"My name is Jonna, a silver-rank adventurer. I heard that there is an orphanage here, correct? It is called Lavia…Lara... Is Laviet right?"
Before Jonna and his teammate approached, Terrisa gathered all of the children to hide behind her in case of emergency.
"That is correct. What do you want from our humble orphanage, Mr. Jonna?"
"Haha. You can call me Jonna; I may look old, but I'm only turning thirty this year."
I think I need my ear cleaned; this Jonna guy's voice sounds like a dying person. How is he 'just turning thirty'? May as well lie to a child at this point… Wait, I am a child.
"Then Jonna, why did you and your party seek us out here in this desolate plain?"
"Well… We stumble across an… interesting piece of information, you see. It is addressed to you, Mrs. Terrisa."
'Is this guy bipolar? How can he change his tone this fast? Whatever, but is he trying to blackmail Terrisa or something? Why the ominous tone? With his voice, even if he says the most honest and pure words, it would still sound like he is trying to scare children.'
The kids are probably staring at the Bright Night party right now; I could almost feel the admiration coming from Ethan despite our distance.
"… Children get inside the house. Quickly."
Teresa rarely uses her stern voice. This seems to be an emergency, whatever it is.
Dain whispers, just enough for the children to hear.
"Let's go, Raon. Stella follows me. Ethan, Ruben is behind me now."
Dain held my hand and led me into the house. I could also hear the footsteps of the others trailing behind my back. Their speed is considerably slow, possibly because they are still gawking at the cool Bright Night party.
In the distance, I could still faintly hear the conversation Terrisa currently has with Jonna. They seem to be very heated.
"-Miss… please calm-… I know... You see."
"I told… yo… you have no right…"
"Put… fire…"
"… tell me…"
At my distance, their words now turn into incoherent mumbles. I could barely make out what the conversation was about.
At some point, vibrations from where Terrisa stood seemingly stopped; it was like something cut off the sound of the surrounding area.
It could be because I have entered the house with the other. But I usually would have still felt some sort of tiny vibrations if I tried really hard to listen. The gap between Mother and me shouldn't be this far, would it?
"Is Mother okay, Dain?"
My worry peaked right after the murmur's sudden disappearance. Is she getting kidnapped? Attacked? Is she in danger? My anxiety nearly made me pass out.
"She is fine; they are still talking. Jonna appears to fear our mother; maybe he is scared that the authorities would find him if anything happened to her."
Dain probably peeked out from the window to see the current situation. I wished I could do the same, but at last, my strongest tool is currently useless.
At least she is safe. But I can't remain idle in this situation; I am after an adult…
But what am I supposed to do?
First, let's calm the children down, including me.
"Ethan, stop glancing at Jonna and his friend; it's rude."
"What do you mean? What glancing, in fact, I am blind to see!"
"Brother Raon, can I sleep on your lap again?"
It… doesn't seem like the kids are as worried as me; they don't even appear remotely agitated. Maybe they are still too young to realize that Terrisa is in a dangerous situation.
"Uh… Aren't you guys worried about Mother?"
"Why? Mother is strong! She would be fine."
"Yeah, yeah, Ethan is correct: Mother is super powerful."
"Raon… I am sleepy."
I sat down on the floor to the left side of the door, Stella on my lap, slowly falling asleep due to exhausting her stamina doing chores.
I can understand kids may think that their parents are the strongest in the world, but as an adult, I can't help but feel worried about Terrisa's well-being. After all, a young woman versus a group of adventurers doesn't seem like a fair match.
I know Mana and Magic exist and superhumans are as common as cabbage, but if she was so strong, I doubt she would become a caretaker of this rundown orphanage.
Anyways, ignoring all of that, I am still worried about Terrisa's well-being; after all, Jonna's words are oddly ominous. It couldn't help that his voice also sounds like a third-rate villain in movies.
'How perplexing. My legs are also numb… I should trust Terrisa; after all, she is also an adult… Argh! I feel so useless!'
Indeed, the body of a child is quite useless; not helping is the fact I never actively cultivate my mana to get stronger.
'Maybe I should take my training more seriously…'
"I think they are done. Mother is coming back."
Dain turns to his siblings sitting on the floor waiting for their mother.
'Thank God.'
Thank the Sun, nothing dangerous happens; my mind relaxed as I started to pick up the reverberations of Terrisa's footsteps. Maybe I was too paranoid back then.
But I can't help it.
Creek.
The door creaked open, and Terrisa moved her head to look down at her children adorably staring at her face, except for Stella, who was in deep sleep mumbling something involving working.
"I'm back, children. I'll have some tasks I need to complete in the city, so in the meantime how about a visit to church? It is still early, but I'm sure Aunt Ema would love to meet you guys again."
"I hear the Paladins are coming back today after a crusade for the Sun's festival. I hope I can peek into their training today; last time my butt was kicked. I think it still hurts now."
With my enhanced hearing, both from intense training and mana enhancements, I could catch the small whisper of Ethan to Ruben.
"They only trained the sword; it was boring. There are no sharpshooters in the Paladin's rank. I would rather attend the sermon of the Sun's Eve; at least I could sleep peacefully there."
"I could hear all of that, you know."
I could feel Terrisa's mild anger from her words, probably because of the reprimand she received from the Head Priest last year due to Ethan and Ruben's actions.
"Anyways, kid, we need to get ready; we are going to the city today."
"My legs…"
Dain lamented; his legs started to hurt already despite the journey having even begun.
Since Dain and the others haven't awakened their mana and formed their core or circuit, their physique is that of an average sixteen-year-old back on Earth, except for Ethan and me. So, the trail to the city would still leave them exhausted.
"First I need to send a letter to someone. Dain, can you help me get your siblings dressed up decently?"
"Yes."
Dain answered less than enthusiastic. After all, he will have to tread back home, and tomorrow he will have to do this process again to attend the Sunday sermon at the church.
And so, in some mysterious turn of events, my family is going to the city early one day.
Terrisa walked into the house corridor and entered her room to write the letter.
"Now… can you wake up Stella, Raon?"
"Right."
"Hehe~"
A wet drop of saliva hit my right thigh. It seems like she is still deep in dreamland.
***
The running sound of the stream near our house, the chirping bird landing on the tree, the fresh scent of grass. It all culminates in the nature surrounding me.
"Heh, hah, hah."
Heavy breathing of Dain could be heard right next to my nape; his hot breath hit my neck. Due to his poor physique from birth, Dain is incapable of any intense physical activities.
At first, Ethan was in charge of Dain's transportation over large distances due to his diligent training and great stamina. But after Terrisa discovered my mana circuit, that task naturally became mine due to my absurdly enhanced physique.
The sun nearing the zenith, especially nearing Sunday, is extreme; if I had a gauge, it would easily reach fifty Celsius, but that could be an exaggeration since I am not a professional in the act of guessing temperature.
Today is the 78th of Prosper, the eve of Sun's descends, commonly known as Sun's Day. The closer the day reaches to the first of the Sun, the hotter the Sun gets.
This is why right now, I could feel the sun, which has reached its zenith, burning through my scalp, possibly trying to give me skin cancer.
Thankfully, in this world, even before awakening your core or circuit, mana still passively protects you, so kids in this world are much more resilient than on Earth.
Holding Terrisa's right hand and Dain on my back, we are currently moving on the footpath. In some aspects, this can be called the medieval highway due to the frequent caravans we meet on our journey.
On Terrisa's left is Stella, who is humming an unknown melody. Despite being quite petite herself, she has quite the stamina.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Ruben trail behind, playing around with rocks and sticks they pick up on the way. Though Ruben is showing signs of fatigue.
This makes me remember a fond memory.
It was May, or maybe it was closer to June. My wife and I visited the countryside where my parents live; it was on a similar road with nature surrounding us. It was when I could still see her smile, when I was young, a recently graduated student going on a trip with his girlfriend.
Though the context is different, in essence, it invokes a similar sentiment.
It was peaceful, it was carefree, it was a happy moment I could never relive. I am now visiting similar scenery with my new family; it makes me feel melancholy.
Leisurely, the excursion continues in a peaceful atmosphere. In this silence, my thoughts can't help drifting into fantasy-esque thoughts.
An hour passes like that, with Ethan occasionally poking fun at Dain and Stella.
The road has gotten rougher, no longer as soft as dirt.
We should be close to the city.
The hand I put up to block the sun's rays feels like burning. 'I am going to have magic skin cancer at this point.'
"Are we there yet, Mom?"
"We are close, Stella; the city is just up ahead."
"I am sweating right now!"
"Hah, hah, hah, this is worse than training."
"I'm going to die...."
"You don't even have to walk; what are you complaining about? At least give Raon some props."
"Don't worry, kids, we are almost there! Raon, do you feel alright? Is Dain heavy?"
"Yes… mother, I am fine."
It is still quite hard to see Terrisa as my mother; I am grateful for her kindness, but she's only 25 right now, way younger than me. That aspect is the hardest for me to get used to in this new life.
But I can confidently say that she is a good mother, given that the sacrifice of her youth to take care of children with no relation to her is something worth respecting.
A while later, the road now feels much more solid. It is a concrete-like structure reflected in its echo of my footsteps.
With my current hearing, it would almost make a walking cane useless; of course, it also provides and extends reach, but honestly, I could not live without it.
'This should be the pavement. Which means I am at Ragon.'
"Oh! Isn't Terrisa with the children? I thought you guys would come tomorrow; this is too soon."
"It is indeed so, but I have some urgent matter to take care of, Sir Norwal."
Norwall is the captain of the patrol team in Ragon, someone who has quite high prestige, but he is very friendly. Now that I think about it, whenever we come to the city, he is always there to greet us.
"Then I can't stop you, can I? Miss Terrisa, please pay the entry fee, and then you can enter the city."
Terrisa takes out one silver coin and gives it to Sir Norwal; it is quite a steep price for the entry fee, but for the capital of the Ignis Empire, it wasn't exactly expensive.
Following Terrisa's steps, I stepped inside the city gate. Dain also stopped taking advantage of my superior physique and started to walk on his own.
Before I forget, I tone down the enhancement of mana on my ears, decreasing my hearing to that of an average person.
If I had to keep my hearing at maximum capabilities, I would have passed out like when I first visited the city at five.
It is very loud during this time of year in the city, and many merchants hurriedly go to the capital trying to make a profit. The locals are also eager about the new influx of foreigners.
"That pelt..."
"Two coppers for one, two coppers for…"
"Let's go to the forest; I heard a rift has just opened there…"
"Is that an elf? Do you…
"Hey dwarf, over here…"
"Fuckhead, what do you think you're doi…"
"This is a great deal, kind sire, would also be…"
"Hey! Hey! Thief!"
Gallop. Gallop. Gallop.
"Make way! Make way!"
"You know this place…"
"There's a good brothel just around this block…."
"What are you looking' at? Scram!..."
…
Sounds of peddling merchants, discussions of onlookers, loud shouts of the adventurers, horses passing by, and carriages come and go. The mix of all those sounds creates a chaotic dissonance.
Everything is buzzing; I already have a migraine trying to take in all of the sensory overload-inducing ambient.
A benefit of being blind is enhanced hearing; that's why crowded places are my least favorite location anywhere. Even when I'm not blind, bustling streets are the bane of me.
"Are you okay, Raon?"
Teresa noticed my distress.
"It's... quite loud here, Mother. But I can manage."
"Oh, Terrisa! You're here early! Want some fresh fruit?"
It was a familiar voice; Agatha is a kind old woman who often gives us some fruit each time we are on an excursion to the city.
"You don't have to, Auntie. The kids and I are here for some quick chores. After all, you need to keep your stock for the upcoming festival."
"Heh, just take it; if I wait till tomorrow, how can I dare call these babies fresh? It would hurt my integrity."
Agatha pushed her chest up, pretending to be prideful.
Crunch.
"Hey! Ethan, you shouldn't just take it!"
"But Agatha already gives us permission, mother."
"That's not the problem; never mind. How much was it, one copper right?"
"Just take it; if you keep being this courteous, you will never have a relationship!"
"...Then… I will gratefully take it…"
Terrisa seems troubled, but I find this side of her quite cute; a smile crept up on my face unknowingly.
"Kids, say goodbye to Aunt Agatha!"
"Goodbye, Aunt Agatha!" x5
"Goodbye, remember to come to my stall whenever you are hungry."
"Ahahahah…."
Teresa laughed helplessly at Agatha's magnanimous.
"Let's go, children; the church is up ahead."
After walking up ahead, we meet quite a few acquaintances, all of whom offer us kind words and free stuff. Of course, Terrisa's tried her hardest to deny their goodwill, but to no avail.
"Wow! We ended up with so much food today. I don't think it was this much before..."
Stella expressed her amazement at the generosity of the city folks.
"They are probably trying to get rid of some old goods to replace them with new ones on the Sun's festival."
Dain analyzed.
"Yeah, but it is free food."
"That I can't deny."
If I remember correctly, the church should be just up ahead after this turn. Personally, I wasn't exactly excited about going to the church, but part of me is also curious about some of its facilities that I haven't discovered yet.
Eventually, we arrive at the church; on occasion, Terrisa lets us play inside the church with Sister Ema, the current High Priestess, supervising while she is on some tasks.
Despite being a high priest, Ema often refers to herself as a sister, so everyone simply calls her Sister Ema due to her wish.
I am curious about Terrisa's occupation since she doesn't seem to be very open about it. She has diminished my curiosity many times, so I just chalked it up to her being a former adventurer who occasionally takes a quest to make money.
Adventuring is, after all, a very accessible profession; a ten-year-old with a guardian's approval can become an adventurer with little to no screening.
But that doesn't diminish its danger; adventurers also have the highest death rate in all professions, according to a book from the church.
"Oh! Terri, hello!"
An excited chirp of a familiar nun greets my ear.
"Praise the Sun, Sister Ema!" x5
"Praise the Sun, Sister Ema, I thought I told you not to call me that."
"Hahah, Terri, you jest; we are the best of friends. I will call you whatever I like. Also, praise the sun."
Ignoring her Ema's late greeting, Terrisa sighed with much force.
"Hah... At least not in front of the children."
I could almost make out her blushing expression with my imagination; Terrisa is quite shy despite being a confident single mother when she takes care of us.
"I think Terri is a cute nickname. Can you call me Stel, brother Raon, brother Dain?"
"Huh, sure."
"I don't mind."
"What about us?"
Ethan said, pointing at himself and Ruben.
"Bleh, I don't need muscleheads to call Stel."
"Hey! What do you mean by that? This is favoritism… Did I spell it correctly?"
"I think?"
The last part was the whisper from Ethan to Ruben; of course, I can hear them now with my mana enhancement turned on.
Terrisa's headache grows as the children discuss Stella's nickname.
"Tsk."
"See, it is cute!"
Gleefully, Ema suddenly pulled Terrisa into her embrace.
"Hey!"
"Haha, it's been quite a while since you visited me, you know; it's like once per season! I thought we were best friends!"
"We are… But can you stop pretending to be sulking? You are older than me, you know."
A somewhat awkward smile hung on Terrisa's face; I can imagine that it would be quite cute.
"It's just that the church's rule is too strict; rarely would I have the opportunity to be this relaxed."
"I know…"
Before I know it, the kids seem to have run off on their own, leaving me and Dain with the adults. It was probably boring for them. I'm not too worried about them, though; this isn't the first time they have been here.
If anything, the cathedral is like their second home; most priests here know their names and personalities. Even the rarely present Paladins don't seem to mind their presence.
"Hah, anyways, I need you to take care of the kids while I am on a mission."
Slightly annoyed by her children's willful behavior, Terrisa sighed. The pain of being a single mother of five kids weighed heavily on her shoulders.
"Is it Gold or Silver?"
"Gold."
"They are reall-…"
Ema stops after acknowledging Dain's and my presence.
"Sure, just be careful."
"Many thanks, Ema."
After their conversation, Terrisa went somewhere, leaving us with Ema.
"So… What do you want to do? Is it visiting the library?"
"That's correct, Sister Ema."
"Don't you want to play? I could let you tour around the square if you want."
"It's fine; I would rather read a book in this weather."
Since Dain already knows where the library is, he bids Ema farewell and makes his way to his paradise.
Feeling helpless toward Dain's frank attitude, Ema turned to me.
"What about you, Raon?"
"It would like to take on the tour offer."
"Hah, you don't need to be so polite… Why are Terrisa's kids so weird? Except for Ethan and Ruben, the other three don't behave like children at all…"
"…"
I can't deny that.
"Then we will go after bidding your mother farewell, okay, Raon?"
"Yes."
Ema picked me up and placed me on her lap while sitting on a bench just outside the church.
Occasionally, a few pedestrians stop by and sit on the other side of the bench. They would usually ask Ema to bless them or tell her about their current mood and struggle.
At some point, my consciousness slips into dreamland. It was probably because of the peaceful atmosphere Ema exuded when she was doing her duty.
Finally, Terrisa steps out of the church door witnessing Ema talking to a homeless person while letting Raon sit sleeping peacefully on her lap.
Despite her goofy and un-priest-like conduct when they are together, Terrisa knows that Ema is more than deserving of her title as High Priestess of Compassion.
"Ema."
"I believe th-… Sorry, but I have to talk to her for a bit. Could you wait a moment, sir?
"Haha, it's fine, Sister Ema; thank you for listening to my story anyway."
The old man stood up and started moving toward the nearby alley.
"Ema… I'm going to take Raon along with me."
"Why? Isn't it A-class? It would be extremely dangerous!"
"…The old man asked for him."
"…That bastard still looking for a successor? He should have just died in a ditch somewhere…
"I have no choice in this matter…tsk, I would have hidden Raon away in Teqius if I knew he would ask for him so suddenly."
"… Hopefully he would be gentler with Raon; the other children he tried to tutelage didn't turn out well…"
"Sigh… at least I can protect if anything too dangerous happens since I will be close in the vicinity."
"Should I wake him up?"
Ema looked down at the still-asleep Raon. His head comfortably leans on her chest. His black hair swayed in the wind slightly.
"I will tell him on the way. A break could happen any time now."
"...Then have a safe journey."
"Thanks."
With her gratitude conveyed, gently Terrisa picked up Raon and cradled him, with both her arms firmly holding on to him. Her heart tightened.
Whoosh!
Crackle!
With a whoosh, Terrisa disappeared from Ema's sight.
Closing her eyes, her hand clasped.
"…O' The Merciful Sun, please bless this pair of mother and child from harm's way."
Her prayer has been conveyed to the Sun above.