The Rotary Club headquarters was located in the southern part of the Imperial Capital.
It was a relatively quiet place, as it was situated in a sparsely populated area with a large expanse of land. Although it wasn't the perfect place to hide, if one were determined, they could live here without attracting any attention from outsiders.
"Can you take care of someone for me?"
"Yes, she's my senior. Her name is Adriana."
"Oh, hello there…"
Adriana greeted Loyar with a slight bow of her head.
She hadn't grown up in the Imperial Capital and didn't come from an aristocratic background. During her time at the temple, she had behaved modestly, so she would have no reason to know about someone like Irine, who had earned the nickname of a wild dog.
The same went for Olivia, who had never seen Loyar before.
Although it wasn't a completely secretive organization, only those who were involved knew the dealings of such a place.
Both of them had no choice but to see Loyar, the somewhat scruffy white-haired boss of the Rotary Club, for the first time.
Loyar, although he appeared human, exuded an aura of wildness even when he stood still.
That's why Olivia and Adriana were slightly taken aback when they saw this man, who was unlike anyone they had ever met before.
Their surprise was only amplified when they realized that I had someone like him as a boss.
In fact, Loyar was one of the main instigators responsible for the current turmoil in the Imperial Capital.
The mastermind behind the attack on the Holy Knights: Demon King Valier.
His accomplice: Loyar of the Lycan.
Naturally, the two wouldn't recognize each other. Sarkegaar had rescued them, so Loyar was also meeting them for the first time.
"We might need to stay here for a while due to some circumstances. Is that alright?"
"…Well, it's not like it's impossible."
Loyar quickly scanned Adriana from head to toe, and she shivered as if she had been struck by electricity at his gaze.
"We don't have any empty rooms, but we can make one. However, there are only men here, you know?"
The club members had recently resumed their human forms due to improved circumstances. Despite the improvements, Loyar was the only one who still looked like a beggar.
Even so, this place was full of rough people who had experienced the vicissitudes of life, and Loyar seemed to be newly concerned about it.
"Don't worry. She's more than capable of taking care of herself."
"I suppose. If she's been trained at the temple, she might appear delicate, but she can surely throw a punch."
Loyar didn't ask about the details of their situation. He must have known that they were involved in yesterday's incident. I looked at Adriana.
As Loyar had said, now that I had brought her here, I could see that this place might be difficult for Adriana to endure.
In reality, I didn't know the disposition of every single member of the organization.
"If this place is too uncomfortable, I can try to find somewhere else for you."
"No, it's fine… Thank you, Reinhardt."
Seemingly unable to impose any further, Adriana nodded her head in agreement rather than asking about the nature of this place.
It appeared that Loyar fully understood the meaning behind Adriana needing to stay here quietly.
"Hmm... where should I arrange a room..."
Loyar seemed to ponder for a moment. She had a look on her face that said she found it to be a bothersome task.
She mentioned that there were no empty rooms, but one could be made, which seemed to imply evicting someone who was already settled.
Wasn't this a rather awkward situation?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Loyar gestured for Adriana to follow and opened the door behind her office.
-Thunk-
"Use this room."
"…?"
"?"
Loyar had just casually offered her own room, which was unmistakably hers. Not only Olivia and Adriana, but even I couldn't help but be surprised by this sudden decision.
"Um... I... I don't know what to call you... but... isn't this your room...?"
"…Sister?"
"Ah, is that... rude? Then how should I..."
At the mention of 'sister,' Loyar's eyes widened. She grabbed Adriana's hand and pulled her into the room.
"No, you must use this room."
"…Yes?"
"If you need anything, just let me know. I'll prepare it for you right away."
After saying this, Loyar placed her hands on Adriana's shoulders.
"Also, from now on, keep calling me 'sister.'"
Loyar seemed to be quite fond of Adriana calling her 'sister' at their first meeting, considering she had always been called 'auntie' by Ellen.
"Ah... Yes, sister."
"Heh."
It seemed as if Loyar's nonexistent tail was vigorously swishing back and forth.
Clearly, her training had gone awry after constantly being called 'auntie' by Ellen.
Although Ellen had kept nagging Loyar, who eventually gave in to being called ‘auntie,' it was a good thing.
I was worried about leaving Adriana alone in such a strict place, but for now, this was the best option. Adriana was someone who couldn't be exposed to the outside world at the moment.
On the way back after entrusting Adriana to the club's headquarters, Olivia blankly stared at the sky and muttered,
"What is this world coming to...?"
"I didn't think everything would be fine once the Demon King was killed."
"…"
"But, I thought the senseless deaths of countless people being dragged into the battlefield would end..."
Having witnessed the horrors of war firsthand, Olivia knew better than anyone how terrifying it was.
Olivia didn't know about the revolutionary forces.
However, she was aware that the conflict between the Five Great Religions and the Empire was escalating, fanning the flames of war.
"I wonder if there wouldn't be humans killing each other if the Demon King hadn't died."
It seemed Olivia wished that at least some of the rumors about the Demon King were true.
An external enemy always halted internal strife. Olivia seemed to reluctantly acknowledge the necessity of the Demon King to some extent.
"Don't go around telling people I said this. It's a strange thing for me to say."
Olivia looked at me and smiled.
"What's the use of me saying that?"
Adriana would only be temporarily entrusted to the Rotary Club, and another arrangement would soon need to be found. The Imperial Capital wasn't entirely safe, after all.
Perhaps a faraway place.
Somewhere like the Edina Archipelago, where Airi resided, would be a relief.
Even if I sent her there, how would I explain my connection to that distant island nation? It seemed hard enough to accept what happened today.
"By the way, Reinhardt, what exactly was that place today?"
Olivia, too, seemed to have the same question and asked me about the Rotary Club.
"It's like a hometown for those who come from the streets."
I briefly explained the Rotary Club and how I came to be involved with it from my time in the beggar organization.
"I see... That's a good thing."
Upon hearing that the beggars who once lived under the bridge were now living in decent buildings and earning their keep, Olivia smiled brightly.
Although the boss, Loyar, still looked like a beggar.
"I thought you were involved in some sort of criminal organization, Reinhardt."
Although I had been involved with such organizations in the past, and it wasn't entirely unrelated to the Thieves Guild, I didn't correct Olivia's assumption.
After all, I was now officially doing business through collaboration with the Merchant Guild, and if we were to look at my background, it was connected to the royal family.
"Haah..."
Olivia sighed, seemingly weighed down by her worries.
With both Adriana's problems and her own, she must have had a lot on her mind. With Riverrier Lanze dead, there probably weren't any more schemers aiming to make Olivia Lanze the Queen, but one could never be too sure. Considering the issue with the demons on top of that, things were bound to be complicated.
Moreover, Olivia didn't win the tournament, nor was she elected Miss Temple.
Needing money, Olivia had become entangled in various matters, and she ended up missing out on everything she wanted.
One way or another, she had experienced nothing but hardships during this festival. She must have been under a lot of stress for other reasons, but ultimately, the money issue was tormenting Olivia as well.
I couldn't solve all of Olivia's problems.
However, I wanted to provide her with at least some support.
"You know, that thing."
"What thing?"
"The orphanage that your senior sponsors."
"Ah..."
"Is that in the Imperial Capital?"
"Ah... Yeah, that's right."
"Let's go there sometime."
Upon hearing my suggestion, Olivia's eyes widened in surprise.
"No, no, Reinhardt! You don't have to do that. It's my problem... You don't need to spend money on it..."
"Who said I'm spending money?"
"…What?"
She seemed to think that I was going to cover the sponsorship fee she couldn't afford. Of course, it's natural for her to think that.
But unfortunately, I had no intention of spending money.
"I'm not going to donate. I just want to visit."
"Oh? Ah... Okay."
Hesitating, Olivia led the way.
Olivia personally sponsored several orphanages.
First of all, it was not just one place.
Olivia had been sponsoring institutions with the allowance she received from Riverrier Lanze, but as her financial situation grew difficult, it became nearly impossible for her to continue providing the funds.
That meant Olivia must have been supporting only those institutions that were in dire financial straits. She wouldn't be sponsoring every place, including those with enough resources.
Places that struggled to operate without Olivia's financial aid.
"There are two more places besides this one?"
"Yes."
I was standing in front of an orphanage building located in a quiet area on the eastern outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
The building wasn't crumbling, but it was old and the facilities looked quite outdated.
However, the site itself was quite large, with children playing in a central courtyard surrounded by three buildings.
There was no fence around the orphanage, so the children could see us approaching.
“Oh? It's big sister!”
“Sister is here!”
“Sister Olivia!”
"Ah... hey, kids."
It seemed Olivia had visited frequently, as the children flocked to her.
"Sister, my leg is all better now!"
"Ah, Billy, I'm glad to hear that."
Olivia was tending to each child as they eagerly told her various things.
She seemed to be someone who knew how to love children.
"Sister! That kid fought with Will again! Scold him!"
"Really? You, didn't I tell you not to fight with your friends?"
"But he started it! He called me an orphan without a mom! And he doesn't have one either!"
"I do have one, dummy! My mom's just busy and can't come visit!"
"Ha! I know where your mom's grave is!"
"You jerk!"
"You! Didn't I tell you not to say harsh things?"
But the children's conversation seemed to be filled with words that stabbed at each other's hearts...
Right.
Children tend to be surprisingly harsh...
Amid the children's bickering, Olivia's unfamiliar side was revealed as she scolded, stopped, and comforted them.
I had thought she might be like this, but it was still intriguing to see it in person.
The children's attention on Olivia was short-lived.
They began focusing on me.
"Who's this guy, though?"
"Is he your boyfriend, sister?"
"Uh? No, no... He's my junior. A close junior."
Olivia's face turned red as she vehemently shook her head.
Her reaction was completely different from usual. I thought she would just say, "Of course, he's my boyfriend!" while laughing, but instead, she was visibly embarrassed.
Why is her personality different here?
"Sister, you must like this brother, huh? Your face is all red."
"Uh? Uhm? No, no. That's not it. You're trying to tease me, huh?"
As Olivia stuttered, the girls giggled delightedly, while the boys started giving me cold stares.
I could tell just by their looks.
Who the hell are you?
Though I didn't know the exact words, their gazes carried similar meanings.
"What are you, an older brother?"
"Do you attend the temple too?"
"Are you good at fighting?"
I found myself in a difficult situation amidst the hostile gazes of the young boys.
Even my classmates were already like children to me, let alone these even younger ones.
Even if Olivia didn't know, I neither liked children nor knew how to handle them.
Children were beings far removed from me.
As I stood there stiffly, saying nothing, the children began to whisper among themselves.
“He must be good at fighting.”
“He looks scary.”
“No, I heard that guys who look like that are actually bad at fighting.”
It was overwhelming.
I didn't come here to see children.
Would it be only boys?
The girls were also whispering.
“That guy is totally my type.”
“You want to be eaten alive by his face? He looks like a thug. Those guys use up girls and then toss them away, right? A man should have lots of money. Money is the best.”
“He might have a lot of money, you never know.”
“No, he's naturally poor. Look at his face.”
“So you'd marry a fat, bald, old man as long as he has money?”
“Actually, that's better. He'll die quickly, right? Then all the money would be mine.”
“...Really?”
“Then all I need to do is hook up with a handsome guy like him, you dummy.”
“...You'd marry again?”
“Why not marry three times?”
These children with particularly mature mannerisms were having conversations that even my classmates wouldn't have.
What's with these kids?
“But that guy is really my type…”
“Asera, he's a man, isn't he?”
“You don't like him, sister.”
“Sigh, idiot. Of course, it's a lie.”
What the heck?
What do children see and learn to become so twisted at such a young age?
I didn't come here to play. I tried to ignore their whispers as much as possible while I observed the children's appearance.
Worn-out clothes.
Although not tattered, I could tell they weren't in an environment with many spare clothes.
The children were all skinny overall.
Their nutritional status seemed to be poor.
It definitely felt like an orphanage with poor conditions.
If the sponsorship money decreases even a little, it would have a significant impact, so I understood why Olivia tried to maintain the sponsorship after seeing this situation.
"Oh my, Olivia. It's been a while."
"Ah, yes, teacher."
A middle-aged woman in a white dress came out to the yard, seemingly wondering who had arrived with the children swarming around.
She had a kind-hearted appearance. She greeted Olivia and then naturally turned her gaze to me.
"Ah, Reinhardt. Let me introduce you. This is Ms. Bell, the director of Sun Cradle Orphanage."
"Hello, I'm Olivia's friend...?"
"Yes, my name is Reinhardt."
She extended her hand, and I shook it. Her hand was soft.
Of course, she wouldn't be managing the place alone, and there were several other adults around.
The director of Sun Cradle Orphanage.
I neither liked children nor knew how to deal with them. I didn't know how to interact with them or what to do. I would be grateful if I could just avoid making them cry.
I didn't come here to see the children.
Nor did I come to provide sponsorship money.
I looked at Olivia and spoke.
"Senior, could you take the children over there for a bit?"
"…Huh?"
"I have something to discuss with the director."
Olivia, looking slightly puzzled, led the children away towards another area. Like the Pied Piper, the children, boys and girls alike, followed Olivia wherever she went.
The director who introduced herself as Bell.
"Ah, Reinhardt. Do you have something to discuss with me?"
"Yes. First, let's find a quiet place."
As it wasn't a conversation to be held in a public place, I followed Director Bell into her office.
It was a place where no one would overhear.
"What would you like to discuss, Reinhardt?"
In front of Bell, who had a kind smile on her face, I smirked.
"Explain yourself."
"…Pardon?"
"Which hole are you pouring the support funds down that the children are in this state?"
Following the Great Demon War, the royal family immediately began providing maximum support for orphanage projects for war orphans.
"The children should be receiving enough funds that they don't have to worry about food, so why are they living like this?"
A lack of support funds?
I knew there was no way such a thing could happen at an orphanage in the imperial capital, of all places.
