Alvin Bencio stood in the center of the worn living room, watching as Lily and Leo tried—and failed—to tie their worn-out shoes. The other children were scattered about, some playing with the few broken toys left, others huddled together in small groups.
"Master Alvin?" Lily's tiny voice broke the silence.
Alvin turned his attention to her, raising an eyebrow. She was staring up at him with wide, innocent eyes, clutching her shoelaces in a small, frustrated fist. Next to her, Leo was tugging at his own shoes with a scowl, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Alvin sighed. He was a semi-god-level mage, for heaven's sake—he'd bent reality to his will, fought gods and demons, and now... he was babysitting.
"Come on, you two," he said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "We're going out. We've got things to sell and things to buy."
Lily's face lit up instantly. "Really? Where are we going?"
"Somewhere with less mildew," Alvin muttered. "Grab your things."
Without waiting for their reaction, Alvin turned and strode toward the door. Lily scrambled to her feet, and Leo followed quickly after, clearly determined not to look like a fool again.
-
Alvin walked with Lily and Leo trailing behind him, their small hands clutching his cloak. They gawked at the vibrant stalls and the people milling about, but Alvin's attention was elsewhere.
He reached into the hidden folds of his robe and pulled out a small, shimmering red gem the size of a thumb. Its vibrant color sparkled in the sunlight, casting faint glimmers of light around them.
"Master Alvin, what is that?" Leo asked, eyes wide.
"This, my dear naive child, is a ticket to a very comfortable afternoon," Alvin replied smoothly. "Now, watch and learn how to deal with the vultures."
They stopped in front of an upscale jewelry shop, the kind that catered to the wealthy and the extravagant. The shopkeeper behind the counter was an older man with sharp, calculating eyes and a permanent scowl that softened only when potential customers walked through the door. As Alvin approached, the man's gaze immediately honed in on the gem in his hand.
"Ah, welcome, welcome!" the jeweler said, his scowl transforming into a smile so forced it almost hurt to look at. "What a rare and exquisite gem you have there! May I see it?"
Alvin smiled, but it was more of a smirk as he placed the gem on the counter. "Go ahead. Just don't get any funny ideas."
The jeweler's eyes sparkled greedily as he picked up the gem, holding it up to the light. "This... this is remarkable! A flawless ruby, and the color... I've never seen anything like it. I could offer you... oh, let's say... two million dollars for it. A generous price, wouldn't you agree?"
Alvin's eyes narrowed. "Two million?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, please, let me go find my thank-you card for such a generous offer. Or... you could stop insulting my intelligence."
Before the jeweler could respond, the door to the shop swung open, and in walked a woman. She was tall, with long black hair cascading down her back, and wore a stunning tight red dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves that hugged her curves. Every head in the room turned to look at her, but she only had eyes for the gem in the jeweler's hand.
"I'll pay twenty million for that ruby," she said, her voice smooth and confident.
Alvin raised an eyebrow. Well, that was unexpected.
The jeweler looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon. "T-Twenty million? That's outrageous—"
"It's mine now, isn't it?" The woman smiled, stepping closer to Alvin, who was still leaning lazily against the counter. "I'm willing to pay for quality."
Alvin tilted his head, clearly amused. "Twenty million, huh?" He pretended to think for a moment before flashing a grin. "Sold. I knew there was someone here with decent taste."
The woman smiled, pulling out a sleek tablet and transferring the money in an instant. Alvin's eyes flicked to the screen—20 million dollars. He couldn't help but chuckle. That had been too easy.
"Do you have more of these?" she asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.
Alvin raised a brow. "More? Why yes, I might have a few lying around. How many do you want?"
"As many as you've got," she replied. "I'll take them all."
Alvin's smirk widened. "Well, aren't you a delightful customer. Lucky for you, I happen to have six more of these beauties."
The jeweler gaped as Alvin casually produced six more shimmering red gems from the folds of his robe. The woman's eyes gleamed with excitement, and without hesitation, she transferred 120 million dollars to Alvin's account.
"You've got yourself a deal," Alvin said with a wink, handing over the gems. "Enjoy them. They're good for... well, they're good for looking pretty, at the very least."
The woman gave him a sly smile as she pocketed the gems. "I'll be in touch if I need more."
With a satisfied nod, Alvin turned on his heel and strolled out of the shop, Lily and Leo hurrying to keep up with him.
"Master Alvin!" Leo said, his voice breathless with excitement. "We're rich now, right?"
"Rich?" Alvin chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Rich is a relative term, Leo. Let's just say we're... comfortable."
Lily looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "What are we going to do with all that money, Master Alvin?"
Alvin shrugged, though a faint smile tugged at his lips. "First, we're going to buy some decent clothes for all of you. Then, food. I'm not a miracle worker in the kitchen, so I'll have to find someone who can keep you from starving."
They made their way through the market, stopping at a clothing store where Alvin bought enough clothes to outfit all ten children. Each child would have something warm, sturdy, and most importantly, clean. Alvin made sure to buy extra sets as well, knowing how quickly kids could destroy clothes, even in peaceful times.
Afterwards, they stopped by a fast food stand. The children had never seen anything like it before. Alvin ordered an obscene amount of burgers, fries, and sweets, enough to feed a small army.
Leo and Lily's eyes lit up as they carried the food back to the orphanage, their arms full of bags. Alvin trailed behind them, hands tucked in his pockets, a smug smile playing on his lips. These kids had no idea how good they were about to have it.
Back at the orphanage, chaos erupted the moment the children saw the food and the new clothes. Their eyes widened in disbelief as Alvin handed out the bags of burgers, fries, and sweets. The room filled with the scent of grease and salt, and soon, all ten of the children were happily stuffing their faces, their smiles wide and eyes sparkling with joy.
Alvin watched from the sidelines, leaning casually against the wall. Despite his usual indifferent expression, there was a softness in his eyes as he observed them. It wasn't so bad, this whole... caretaker thing. Not that he'd ever admit it.
Just as the children were beginning to relax, Alvin clapped his hands loudly, causing everyone to jump.
"Alright, you little brats," he said, his tone dripping with mock seriousness. "Time to work off all that junk you just inhaled. Everyone outside. We're starting exercise training."
The kids blinked up at him in shock, their food barely digested.
"But we just—" Tomas began, only for Alvin to cut him off.
"Did I ask for a debate?" Alvin's eyes gleamed with savage amusement. "Up. Now. Or I'll personally drag each and every one of you out there by your ears."
The children groaned but scrambled to their feet, clutching their stomachs as they waddled outside. Alvin followed at a leisurely pace, a smirk playing on his lips.
Once outside, Alvin wasted no time in instructing them through a grueling exercise regime. Jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, and running laps around the orphanage. The children, still bloated from their feast, struggled with every movement, their little limbs flailing pathetically as they tried to keep up.
"Is that the best you can do?" Alvin barked, though his eyes danced with amusement. "I've seen snails move faster than you lot!"
"Master Alvin, we're tired!" Lily whined, her legs shaking from exhaustion.
"Tired?" Alvin snorted. "You think the apocalypse is going to let you nap? Ha! You'll wish you were this tired when the world starts ending. Now move it, or I'll add another lap!"
Leo collapsed onto the ground, panting, and Alvin stood over him, arms crossed.
"Dead already? That's a shame. I had high hopes for you, Leo." Alvin looked dissappointed.
The kid Leo felt bad and ashamed and quickly moved again.
While Alvin smirked behind him.
Kids are so easy to understand.