Chapter 11

Under Rasette's guidance, Sora met the group of homeless children she had brought to the night garden. Despite feeling a certain degree of danger from the mansion's security, which allowed such reckless behavior, Sora had no choice but to turn a blind eye this time. After all, today was the day when the lord's army, responsible for security, indulged in the pleasure district, leaving many gaps. Today, as usual, they were thoroughly corrupt.

The gathered homeless children numbered ten, seven of whom were around ten years old, but two were only about five. Perhaps to disguise their age as much as possible, all of them were wearing tattered cloths over their heads.

Sora observed the homeless children, and Rasette, standing beside her, moved awkwardly. Noticing this, Sora sent her a glance.

"...What's wrong?"

She asked in a low voice so the homeless children wouldn't hear.

"Well, I'm sorry. There's a beast person mixed in with the homeless children."

One of the five-year-old homeless children trembled. This agitation spread to the surrounding homeless children, intensifying their vigilance.

"Beast person? What's the problem with that?"

"Huh?"

The young homeless child, who had been trembling, let out a surprised cry at Sora's genuinely puzzled question. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands to stop the sound, but it was too late. Sora had already noticed the voice and turned around.

"Is it that surprising?"

"Lord Sora, beast people are not well-regarded by the nobility and the wealthy."

Rasette answered Sora's question. The homeless children all turned their hostile gazes toward Rasette.

"I see, that's the reason."

Sora said this without much concern.

"Such petty matters don't matter to me."

"Petty...?"

Rasette, as well as the homeless children, were taken aback by this statement. To Sora, the homeless children seemed more genuine than the corrupt noble heirs.

"However, if there are such circumstances, perhaps it's best to have them work behind the scenes."

Despite his short stature, Sora looked down at the homeless children. The older ones stood in front of the younger ones, and the boys positioned themselves to protect the girls. Sora was inwardly impressed by this.

"First, thank you for coming."

"...What does the heir of the lord want?"

The oldest youth, who seemed to have regained his composure after being deflated by Sora's "petty" comment, asked.

"There are many things, but first, let me say this: as it is, you won't survive the winter."

The full moon was hidden by clouds, and in the dimly lit garden, Sora spoke firmly. Some of the older children seemed to understand, biting their lips, while the younger ones looked at each other, not comprehending.

"Without firewood, you'll freeze to death as soon as winter comes."

"Why do you know about the firewood?"

"Anyone with good ears knows. Few know that the mastermind is the church, though."

The homeless children murmured at Sora's revelation. Some seemed to have expected it, while others believed in the church's innocence, leading to two different reactions.

"Everyone, be quiet."

The youth's command gradually silenced the group. After complete silence, he looked at Sora with a probing gaze and asked.

"Is the church really the mastermind?"

Rasette, receiving a nod from Sora, explained the "surefire lottery ticket" and the cooperative relationship between the Wood Dora Company and the church. More than half of the homeless children didn't understand, and some were even dozing off, but the youth believed the story after some thought.

"You understand things well."

"It makes sense. I can understand why the church started selling 'lucky charms' to improve lottery luck."

"...Lucky charms?"

Sora looked at Rasette, unfamiliar with the term.

"They are wooden slips sold since this afternoon. The more you have, the stronger the blessing, and many believers are buying them."

"They're all obsessed with making money..."

Sora spat out. Recalling the secret talks between the church and the company, the church side had mentioned, "There's something in it for us," which likely referred to this.

"Wait a moment. You said the lucky charms are made of wood?"

"Yes, they are wooden slips with intricate carvings, blessed by the church for several days."

"In other words, the demand for wood will increase even more. The price might not drop even if wood is brought in from outside the city."

It seemed both the Wood Dora Company and the church were serious about wasting wood.

"Whatever. It's even more convenient."

Sora smiled slyly. In a situation with no positive developments, his confident statement stood out. Rasette and the homeless children focused on Sora.

"I will turn this situation around. The goal is to secure enough fuel for the entire city to survive the winter. As a bonus, we'll take a cut from the greedy company's profits."

Sora crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood tall before the homeless children. Despite his young age, the aura of authority he exuded made some of the homeless children step back in surprise. Sora glanced at them and pointed to the five older ones.

"You seem brave enough to protect the younger ones. I want you to gather sawdust from the enemy's lumber mill. Ask Rasette for the locations."

After giving this brief instruction, Sora shifted his gaze to the younger ones at the back.

"The five at the back will follow my orders."

Though Sora was a noble heir, the homeless children were taken aback by the two-year-old's unusual demeanor and behavior. Sensing their compliance, Sora approached the last one in line. The five-year-old homeless child, hiding his face under the cloth, couldn't hide it from Sora's short stature. Without even peeking, their height difference naturally made their eyes meet.

"Beast person, the books say you have beast ears. Can you show them?"

The beast child looked away, troubled by Sora's request. Sora fidgeted impatiently as the child didn't remove the cloth.

"Hurry up, hurry up."

No one noticed the excitement in Sora's urging voice. The confused beast child took a step back from Sora, who immediately took two steps forward.

"Come on, show the beast ears, come on!"

Every time the beast child took two steps back, Sora closed the distance. When the child sought help from the other homeless children, he met Sora's sparkling eyes.

"Beast ears! The tail is too close to being inappropriate, so I'll give that up. But at least show the beast ears, the beast ears! Oh?"

Rasette grabbed Sora by the collar and lifted him like a kitten. The homeless children quietly escorted the beast child away.

"Wait, wait... I'll apologize, please. I got carried away, I'm really sorry!"

"Getting carried away? Please leave that behind. Tomorrow will be busy, so children need to sleep early to grow."

Rasette carried Sora toward the mansion. Sora, swaying back and forth, had a tearful face.

It wasn't his usual fake crying. His face was drenched in despair, like a cat whose catnip had been taken away, with clear droplets streaming down.

– I finally found something that looks like it's from another world, and now I have to wait? What kind of punishment is this!

Sora looked back at the beast child, who blushed when their eyes met.

"Once this matter is resolved, you can touch that child's ears."

"Rasette, is that true!? I won't forgive you if you're lying!"

The beast child, hearing the exchange between Rasette and Sora, couldn't say anything as he watched them leave. He heard the promise of touching the tail if the results were good, and for the first time, he regretted his exceptional hearing.

Chapter 1, final episode (Episode 15) has just been completed.

For now, I will maintain the pace of one episode per day.

Text corrections: August 8, 2023