watch. I wasn’t particularly trying to heal you so stop giving me your gratitude already.”
But no matter what I say, the girl just kept crying.
Tch, what do I have to do to make her stop? She can’t continue crying like this. I even have to prepare for the management of the orphanage…...
…...ah, there’s that.
“Eh!?”
The girl suddenly raised her voice, and at the same time, the tears stopped falling.
Hm, as expected, it has succeeded in stopping her from sobbing.
What did I do?
It was very easy. I just simply patted her head.
When I was taking lessons on health care, we learned about the best methods to stop a child from crying. I quickly applied what was taught back on Earth and its effectiveness was displayed splendidly.
“Don’t be too surprised. I’ll even let you pat my head as an apology alright? So stop crying already. I’m a busy person.”
“N—no, that’s not it. But to pat the head of a beastman, only their parents or master are allowed to do it.”
“I’m neither your parents nor your master. Then as I thought, I should better stop patting you.”
My main intention was to stop her from crying. And in the first place, I was not the kind of person who would pat a child’s head.
I quickly tried to remove my hand from her head. But the girl grasped onto it tightly.
“Master! I beg of you, please become my master!”
I was taken aback at the girl’s sudden outburst.
“Oi, what are you suddenly saying And let go of my hand. I don’t understand why I have to become your master all of a sudden…...”
“Please! Become my master. I want to stay by your side! …...A—actually, nevermind. As expected, I am an unpleasant sight, right……?”
“It’s not a matter about whether your unpleasant or…… but why are you asking me to be your master now?”
After I asked with an amazed expression, the girl slowly picked her words and told me bit by bit.
“I…… I no longer have any parents. And I do not want to return to the previous merchant anymore. Those eyes of his…… I don’t want to see it. A—and, above all else, I want to repay the kindness master has shown! Please let me thank you for your help! Among the beastman…… If us, people of the cat-ear tribe finds someone worthy to serve, it is a custom to make that person our master!!”
(TN: cat-ear tribe was literally written as nekomimi tribe.)
So she said while firmly looking at me
Unlike just now, the timid atmosphere coming from her was gone. Her gaze was now filled with a strong sense of determination.
“Why me……”
I spoke halfway and changed my mindset with a “fumu”.
If I carefully thought about it, what I’m considering to do from here onwards didn’t seem to be a strong excuse to refuse her offer. The idea of becoming her master struck me as abhorrent. But even so, there was nothing wrong with letting a girl who is an orphan live at an orphanage.
“......Oh well. I came here to open an orphanage after all. If you insist on staying by my side, then you can stay here even without my permission since you’re an orphan. I won’t be forcing you to do anything. Your daily meals will be prepared, but anything more than that is a no. Also, whenever we go out together, you are not to refer to me as master or something similarly disgusting. I’ll kick you out if you do. If you disagree with what I’ve just said, tell me.”
“Yes! Thank you very much! And, there’s no way I will have any problems with those!”
She declared with gusto.
Good grief, I wonder about that.
And when that conversation was over, this time, the girl began to talk in a slightly more formal tone.
“Umm, master. Please let me express my gratitude once again. Thank you very much for rescuing me from such a dangerous situation.”
“Don’t mind it. Didn’t I said the opportunity to help you just came up by itself?”
“Is that so? ……I understand. But even so, I’m still worried about being thrown away.”
“I can’t tell you to believe in my words. After all, I’m still a stranger to you. But it’s better if you can trust……”
“No! Not at all! Master, I truly and sincerely believe in your words. No, that’s not right. This uneasiness in me, I’m worried if I can properly serve my master. So…… Therefore, I want master to give me proof that I’m useful!”
“Hm? What do you mean by…...”
My questioning voice slowly died down as Lucia tightly pursed her lips. With a rustle, she removed her clothes while blushing intensely.
“Please, give proof to me.”
(TN: Proof can also be read as mark.)
The girl said as she proceeds to entrust her delicate and beautiful body to me. It would seem no matter what I say, she insists on proving herself to be useful.
But…...
“Hmph, stop messing around. Put on your clothes quickly.”
To my flat refusal, the girl made a sad expression from the shock of being rejected.
Tch, I clicked my tongue.
“Isn’t that a given? As you are still a child, you shouldn’t be trying to imitate doing such things. I do not have such a weird hobby. If you find a fellow you love after you become an adult, feel free to do it with that person.”
Why do I have to say something like that as a follow-up?
But,
“Re-really!? If I grow up, you’ll let me be your bride! That’s a promise alright!?”
Hm?
“Oi, wait. That’s not right. I’m saying that you will surely find some other guy after growing up.”
But, Lucia wasn’t listening to me. She just kept on muttering “bride~, bride~, master’s bride” with a grin.
I wonder how this problem should be dealt with…...
However, even though the girl was in despair just now, this misunderstanding she is having is making her more energetic in a healthy way. If I were to look after a person, one that’s filled with vigor will take less time and effort. At any rate, if there’s someone else who she would fall in love with in the future, this misunderstanding will be easily resolved. Dealing with it will be troublesome so I’ll leave it alone for now.
With that being said, I ended that talk about her being my bride and began telling her about myself.
The details about me arriving from a different world, receiving skills, and finally, opening an opening an orphanage here.
Though she was a little surprised that I came from a different world, Lucia still gladly became the first orphan to stay here.
All things considered, do I really have to start managing this orphanage? Good grief.
I was already getting fed up with the young girl who was grinning next to me.