There were more chores at the orphanage than I could have imagined.
I mean, even when a typical family of four moves, doesn’t a whole truck full of stuff come out? Of course, this isn’t modern times, so the amount of moving stuff would be different, and considering it’s an orphanage rather than a regular household, special circumstances must be taken into account. But still, there are hundreds of people.
What happens when you try to move everything needed for hundreds of kids living there all at once? I witnessed that answer firsthand.
“…What would we have done if we hadn’t shown up?”
“Hem hem, well, I actually thought this would happen, which is partly why I insisted we come!”
Plona chuckled, mixing a shy smile with a hint of pride.
I definitely hadn’t anticipated this far. Sure, I’d mentioned sending people to help move things when the new orphanage was completed about when the construction began, but I never guessed it would be this huge of a task just unpacking the things that had been moved.
To be honest, I had forgotten due to being so busy.
The completion date was approaching, and I couldn’t accurately assess how many people had increased at the orphanage, so I didn’t expect this large-scale moving effort.
After all, back when I stayed here, Randell Orphanage only had about forty kids.
Since then, the number of orphans had increased due to the war, and with the planned expansion of Randell Orphanage, kids from other areas had been transferred here, raising the total to hundreds.
As I carried boxes, I watched the little ones cleaning windows with their tiny hands or bustling about carrying things, feeling rather complicated. One of the reasons for the increase in kids at the orphanage was due to the war, after all.
War. Broadly speaking, the Luminous had obliterated Lusher, which played a significant role, but before that, wasn’t there a time when the Empire struck Randell during its union?
Though most of the captured soldiers and civilians, including Knight Dave Rakel, survived once victory was ensured, the soldiers who lost their lives during the war did not have such luck.
Some of the newly placed kids at this orphanage might be children of the soldiers who died by my hand or under my command.
No justification could be found for the happiness stolen from children merely because the war was unavoidable.
Thus, I couldn’t lift my head. While others might not blame me, the kids had every right to hate me.
“Big sis.”
Plona called me with a seriousness in her voice while gently squeezing my left arm.
How did she manage to see through my hood? The warmth I felt from her hand was overwhelming.
“You don’t have to bear it all alone. If we think back on it, it was an unfortunate accident for everyone.”
An unfortunate accident. Honestly, I could hardly argue against that.
The humans of the Luminous Kingdom had chased after a false god for years without realizing they had been reduced to mere tools for gathering faith, leading the charge against the oppressed and driven-out Vampires, who were born from dark spirits.
Had the existence of Luminous been known a bit earlier, the war at Randell might not have taken place. Or perhaps, the coalition forces of the three human nations wouldn’t have attacked Sahelrn.
If humans hadn’t united to strike first, there would have been no collaboration between the Duchies of Sahelrn and Helraig, and the Vampires might have been less desperate. Consequently, the invasions of the Bertica Kingdom and Armes Kingdom wouldn’t have happened either.
But all of this is just meaningless hypotheticals.
It was because of the war that the humans’ coalition disbanded and the Luminous Kingdom was brought to the brink of collapse. Faced with the imminent fall of the Luminous Kingdom, Luminous revealed their true identity after hiding it for two thousand years, indicating that everything happened in the order it was meant to.
But to present such excuses to the kids would be too cruel. I couldn’t say it was natural for their families to die simply because it was unavoidable.
Thus, this is a belated atonement. For the sake of those children, I have an obligation to do my utmost to create a world where they can live without deficiencies.
“Plona, I’m fine.”
It wasn’t a lie. I’ve never even thought of myself as a righteous or noble being.
From the moment I resolved to become the Vampire King, I had accepted what was ahead. I didn’t make that decision lightly, expecting some unexpected twist from the past to confront me.
“I’m really fine.”
“…Yes. But…”
It’s just a bit uncomfortable. Yet Plona didn’t seem to completely believe my words.
“Please don’t think that this is something you have to bear alone. By that logic, I would be an accomplice too.”
Since I didn’t oppose it and willingly joined the battle, Plona smiled faintly.
I appreciated her sentiment. In truth, the one who felt more bittersweet seeing the kids at the orphanage wasn’t me, but Plona.
Born as a human, she abandoned her humanity, turned her back on her homeland, and ultimately struck at Randell with her own hands.
Looking back, I had truly put Plona through some rough times. She probably feared visiting the orphanage today even more than I did, wrapped up in a hood.
But she didn’t shy away. She wore her identity proudly, helping out at the orphanage, perhaps as her own form of atonement.
I felt sorry and admired her. It struck me that I should do even better from now on.
“Alright! Let’s work hard so we can finish before sundown!”
In an attempt to lift the mood, Plona shouted cheerfully.
“Yeah.”
I naturally followed the flow.
At times like this, it was really convenient to have physical labor to do. It left no room for stray thoughts.
*
“I can’t believe this was all done in just one day… How should I express my gratitude?”
“…If there’s any gratitude to be given, it should go to Plona.”
There’s no way I would have come here alone today.
Amy smiled warmly at me, and I quickly looked away.
She felt comfortable yet uncomfortable at the same time, reminding me of the way elderly people seem to look right through you with their warm gaze.
“Plona, you’ve worked hard. Are you sure you didn’t overdo it?”
“It was nothing! Both of us are tough!”
When she said it was nothing, she meant it sincerely, not just out of politeness.
If we could just uproot this entire orphanage down to its foundation, Plona and I would have the strength and stamina to carry it across the Empire.
In other words, it would be harder to get tired from moving a few boxes and cleaning.
But this place was indeed vast. This orphanage was probably larger than most noblemen’s mansions.
Furthermore, while I could clearly feel the life force of children running in the upstairs hallways, there was no sound of pounding footsteps… or rather, it was a level of noise suppression that only I could hear, thanks to the dwarven craftsmanship.
While I hadn’t come here out of desire, seeing things firsthand certainly gave me reassurance.
At least I was confident that the kids living here wouldn’t face difficulties due to infrastructural problems.
“Grandma, we’ve got to go now!”
“Are you sure you don’t want to meet the kids separately?”
“It’s alright! They’ll be tired today, and there will be another chance next time!”
While moving boxes and cleaning, I encountered a few kids in the hallway, but unfortunately or fortunately, none of them seemed to recognize me… rather, they didn’t approach us at all.
Three kids flinched a bit when they saw Plona, but I couldn’t tell if they were startled because they recognized Plona or were just afraid of the red-eyed vampire.
Since I was completely hiding my identity, there was no way they would recognize me.
“…Alright. Then let’s look forward to the next time.”
Amy seemed slightly disappointed but willingly sent us off.
I quickly walked out the main entrance. Just as Plona and I were about to step out of the orphanage grounds.
“Ah, Aria… big sis?”
That tiny voice from behind startled me so much that I froze in my spot.
That wasn’t meant to be heard by me. But considering how quiet it was, it was just a soft whisper.
Still, it never even crossed my mind that someone in this orphanage could see through my disguise like this, so I was caught off guard.
“Is it really you, big sis Aria?”
After a moment of hesitation, that seemed to give her even more certainty, she spoke again.
The sound of tiny footsteps coming closer, distinctly directed at me this time.
Could it be that she mistook someone else for me? While I briefly pondered, the girl who had rushed over stepped right in front of me.
In that moment, I couldn’t recognize her. There was no such girl in my memories.
But after a few seconds, realization dawned on me. The shy demeanor, uncertain voice, and trembling gaze came together to form a familiar face.
“…Sophia.”
Without even thinking about it, her name rolled off my tongue.
Sophia. The girl who always clung to my skirt because she was shy, the one who used to hide behind me whenever the boys picked on her.
And the girl, unbeknownst to me, who had cherished memories of me through drawings—drawings now placed in a frame in my office.
Though she still had a youthful appearance, Sophia had truly grown a lot over the years and smiled widely with a bashful face.
“I wanted to meet you.”
Her large eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
She rushed over and embraced me, and I couldn’t bring myself to push her away.
Plona stepped back with a grin.
See? she mouthed at me, and her face seemed to beam with joy.
This unexpected meeting turned out to be more delightful than I had anticipated.
Though the warmth felt strange, knowing there was someone out there who could embrace both my past self and who I am now offered a comfort beyond expression.
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