Chapter 83

After the contract ended, the orphanage that underwent renovation was successfully handed over.

Sayaka, along with the children, headed to the new orphanage where they would live.

"Toya-niisan, what's the new place like!?"

"It might be bigger than where we lived in the Salandiel Kingdom. The rest will be a surprise when you see it."

"Awesome, I'm looking forward to it. Hey, Sayaka-nee, hurry up!"

"You don't need to rush so much; the place isn't going to run away."

Seeing Sayaka being pulled by the children and quickening her pace, I couldn't help but smile.

This would be the first time actually seeing the new orphanage with Sayaka. I hope they like it...

I had already heard that Lumina would be living there too, so I made sure to prepare individual rooms for a few adults.

We walked through the general streets and soon arrived at the new place.

I called out to the children who were looking up at the three-story building.

"This is where we'll be living from now on."

"Wow, it's impressive. Amazing!"

"「「「「「Yay!」」」」」

The children ran into the building. Sayaka tried to stop them, but they disappeared inside.

"Toya-sama, I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. The children seem happy. Let's go inside and take a look."

I pushed Sayaka's back and we entered the building together.

The entrance was a hall, with a dining room, kitchen, and office on the first floor.

The second floor had the children's rooms and individual rooms for Sayaka and Lumina.

The children were running around inside, looking for their own rooms.

"Hey, Toya. When can we start using this building? I'm planning to move in here too."

Lumina, who was walking leisurely at the back, called out.

In reality, the building was just completed, so we needed to apply for its use. I heard that this would result in subsidies from the government.

While my assets would cover the costs even without the subsidies, it would be better to apply for them for the future.

"We can use it anytime. I'll be the sponsor, but Sayaka will be the representative for the application to the empire."

"That's... You've prepared everything, Toya-sama..."

"Don't worry about it. From now on, everything will be up to Sayaka."

"In that case, Sayaka, let's move in this weekend. I really don't like the noble district."

Sayaka, Lumina, and I entered the building. Inside, the sound of the children running around echoed.

As I showed them around the rooms, Sayaka's eyes sparkled like a child's.

When we reached the third floor, the children were deciding on their rooms and securing their beds.

"Ah, Toya-niisan! So, we can live here from now on, right?"

The children looked at me with hopeful eyes, and I nodded sincerely.

"Yeah, we plan to move in this weekend. Then you'll be living here. Make sure to help Sayaka, okay?"

"Of course! Leave Sayaka-nee to us."

Their response made me smile. Children's smiles are the best.

After a thorough tour, we returned to the mansion to pack for the move. Sayaka and the others went back as well.

I also returned to my mansion and asked Dalish to arrange the move.

Although there wasn't much to move, only Sayaka and Lumina were adults, so we needed to arrange for a cart.

I filled out the application for the orphanage with Sayaka as the representative in my study.

We successfully completed the move by the weekend, and I went to the government office with Sayaka to submit the documents.

At the counter, I submitted the documents.

"Please wait a moment."

The woman at the counter took the documents to her superior, who then came to the counter with them.

"Thank you for waiting. Please come with me; we'll discuss this further."

Following the superior, we were led to a private room. We sat across from the man as he gestured.

"I've reviewed the documents. I have a few questions. Currently, you are the representative, Sayaka, and there are twelve children. Can you manage this number alone?"

"Yes, Toya helps out, and we also have a B-rank adventurer who takes care of the children."

The man looked at me.

"Is Toya you?"

"Yes, that's me. I'm an A-rank adventurer."

I could mention my noble title, but that might be overkill. Moreover, the orphanage is under the jurisdiction of a noble, and I don't want to cause any issues. So, I'll stick to my adventurer status.

"I see. In that case, there shouldn't be any issues with funding. We'll prepare the documents, and once they are reviewed by my superiors and the responsible noble, we'll get approval. It might take some time, though."

"How long are we talking about...?"

When Sayaka asked, the man folded his arms and thought for a moment.

I quietly took out a small bag with a few gold coins and handed it to him.

I understand that a little bribe is necessary, even for officials. It might be illegal, but if needed, I can use my status as a marquis to resolve any issues.

"Please try to process it as soon as possible. I'd appreciate it."

The man checked the contents of the bag under the table. Surprised by the gold coins, he quickly put the bag in his pocket and smiled, nodding.

"Leave it to me. I'll do my best to process it quickly. There will be an inspection, and then we'll issue the approval."

"Understood. Thank you for your assistance."

I bowed slightly, and Sayaka followed suit.

After a brief chat, we left the office.

As we walked to the orphanage, Sayaka spoke hesitantly.

"Toya-sama, was that okay?"

She was probably referring to the bribe I gave.

"Well, it's a necessary evil. Technically, it's not allowed, but nobles giving officials money isn't illegal. If I were to use my title to get things done, I'd end up doing the same."

In reality, when nobles call officials to request something, they often give some money. Conversely, officials sometimes give bribes to advance their careers. Since I won't have any official duties as a noble, I didn't need to do this.

"…I see, I understand. I've been relying on you for everything, Toya-sama. I don't know how to repay you..."

"Don't worry about it. I did it for the children."

"Thank you."

Sayaka's beaming smile made me smile and nod.

We stopped by the market on the way back, and I bought a large amount of ingredients, telling them I would store them in my dimensional storage. We then returned to the orphanage.

The children were running around in the yard or playing in the dining room.

...Children should be like this.

I thought about the orphanage we visited the other day while preparing the meal.

I put bread in a basket, cooked the meat and vegetables, and made a stew.

After putting the pot in my dimensional storage, I brought it to the dining room and served the children.

Once everyone was served, Sayaka spoke on behalf of the group.

"Thanks to Toya-sama, we can live in this new orphanage. Let's pray to the gods and Toya-sama before we eat. Itadakimasu."

"「「「「「Itadakimasu」」」」"

The children enjoyed their first meal, and the new life began.