The Traveling Hero Won’t Let the Innkeeper’s Son Escape

"Dad, what's wrong? Have you finished?"

"... Marianne, why are you here?"

"I was expecting you because your father didn't seem well...."

Out of the shadow of the tree came a pretty red-haired girl who didn't resemble Bartolo.Calling her "Marianne" means that this girl is Marianne, the daughter of the village chief.

(What, this Marianne? Or cute!)

Alec's impression of cuteness is too strong, but Marianne's angels are not half full.The cuteness relieved Ruth for a moment.

"... don't come here much."

As Bartolo approached Marianne, he embraced his body and immediately began to distance himself from the church.

"Why? Today it's God's house?"

"... the altar of the Four Gods is also at home, right?That's enough. God is in people's hearts. "

Hmm?

Marianne leaned her neck with an understandable expression.In fact, the village chief must not understand what the young Marianne said.

The two disappeared immediately into the back of the village.

Ruth looks back at the conversation earlier.

"... doesn't that village chief like the church?"

The village chief is an enthusiastic Cétian believer.Now I know that the four gods are not gods, but real people, and I don't know what they think, but until then, I was enthusiastic about going to church, and I respected Father Johann properly (that village chief).And yet, what do you say now?I don't care much about the church.

"Ah... what's going on... ah, Alec"

When the village chief disappeared with Marianne, Alec came out of the shadow of the tree.They've been back for a long time, but they didn't go inside the church, they were outside.

Now Ruth hides in the shadow of the building.Because when I approached Alec in this darkness, I thought it would be difficult to have a conversation just because I was frightened like during the day.

(But... Alec, why don't you go inside?It's too late.....)

I feel a headache just because of the atmosphere of doing something in Honza and the way the village chief looks, but something is wrong even with Alec.

For some reason, I decided to keep an eye on things for a while.

But when the sun goes down, I can't stand it.

Is Alec still not in church?It's too late for anything. What are you gonna do for dinner?... should I speak up?)

When it was dark outside and it was time to start, I saw someone approaching from the woods behind the church.

Brother Rihala, Brother Noah!

Alec, I'm sorry I'm late.

It was the two boys who came behind the church with a lamp in their hand from the mountain and saw it during the day.They're still like Alec, the children of the orphanage.

(Hmm, I can't remember those two after all...)

Loose was twisting his neck trying to remember the old days, but suddenly his head cleared.

(No, wait, Alec just told me that.)

I only had vague memories, but I think I've seen some chirps at monster hunting and Spirit Festival.If it's two major village events, everyone will attend, so it's natural to see them.However, I noticed that I don't have a clear memory.

"Alec, don't say anything extra."

"... yeah"

After they said something strange to Alec, they knocked on the door behind the church.After a while, Honza frowned.

"How was your day?"

The expression was distinguished from when I spoke to the village chief.I felt it during the day, but the children in the orphanage - they don't look like the children I care for.

"Planned cultivation is going well."

Honza snorts her nose with satisfaction and goes into the back without saying anything more.Rihala, Noah, and Alec enter the church as they continue.

Ruth was forced to close the door, so he slipped through the wall again and chased after him.

Eventually, when he entered the beautiful office, Bonza sat on the chair and the three stood in front of him at a distance.Ruth looks at the wall behind him and listens to the conversation.

"Did you see Alec at home today?How's work? "

"Alec is too young and clumsy to grow - especially for harvesting.I don't get a lot of work this time of year. "

"There's something a child like that can do.I'm feeding him with church money. Let him do what he can. "

"... Alec is very close to Braun's Ruth, so if he doesn't show up for a long time, Ruth may come looking for him.When the Brau family wonders, I think it's hard to lie.... "

"Braw's kid, that's tough.The house over there is a bit of a hassle... well, let me know when you're a little older. "

"... yes"

Alec wasn't sure what the three of them were talking about, but he felt the uneasy air and looked down silently.

Eventually they were told to go out to chase away the bugs from Honza, and the three went straight to the cafeteria.

(It's kind of a lonely cafeteria....)

Today, the helpers are cooking dinner for the children, but it seems that there was no such help at this time, and dinner was never made.And yet, I saw a beautiful dish on the shelf that looked like it had been used.

(Don't tell me only Honza cooks...?)

I felt Ruth's guess was correct.I don't think that man cooks himself.At least there will be someone who can help you prepare your meal.However, it is possible that they did not make their share when it comes to the growth of children.To keep the cost of food down.

Noah sets the pot on fire, and next to it Alec brings in a tight vegetable from inside the cage.Rihala was sitting on a chair in the dining room and watching the two of them.

Ruth was in a position where three people could not see - he was buried in the wall and asked how he was doing.At first I felt uncomfortable getting inside the wall, but I got used to it gradually.On the contrary, it's just too good to eavesdrop on Alec to find out.

Eventually, the cooking began, but Alec was the smallest one who dealt mainly with ingredients.He does everything by himself, cutting and seasoning ingredients.

Although Noah was helping, he only instructed the two of them to come to Rihala so that they could scratch and mix pots and serve dishes.At first glance, Rihala seems to be forcing both of us, especially Alec, to make it.

(But it's different....)

Alec must be cooking alone, but they didn't seem to dare.Rather, I feel like I am avoiding actively participating in cooking.

Eventually, when the cooking was finished, the food was lined up at the table.

A disgraceful soup containing garbage and vegetables contains lumps of powder that can also be used as ingredients such as bread.A good meal for a young boy, but it's a lonely meal with little ingredients.There is insufficient quantity and nutrition for three people to eat.

(I told the village chief to feed three people... I knew he was wearing clothes without paying for meals... that man...!)

I even noticed that it was thin, but Honza didn't spend money on children properly.It is also likely that the operating expenses of the orphanage, which was demanding an increase from the village chief, will eventually disappear into something else.It is unlikely that the diet of the three will improve in the future.

At this time, Ruth felt a clear frustration with Honza.

"Yeah, Alec, you're doing great."

Really?

I found Alec smiling happily at Noah's compliments.

(Does Alec cook well because they've been teaching him since he was a kid...?)

Such an idea came to mind.

Looking at Alec like this, Ruth thought this might be the world that recreated the past.

I don't really remember Honza, Rihala, or Noah, but I couldn't help feeling that he was living like this.

(I've never heard of Alec living like this before... well, didn't I ask at the time?)

I don't remember hearing about the orphanage from Alec when he was young.

Ruth was interested in his life and so on because of the revival of the memory of his previous life.At that time, there was Father Johann, so Alec's life seemed not to be bad as far as I heard.That's why I always thought so.

(I didn't know it might have been like this....)

Does Alec have no help, no decent food, and a thin soup?

Were you waiting outside until it was dark and Rihala and Noah came back without going into the church alone?

I wonder if you lived a life where you couldn't say anything with your face down in front of your parents.

Every time such a question comes to mind, it hurts inside my chest.

Ruth remained silent and noticed that the three people sitting at the table were looking a little strange.

"Noah, don't praise me like this.With these horrible vegetables, the fire quickly becomes uneven. "

"... I'm sorry."

"Rihala....."

"Hmm, it's true. We have to live better, Alec."

Rihala complained but did not stop eating.Apparently I'm hungry and I'm biting my soup.

"That...."

At that time, I noticed that Rihala was wrapping a bandage around her hand for the first time.Moreover, it is unnatural for a bandage to be tightly wrapped from the wrist to the fingertips.Looking closely, Noah also wrapped a bandage around her hand in the same way.

(I wonder what that bandage is?)

I noticed something strange, but I can't get near it now.You might be able to force yourself to see it, but it would be difficult in front of Alec's eyes, so Ruth decided to observe.

The three finished their meal and began to clean up the cafeteria.He draws water from a pot where well water is running, washes dishes, retracts tables and chairs, and removes some cloth from the box in the corner.The little cloth was wet with water and washing started when I finished wiping my body. It's all by hand.

(Doesn't life magic boil water?... or maybe Rihala and Noah didn't tell anyone about the magic)

The village teaches hunting when children reach the age of ten, but it is Father Johann who taught life magic and spiritual magic.But in this timeline Father Johann does not exist in Hashi village.It is Honza who plays the role.However, even considering Honza's character as an orphanager who cuts off the food costs of children in an orphanage, she would never teach anything to children in the village.

Since Ruth had a parent, even without Father Johann, he might learn soon, but the children in the orphanage did not have a parent, so there was no opportunity to learn.It is likely that they don't even know much about life magic.

(... that would make life a lot harder.)

In this world with few instruments of civilization, magic plays an auxiliary role in life.It's not about learning it, it's about the quality of life.

After finishing the laundry, Rihala and the others began to fall asleep on the cloth they had laid on the floor.

(... eh... are you sleeping here?)

Ruth's premonition came true.

They laid down the futon in a familiar manner, not to mention the usual.Put your arm on the pillow and turn off the lamp.

"... Alec, go to bed."

"Mmm...."

Alec was anxiously looking at the laundry moving over his head for a while, but after a while, he finally fell asleep and could hear his breath.

(Wait a minute, what is this situation... is it true?)

I had a bad feeling the children's rooms were filled with that console box, but I didn't expect them to sleep in the dining room without a decent room.