Chapter 314: The despair of Lime (1/2)
There’s nothing as suspicious as something that’s free.
There’s no investment without an ulterior motive.
Donations out of goodwill make my hairs stand.
Those are words that all the people working in an orphanage have learned.
The orphanages that are managed in Tsige have ones that are receiving their support from the city, and there’s others that are privately funded by an individual.
The orphanages managed out of pure good will go under really quick.
Sadly to say, pure and clean orphanages that have the right teachings, and receive only the money as donations without accepting the interference of anyone, is impossible to achieve.
The core orphanages of the city, in other words, the efficient orphanages, have the Merchant Guild and the major companies managing them in the shadows.
The orphanages that receive the assistance of the city and are managed by an individual, the private orphanages, are under the influence of several companies, and it is almost always that they are pushed by personal gain and motives.
There’s also orphanages with a terrible environment that only aim for the support money.
That’s why they expect definite returns for providing funds and goods, especially in private orphanages.
Answering the other party’s support with specific gratitude and action at that very moment, and trying not to create a debt, is a common thing.
Especially the cases of sacrificing a few children to save many of the others.
Because if you don’t put the good and the bad together, you won’t even be able to raise an orphan.
Ideals normally lose to reality.
“Lime! Welcome back. What’s the matter? It feels like you came back sooner than normal.”
A girl who noticed the identity of the visitor the fastest called out to him.
Lime waved his hand and passed the door, and was surrounded by children in an instant.
A woman with simple but clean clothing and Lime; the two of them had children crowding around them.
The Weitz Orphanage was suddenly covered in liveliness.
A few years ago, Lime would go by the anonymous name of Long Legs Old Man, but after properly working for the Kuzunoha Company, he has been providing them support with his name in the open.
Lime is from the Weitz Orphanage, moreover, a success story in Tsige. For the children, Lime is a hero.
“Seina, how many times do I have to tell you to stop the ‘welcome back’s… Well, that’s fine for now. Hey, you kids! Split them properly with each other, okay?!” (Lime)
Lime hands over presents centered mainly on sweetness to one of the oldest ones.
The child that was given this confirmed the inside and had their eyes shine, and then, runs deeper inside together with the children.
For this kind of presents, it is best for them to be consumables.
Due to his own experience, Lime always makes sure to bring food whenever he comes.
“You don’t need to bring anything, you know. You put so much money every month. I hope you are having a proper lifestyle.” (Seina)
The woman who is the same age as Lime is Seina.
The two of them are childhood friends of this orphanage, and when Seina grew up, she stayed in the orphanage and continues to look after the little ones.
Lime chose the adventurer path, succeeded, and continues to put money in the orphanage like this.
He internally respects Seina who chose this way of living.
He simply became the one-in-a-hundred survivor, while Seina chose the safe and steady path of supporting the orphanage.
The amount of children you can save by remaining in the Weitz Orphanage, that is just one of the many private orphanages, is extremely limited.
That’s how Lime thought in the past.
That’s why he chose to become an adventurer which had the biggest chance to obtain money in this city.
A lot of his comrades as well.
But the result was tragic.
Numbers went down as fast as they came, and people who would step into the wrong path appeared one after the other.
In the end, the only ones who managed to struggle their way to the top of the adventurers were Lime and a few others.
Also, the orphanage took a lot more money than Lime expected.
Forming parties, maintaining his equipment properly, and buying new equipment when needed; it took Lime his all to just keep doing those things while providing support.
Even the Weitz Orphanage, when compared to other public or private orphanages, was in a state that couldn’t escape from financial issues.
He even made an enemy out of the Rembrandt Company due to his hurry.
The Lime in those times was always angered.
If asked what was his anger towards, it would be towards all of his surroundings.
The reason why Lime was feeling nostalgic right now was most likely because the time to finally reveal to his childhood friend Seina what has been inside his chest all this time has come.
Lime faced Seina seriously.
“…What? Don’t tell me you really are hanging on the edge to the point that you can’t live properly? Want to eat here?” (Seina)
“Don’t be stupid. I am working with the top of the top, the Kuzunoha Company, you know? I am getting quite a good salary, so don’t worry.” (Lime)
“Top of the top? Don’t you mean, the top of the top in fishiness?” (Seina)
“Hey now, I have been telling you every time but, don’t talk badly about the company. It isn’t the kind of place you think it is, really.” (Lime)
“…I wonder. I don’t understand that Tomoe person well. The representative-san hasn’t even shown up once here.” (Seina)
“Boss is busy after all. He is currently in Tsige, but the Dusk—Ah, he is wrapped in some other matter. Big Sis Tomoe hasn’t said anything unreasonable, right?” (Lime)
“Dusk…do you mean the Dusk Street? That’s no joke. The Kuzunoha Company comes and goes there?” (Seina)
Seina spits this with clear discontent.
That’s natural.
For the residents of Tsige, the Dusk Street is one of the taboos.
Just like how demonic beasts attack livestock in farms at night, the people of the Dusk Street sometimes would sneak into orphanages and kidnap children.
There’s no countermeasures that can be made.
If they hire adventurers to increase the security, it would happen less, but most of the orphanages don’t have the leeway to keep the pay.
Moreover, against people of the Dusk Street, you would need strong adventurers like the ones that enter the wasteland.
Thus, even if they notice their intrusion, they can’t even fight back.
Because if they fight back, not only the children will be stolen, even the employees might be killed.
They have no choice but to clench their teeth, hold their breath, and allow their crime to succeed.
For the sake of survival.
That’s why, the closer a person is related to orphanages, the stronger the hatred they have towards the Dusk Street.
“It is not like they are coming and going. In the first place, I am still giving out from my own pocket, but the Kuzunoha Company is providing funds and goods here, right? I don’t understand why you don’t like them.” (Lime)
Lime also hates the Dusk Street.
He would like to destroy it if possible.
But it is not possible.
Even if at a glance it looks like you destroyed it, they are surely hiding somewhere.
And then, as if mocking their enemy, they would hurt your important things and people.
There’s no better measure than to just ignore them.
Also, Lime is working in the Kuzunoha Company now.
Being with them, even the Dusk Street feels small in comparison, so he stopped minding them as much as before.
Rather, leaving aside her opinion about Raidou who she hasn’t properly met yet, it bothered him more the reason why she didn’t like Tomoe.
“That person said that she would of course get something in return from this, so if there’s any talented children we should tell her.” (Seina)
“…Well, giving out money and receiving that much is a natural thing, right?” (Lime)
It is like the minimum requirement in order to have companies give money.
Lime has not directly touched into the relationship between the Kuzunoha Company and the Weitz Orphanage.
He knows that Tomoe, the Forest Onis, and the dwarves sometimes come here, but Lime trusts Tomoe, so he hasn’t pursued the topic.
Also, if he wanted to know, he could just ask Seina who he gets along with and the director of the orphanage.
“The first time she came, she said this and left 100 gold coins.” (Seina)
“100…I see.” (Lime)