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In the afternoon after finishing work for the Alchemists’ Guild, I was carried on Sufi’s back as we headed to the orphanage where we were helping out.

Requests for assistance at orphanages and clinics are issued mainly using subsidies from the lord, perhaps because welfare is involved. Of course, the pay is especially cheap, but the evaluation score from the guild for completing them is high.

The other side gets manpower, and apprentices get a trustworthy workplace and a record of achievement. It’s a beneficial request for both parties. The job we accepted this time was miscellaneous work at an orphanage.

It seems that most of the problems had already been taken care of through joint work by Noche’s team and Nick’s team, so the recruitment details had become vague, light labor.

“It’s here.”

And so, the orphanage we arrived at was, as expected, a shabby church. The symbol of the Luminism Faith—a cross with a halo—was displayed. …Judging from Nick’s attitude and Sufi’s impression, it should be fine, but when it’s so blatantly related to the Luminism Faith, I can’t help but be on guard.

However, I’m in the position of being carried around, so I don’t have any right to refuse or be hesitant.

“Sister, hello!”
“We came again, nya!”

The two of them passed through the rusty gate at the entrance in a practiced manner and called out. A little while later, figures came bustling out from the garden.

“Noche! And Sufi and Filia too!”
“Big sister Filia!”
“Big sister Sufi, what’s on your back? A blanket?”
“Hey, come on, Sufi and the others are here to work, so don’t swarm them!”
“Okay, okay, stop—! Later, okay!”

Small children wearing patchwork clothes. Nick and Sena, who had followed them, stopped the children and indicated the main entrance with their eyes.

Even though they’re called small, the youngest are about four or five. There are quite a few around our age too, so it doesn’t feel like there’s that much of an age gap.

“Alice, after we greet them, let’s have you rest, okay?”
“Yeah.”

Maybe because I overdid it a bit making weapons yesterday, I had a slight fever today. Thanks to that, the grips and sheaths still aren’t done. Even I think the span from full recovery to being completely out of gas is way too short.

As I nodded to Sufi’s suggestion with distant eyes and spoke, one of the small children widened their eyes, trembled, and pointed at me.

“The blanket talked!”

Not a blanket.

■■■

“Welcome, to the home of children without anywhere to belong. We welcome you.”

The one who greeted us was a woman around her late teens, with thick red hair tied behind her head and freckles. She wore a simple apron over her nun’s habit and was smiling cheerfully at us.

She seems to be the representative of the orphanage, but… she’s awfully young for that. Her expression was gentle and made no unpleasant sound; rather, it gave off a calm, kind sound. She looked like she was sincerely welcoming us.

I might have been looking at her with prejudice just because it was the Luminism Faith, even though I hadn’t directly clashed with anyone involved. …A little self-reflection.

“Hello, Sister!”
“Looking forward to working again, nya.”
“Good day, Sister. We look forward to working with you today as well.”

After being greeted in order by Sufi, Noche, and Filia, the sister turned her gaze to me.

“I’ve heard your body is very weak. Please relax as if you were just visiting to play… I’m sorry we can’t offer you any hospitality.”
“…No…”

Compared to the discrimination I’ve received up to now, this excessive kindness is honestly still hard for me to process.

I came because I wanted to see the place once, but from a labor standpoint I’m completely deadweight.

Repairing magic tools, compounding medicine, processing materials, treating external injuries—those I can do, but they aren’t the kind of work adventurers are asked to do in the first place.

So the useless one was told to quietly wait in the dining hall.

“Then big sister is going to work now, so be a good girl, okay?”
“I’ll come check on you sometimes, so behave yourself, nya.”
“Alice, if anything happens, call out right away.”
“…………”

It’s nice that everyone is kind, but do they maybe think I’ll die if I’m left alone?
I’m not that fragile… At worst I’d just be bedridden for a few days.

“There are snacks too, so today we’ll clean the second floor—”

The Sister who guided me to the dining hall pulled out a chair for me. She had been smiling warmly while watching our exchange, but before she could say anything else, a small girl’s voice interrupted.

“Sister! Sister! The pot, the pot is boiling over!”
“What!? I’ll be right there—ah!”

There was a clatter and the chair shook violently. When I hurriedly clung to the table and looked to the side, the Sister was crouching down, holding her left little toe area and trembling.

…There wasn’t a sound of it breaking. Probably.

The Sister stood up unsteadily and started moving quickly, dragging her left foot.

“I-I’ll be right there…! Sufi and the others, please clean the second floor, okay!”

She turned back as if she had just remembered and gave instructions, which was fine, but—

“Gyah!?”

This time, when she faced forward again and tried to leave the room, perhaps because she was favoring her left foot, she stumbled for a moment… and hit her right little toe on the edge of the doorway.

“…………”

Um… is she okay? I’m suddenly worried.

“Is the Sister going to be okay…?”
“No matter how many times I see it, she’s clumsy, nya.”

If she’s like that everyday, then it’s basically a curse already.

■■■

After seeing Sufi and the others off to their cleaning, I absentmindedly looked around the dining hall while listening to their voices echoing from afar. The building is old but sturdy, and there aren’t many drafts. The furniture is old too, but it’s clean and well cared for.

If I listen carefully, I can hear the Sister struggling with the girls. But there’s no sign of any other older women.

The other thing that caught my attention was the large shield displayed on the dining hall wall. A huge tower shield, clearly a practical item with scratches all over it. The only decoration is a cross of deep, reddish-gold color.

At first glance it looks like pyrite or something similar, but the presence it gives off feels different in rank.

I got down from the chair and approached it. As I thought, this is…

“Hey.”

I turned around at the voice. I knew from the small footsteps that someone was approaching, but when I looked, a boy about my age was glaring at me. He had messy dark brown hair and a face that radiated cocky delinquent energy.

He’s not warped yet, but he makes an unpleasant sound.

“Hey, ugly, what are you slacking off for?”
“…?”

I tilted my head without thinking. I had absolutely no idea what he meant.

“Everyone’s working, so why are you the only one slacking off, huh? I’m talking to you, ugly!”
“I was instructed to remain on standby due to concerns about my operational capacity.”
“Huh?”

It seems he’s talking to me, but I didn’t know what to answer. Like I said, there’s no role for me in simple labor—I’d just slow things down.

Still, I’ve learned that ignoring it will only make things worse, but I don’t know the proper way to deal with this.

He seems to dislike that I’m the only one waiting, but it’s not like I chose to have a weak body either.

“Quit saying weird crap and work!”
“…On standby.”

If Sufi were here… ah, that would turn into a huge fight. Noche and Filia might be fine, but this would definitely anger Sufi.

“Zig, what are you doing!?”

The savior who appeared when I was at my wits’ end was Nick. Whether he heard the commotion or just happened to pass by, either way, I was saved.

“N-Nick big brother, it’s just, this girl’s slacking off, so I was telling her to work…”
“That kid’s body is weak, so today she just came to play. She’s a guest!”
“Even so… but, ugh…”

I thanked Nick with eye contact as he scolded the boy and explained things.

I’ll give him a set of intermediate potions as thanks later. The kind that includes wound-healing, anti-suppuration, and antidote medicine together. If properly sealed, they last decently long, and for an adventurer they wouldn’t go to waste. If I borrow a brewing stand, I can make them cheaply.

“You got me scolded because of you, ugly!”
“Zig, you!”
“Zig!!”

The boy, having nowhere to direct his emotions, glared at me again and tried to lash out—but before Nick could scold him, a voice loud enough to shake the ground rang out.

I reflexively flattened my ears.

“I heard that! What kind of words do you think you’re using toward a girl!?”
“S-Sister, but that demi-beast—”
“That’s a word used to hurt people! How many times have I told you not to use it!?”
“U-ugh, sniff… waaaah…”
“Zig! You are not the one who is hurt here!”

Overwhelmed by her pressure, the boy started crying. She lowered her tone a little, but the intensity didn’t disappear. Even standing nearby, I could feel it crackling.

I couldn’t tell from my first impression, but maybe this person is even more… than Barnaby, the C-rank adventurer who acted as an instructor before.

“Using words meant to hurt a weak girl is what the worst kind of man does! Apologize properly!”
“U-ugh… sniff…”

The pressure kept growing—if I had to name it, something like fighting spirit or killing intent. The boy, trembling and crying, glared sharply at me.

“Idiot! Ugly! Iiiidiiioooot!”
“Zig!! What kind of language is that! Wait!”

With stubborn guts, he hurled insults to the end and ran off, and the Sister chased after him while emitting a terrifying fighting spirit.

…Even without apologizing or cowering, he held out. He’s got some nerve, that kid.

“…Are you okay?”
“Yeah, thanks. Still, the Sister is amazing.”
“Yeah, she used to be a templar knight. She looks clumsy, but she’s really strong.”

Templar knight… that’s a knight belonging to the Luminism Faith, right? So she really wasn’t an ordinary person after all.

“Sorry about that. He’s been getting bad influences lately.”
“Bad influences?”
“You remember Vade, right? That fat butcher’s son. He almost never came near here before, but lately he’s been coming to peek at the orphanage. He goes around badmouthing you guys. The other kids hate him so they don’t get close, but… somehow those two hit it off.”

I couldn’t help slumping my shoulders.

“When he… when Zig first met her, he kept staring at Sufi nonstop… Well, I guess he just copied the worst parts from Vade.”
“Is he stupid?”

Does that butcher junior’s crap really spread? That’s the worst.

And why do kids like that try to get attention through harassment and abuse?

Vade’s been peeking at the orphanage—he’s not looking for me, is he? …Not like he could do anything anyway, but maybe it’s better to avoid him as much as possible.

I suddenly felt exhausted, so I sat quietly in my chair.

Snack time came next, which I was allowed to join. It goes without saying that the hardest part was calming down Sufi, who immediately bared her fangs and growled at full force when she heard what happened.