Chapter 53

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 53

Chapter Title: Trouble at the Orphanage

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"No, I..."

"Fwiennnd!"

I quickly grabbed Ishak's hand and said.

"Fwiennd?"

Ishak asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah. He says he's in the same minggan nursery as me. So we'we fwiennds. Wwight? Um..."

So, what's your name...?

I looked at him with those eyes, and the boy quickly answered.

"Andy."

"Yesh, Andy. His name's Andy."

"..."

Ishak dropped Andy's wrist like it was trash and wiped my cheek with his sleeve.

"Did you eat bread?"

"No, just milk."

"What's up with the bread ghost, then."

He grinned playfully.

"What about Henri?"

"He's off tortu— I mean, on a walk! A walk."

"Hmm."

"He'll come back once he watches the puppies."

I nodded, thinking to myself.

'Good. It'll be easier to move without Henri.'

Henri was too sharp, making it hard to act freely, but Ishak was simpler by comparison.

"On the way, let's drop off my fwiennd too. He says the nursery's nearby."

Ishak looked reluctant, so I put on an innocent act.

"Wanna go see puppies with Gwo-mon?"

"I'll take him!"

Ishak jumped at the chance, clearly not wanting to go puppy-watching with Andy. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and growled at Andy.

"Follow from a distance."

The maids gazed at me with touched expressions.

"She must be worried that kid might do something dangerous again. Little One really is so kind and compassionate..."

Only Andy drooped his shoulders, looking baffled at how things had turned out.

As the Duvered carriage pulled up to Andy's nursery, a middle-aged woman came rushing out in a fluster.

"How can you grace such a humble place with your presence! I'm Metel Kinbel, director of this nursery."

She stared at Ishak, flustered and excited, clearly scheming to hook a Duvered young master for sponsorship.

But Ishak ignored her completely, staring at the nursery building with utter dismay.

"It's worse than the pictures..."

He muttered, then turned to me.

"Was the place you lived like this?"

"No?"

Ishak's face lit up at my words.

"Right? It wasn't this bad?"

"This pwace is supew owd. So big."

I beamed, but for some reason, the boy's face grew even gloomier.

Still, for a private nursery, this place was remarkably decent.

The building was old and shabby, but three stories tall with its own well.

Metel, the director, clasped her hands and bowed slightly to Ishak.

"Would you like to see inside?"

Ishak nodded stiffly.

"Yeah, the inside's gotta be different. It can't be this bad on the inside."

He muttered like a mantra and followed the director. I happily toddled after him.

I didn't know what was up, but it was good that Ishak was interested in the nursery.

'Maybe I can meet Zachary.'

The director proudly showed off the interior.

"The beds are all new, and there are three washrooms. The dining hall even has an oven, so we bake snacks for the children ourselves."

Ishak and the maids' expressions darkened further.

To a great noble's young master and high-ranking servants, this place was hellish.

It was the polar opposite of a spotless, luxurious manor.

The furniture was worn out, and moldy wallpaper had been clumsily papered over.

The building was large, but poor maintenance left few usable rooms.

"Now, let me show you the children's bedrooms and study room."

That's when I patted my knee.

"Leg huwts."

The director brightened.

"Please rest in my office."

She must have thought my slow pace and everyone's attention on me made it hard to show the nursery properly.

She told Andy to fetch juice for me and led me to her office.

Lea stood guard outside, and I plopped into the director's chair.

Right on the desk was a list of the nursery children.

'Zachary, Zachary...'

I scanned it carefully, then frowned.

'What? Why isn't Zachary here?'

The words from the social party flashed clearly in my mind.

'What happened? Was there a private nursery nearby I didn't know about?'

Just then, Andy came in with the juice.

He set it on the table and said,

"She gave it, but I wouldn't drink it. It's old."

"Andy, how many kids awe hewe?"

"Sixteen."

"How many youw age?"

"Four. No, three. One got adopted last week."

I widened my eyes in surprise.

Adoptions for kids Zachary's age were like catching stars. Normal families took only little ones.

There was one exception: farms taking older boys as laborers.

'Maybe that was Zachary.'

It was the only possibility that made sense.

'I came too late.'

Last week was a heartbreaking near-miss.

I pressed my temple.

But I hadn't heard of Zachary having adoptive parents. Maybe he was returned or ran away.

'I'll keep an eye on the nursery for now.'

If returned, he'd come back.

That's when I sighed—

"Waaah—!"

A child's cry echoed.

I whipped around in shock, and Andy's face hardened as he flung open the window.

Outside, six rough-looking men were kicking the nursery door, causing a ruckus. Some had kids tucked under their arms.

"Those bastards again...!"

Andy vaulted over the windowsill like lightning.

"Big bwother—!"

"Waaah, bwother!!"

The kids wailed louder at the sight of Andy, and the intruders tsked threats at them.

Andy scowled and yelled,

"Put them down, you dog-eyed scum!"

The short leader said to Andy,

"Want 'em back? Bring the director. You gamble in our den, rack up debt on top—pay up on time."

"I paid the interest!"

"That went poof when you tried chipping at the principal and lost it all."

"You rigged the roulette, you...!"

So that's how it went down.

'Gamblers everywhere.'

I clambered awkwardly over the sill and jumped down.

Worried the kids might be hurt, I hurried over—only to find a bizarre scene when I reached Andy.

"Yaaah—!"

"You bad guys...!"

What was this?

Kids wearing pots and thick hats upside down wielded frying pans and sticks, moving in perfect sync.

"Fire!"

Andy shouted, and tiny hands popped from windows, pelting the men with eggs.

In the chaos, Andy dashed in and snatched the grabbed kids free.

"Anna, Morris, Rudy."

The kids he named hurled flour at the men.

"Now!"

More children rushed out front, lobbing balls at the thugs.

The balls burst on impact or the ground, scattering white powder into the air.

As flour and powder enveloped the men, Andy grinned like a little devil.

He lit a match and flung it at them.

Boom—!!

Flames erupted instantly like a bomb.

"Argh!"

"Aaaah!!"

When fine particles fill the air and meet fire, they ignite rapidly and explode.

One of Zachary's methods for subduing war mages in the empire's civil war.

'This...'

But it didn't fully take them down.

Winter winds dispersed the particles before the fire could spread intensely.

The men were burned but staggered back up.

Andy clicked his tongue.

"Run, you guys!"

The terrified kids bolted, but one got caught. Andy lunged and bit the man's arm.

"You little shit...!!"

The short leader drew a dagger.

Its blade gleamed blue. I hastily formed a starter incantation, but couldn't unleash the power easily.

'Target's too small.'

My latent ability was newly awakened; I couldn't control it precisely. One mistake, and the held kid and Andy could die in the blast.

'First, get Andy free and lure him to me.'

"Ugly unkle!"

"What?"

The man turned.

"You'we ugly! Dwarf! Makes my eyes huwt!"

I yelled to provoke him, and the short man stormed toward me in rage.

That's when it happened.

A red thread-like line shot from somewhere, binding the short man.

"Gahk—!"

The red lines surged, ensnaring the burned men too.

"Wh-what is this...!"

As the men screamed, a familiar voice rang out.

"Shh, you're scaring my daughter."

Ishak, who'd rushed from the building, yelled at the newcomer.

"Your Grace...?"

The duke, in casual attire unlike usual, eyed the bound men impassively.

"Who are you lot, dirtying my daughter's view with your ugly mugs."

"They're all ugly," Henri said, stepping up behind the duke as he eyed the captives.

Ishak rushed to me, cupped my face with both hands, and said gravely,

"Let's wash your eyes."

Then a thorough thrashing ensued.

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