In a clearing not far from the orphanage, several people had gathered.
They were the adults from the orphanage, including Mr. Guildford, the Lady Virgin Saint, Yulen, Senior Delphine, Senior Elsi, and my close friends Ceria, Celin, and Reto.
Counting myself, the group comprised a total of nine people. Aside from Mr. Guildford, everyone was a verified student from the Academy.
In fact, even Mr. Guildford was a former mercenary who had once made a name for himself, making it feel excessive for such a large number of personnel to be dispatched just to solve an issue related to the orphanage.
If there were any staff from the Academy’s external affairs department present, they might have been horrified, claiming it was a waste of manpower.
There were many incidents and accidents on the continent, and naturally, there were many places in need of assistance. Deploying this number of people for just the orphanage would surely be a bitter pill to swallow.
Despite this, I felt a twinge of anxiety.
According to the contents of the letter, even with this many people gathered, there was a possibility that a life-threatening incident might occur. There were mysterious lead monsters and the unusual behavior of unknown monkey monsters.
There were more than just one or two mysteries. This was the reason I couldn’t feel completely at ease.
However, in this place, nobody shared my anxiety.
Instead, everyone wore somewhat excited expressions. Celin approached me and poked me in the side, a beaming smile on her face.
“Brother I-an, did you really catch all those monsters?”
“……That’s what I’m saying.”
I had already repeated this statement countless times. Celin’s admiring gaze shifted to a certain point, and my eyes naturally followed.
There stood a baggage cart, piled high with the corpses of the monsters.
They were monkey monsters. It was a cart that had collected thirteen monsters I had hunted the night before.
I had worried that there might be an ambush while recovering the corpses, but surprisingly, no such misfortune occurred. Thanks to that, the task of handling the monster corpses went smoothly.
All that remained was to head into the city to sell the monster corpses. I would receive at least several hundred gold, and even if just a portion of that were used for the orphanage’s operating costs, we could hold out for a while.
At last, everyone’s expressions brightened with the hope of escaping that pale deadlock.
In reality, if Senior Delphine or Senior Elsi had mobilized their resources, this problem could have been resolved long ago, but unfortunately, using personal funds during the commission was prohibited.
If that were allowed, one could hire dozens of mercenaries and still receive credit for completing the task. That was a clause in place to prevent such loopholes.
However, spending what one earned during the commission was permitted. In other words, the money from selling the thirteen monsters I hunted last night could be used without restriction.
Diet plays a crucial role in the quality of life. Especially for vibrant young men and women in their twenties, it goes without saying.
Celin was already debating with Reto about what to eat. She was passionately persuading him regarding her preferences.
“Then let’s buy some monster meat with this money!”
“No way, are you serious about your palate? Why would you eat… something like that?”
Despite Reto’s incredulity, Celin remained adamant. “Monster meat” had recently become a popular delicacy, well-liked among certain gourmets for its unique flavor and texture.
Of course, it was also a highly polarizing ingredient. Just hearing the name monster meat was enough to put anyone off.
“Hmph, what does Reto know? Monster meat is trending among the nobility nowadays!”
“Food preferences are commonly ridiculed in social circles.”
“No, that’s not true! Just try it once, and you’ll change your mind!”
Yet Reto continued to display an indifferent attitude in response to Celin’s insistence. I couldn’t help but chuckle at their dynamic.
After all, it wouldn’t matter much if they chattered away since it was my money.
I wanted to say that, but I held back. Celin and Reto were like another family to me.
Eventually, Celin started pulling at my sleeve with a pout.
“B-brother I-an, say something too! As a fellow monster meat enthusiast!”
“I’ve never joined such a suspicious group.”
Celin was ultimately deflated by my aloof response. With her shoulders slumped, she appeared disappointed. Nevertheless, it couldn’t be helped.
Monster meat was pricey. Just considering how much those monster corpses would sell for made that clear.
Even if we spent hundreds of gold, the quantity we could purchase would be limited.
On the other hand, the number of mouths to feed in the orphanage was in the hundreds. Even collecting the best ingredients at a low cost would be a Herculean task.
Celin probably didn’t seriously mean what she said.
She merely wanted to express her excitement regarding my achievements; in relationships, sometimes it’s necessary to accept the intent behind certain words.
Surprisingly, it was Mr. Guildford who comforted the downcast Celin. He broke into a hearty laugh, stroking his bushy white beard.
“Monster meat… it’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. I used to eat monster meat once.”
“…Huh? It hasn’t been popular for long, has it?”
“Being a mercenary means, if you don’t want to starve to death, you have to eat whatever comes along.”
At that, Celin’s expression stiffened. It was surprisingly serious. Celin smiled awkwardly, scratching her cheek.
Some must have eaten out of necessity, while others were whining that they wanted to eat it; I had nothing to say about its absurdity, whether he meant it seriously or as a joke.
However, Mr. Guildford showed no signs of such feelings at all. He merely wore a gentle smile.
“I remember being surprised at how unexpectedly good monster meat was. I wondered if it was just because I was hungry then; if I had known, I would have opened a monster meat restaurant.”
“…Wouldn’t the children here be really sad if that happened?”
“That’s true. Haha, my dream since childhood has been to be the director of the orphanage.”
Reto threw out that remark with a wry smile, to which Mr. Guildford chuckled in agreement.
He was truly a fascinating person, no matter how many times I saw him. The care he showed to the orphans was genuine; according to the Lady Virgin Saint, Mr. Guildford was also originally from an orphanage.
He understood better than anyone the plight of the forgotten orphans. Perhaps that’s why he felt such affection for them.
The children followed Mr. Guildford well, and he was surprisingly a good person.
With those thoughts in mind, I directed my gaze again towards the baggage cart.
There, Yulen was examining the monster corpses. This was to roughly estimate how much they could be sold for.
Surprisingly, Yulen seemed quite knowledgeable about such matters. According to him, he had dealt with all sorts of chores since childhood.
After all, if you were to assist a person with as questionable a temperament as her, one would have to endure a lot of hardship. A faint feeling of pity welled up in my eyes as I looked at Yulen’s back.
While Yulen inspected the monsters intently, he finally spoke.
“…Alright! At least three hundred gold should come from this! Incredible, I-an. With this quality, it’s enough to warrant involvement from the paladin order.”
A whistle escaped from Reto’s lips, who had been chatting with Mr. Guildford. It seemed that the level of the monkey monsters was higher than expected.
The last time I had defeated ten wolf monsters along with a high-ranked monster, I received 70 gold.
However, the thirteen monkey monsters I had hunted yesterday were worth around 300 gold, easily four times that amount.
Considering their fearsome claws and agility, it wasn’t surprising. Yet one nagging question remained.
The stronger monsters tended to become more aggressive in their hunting. They did so to expand their territory.
But the monkey monsters did not behave this way. They were generally more passive than other monsters.
They only attacked those who intruded on their specific territory. Despite having the ability to secure a larger area.
That question lingered in my mind.
Regardless, Yulen was already seated in the driver’s seat. He began to take the reins. Tasked with disposing of the monster corpses, he would be heading into the city alone.
He would have to stay in the city at least for a day or two. He planned to sell the monster corpses and return with goods.
In fact, there was another person besides Yulen who was adept at persuasion and negotiation.
That was Reto, but he declined to accompany Yulen for the following reason.
“Why should I go off alone with that guy?”
It wasn’t wrong, so I immediately accepted it. However, sending Reto alone without protection would not do, so Yulen going off alone was the best option.
Yulen exchanged farewells with the Lady Virgin Saint. Then, as he approached me to bid goodbye, he casually said,
“…Take care of my sister, I-an.”
All I could respond to Yulen with was a hollow smile.
It was an absurd statement. What reason did I have to look after that nasty-tempered woman?
The Lady Virgin Saint seemed to feel the same, snorting and speaking up.
“Hmph, if anything, you should be asking me to take care of that man… no, don’t worry too much, Yulen. Brother I-an and the other brothers and sisters will be here. The Heavenly Deity will be watching over us. Emmanuel.”
I was so taken aback that I momentarily dropped my pretenses. Of course, I quickly tried to regain my composure before anyone noticed.
My bewildered gaze met the Lady Virgin Saint’s. She directed a similarly piercing glare back at me.
She was still a woman I didn’t care for. The only exception was that sinful body. My absent-minded gaze inadvertently traveled to the outline of her bosom.
“…What are you looking at?”
“The divine power pouch.”
A whisper passed between the Lady Virgin Saint and me. And soon after, I felt a sharp pinch in my side.
I barely managed to contain a scream.
As I trembled slightly from the pain, a whispered complaint slipped from my lips.
“I almost yelled…!”
“W-who says such things? This is really sexual harassment!”
Just as the two of us began to bicker, our lips fell silent at once. A strange gaze was suddenly upon us from the surroundings.
Soon everyone’s eyes turned to me and the Lady Virgin Saint. Each gaze held a variety of emotions.
Disdain, disbelief, suspicion, and irritation.
Despite all those feelings, Yulen began to chuckle.
“You don’t have to worry, then I’ll take my leave now. Emmanuel!”
With that, Yulen departed. And I spotted a woman smiling gently at both me and the Lady Virgin Saint, as we exchanged flustered glances.
It was Ceria. Her eyes, akin to aquamarine, were deep and profound, resembling the color of an abyss.
“…You two seem quite close.”
It was such a beautiful smile. Yet, an inexplicable chill ran through me, prompting the Lady Virgin Saint and me to once again meet each other’s gaze.
We were both sweating cold.
It felt unjust.
