Chapter 14: First Day of Vacation
On the outskirts of the empire lies the Haven Orphanage.
It might sound surprising, but even orphanages have ranks. The closer they were to the capital of the empire, the higher the likelihood of receiving funds, and the chances of the children being adopted were greater.
In that respect, the situation for Haven Orphanage, situated in an unfavorable location, wasn’t good.
The children lacked proper clothes, always having to wear hand-me-downs from their older siblings, and the only book they had to study from was an empire language book, tattered and smudged with dirt.
Eileen had requested aid from the empire several times, but her pleas were always ignored. Inside her, resentment toward the empire was slowly growing... At least, that was what Ascal knew from the story.
***
“Are you the volunteer came as a one-day teacher?”
“Yes. I’m Ray, the one who contacted you.”
Ascal had applied to the Haven Orphanage as a one-day teacher, keeping his true identity a secret.In truth, being a one-day teacher wasn’t a significant role.
All he had to do was play with the kids, perhaps read a book to them. If unlucky, maybe even change a diaper or two.
“Your face... I’ve seen it somewhere...”
Upon recognizing Ascal, or rather Ray’s face, Eileen remarked with what seemed like familiarity.
“You used to be a regular at our sandwich shop! Such a coincidence... The shop had to close because I got too busy with the orphanage.”
“I understand. Your main job obviously comes first.”
Following Eileen’s lead into the orphanage, Ascal felt that something was off.
The Haven Orphanage he knew from the novel was in terrible shape.
The children were thin due to malnutrition, and their blankets were infested with fleas, causing them restless nights from the itch.
Having grown up under such conditions, the children harbored resentment towards the empire, eventually becoming excellent anti-imperialists. It was the expected narrative.
But the orphanage Eileen introduced was different from what Ascal knew.
Contrary to the novel’s depiction, the orphanage building looked clean and quite reputable. It even resembled a prestigious school.
“The building looks clean.”
“We had an extension built recently.”
An extension?
Where did the money come from?
‘Ah, right. I provided it.’
Until now, Ascal had anonymously donated most of the bribes he received to the Haven Orphanage.
He had a sinister intention behind this. The idea was to sponsor children who would grow up to be anti-imperialists, securing for himself a form of absolution if the empire ever fell.
Moreover, since these kids were budding rebels against the empire, he hoped that they would thrive even better if raised in a pleasant environment.
Perhaps a 1-star rebel could evolve into a 3-star one?
‘But this...’
Swish-
A ball flew by.
“My ball! My ball!”
“Nope. Offside. Not your ball.”
“Hey! We have a guest. Be careful! If you keep doing that, and I’ll confiscate the ball!”
“We’re sorry, Miss Eileen.”
Ascal picked up the ball. It wasn’t the type of ball that appeared worn out, instead, it was shiny and seemed brand new.
“Mister?”
Lost in thought while holding the ball, Ascal was met with curious eyes from the children playing with it.
Ascal looked at the children.
Their bodies were plump, as though they had regularly eaten meals filled with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Their clothes were clean, and their faces gleamed.
‘They seem to be living better than most noble kids?’
Something felt amiss.
****
“Everyone, this is Mr. Ray, here as a one-day teacher. He’s a notable official from the empire.”
Eileen gathered the children to introduce Ascal.
‘Should have lied about my profession.’
Recently in the empire, a distressing trend had emerged where unemployed men past their prime were looked down upon, and treated less than human. Thus, admitting to being unemployed wasn’t an option.
In fact, those without jobs couldn’t even volunteer at orphanages. Unable to think of a suitable occupation on the spot, he had said he was an official from the empire, but now he felt he might have made an error.
These children were the marginalized ones from the empire.
Being introduced as an empire official, he expected the reaction wouldn’t be favorable...
“Wow, that’s cool!”
“I want to work for the empire too!”
“What should we learn to become an official?”
A barrage of questions poured in.
‘How did this happen?’
The children harbored no resentment towards the empire.
Taken aback, Ascal responded to their inquiries.
“To become an official, you must diligently study and review the basic subjects.”
“Our private tutor told us something different.”
‘Huh, a private tutor?’
‘You kids have private lessons?’
“Once a week, we invite a private tutor from outside to teach subjects the children are interested in.”
Ascal was at a loss for words.
“I want to become a musician when I grow up!”
The children at the orphanage had name tags on their clothes. Krina. She would later become a guerilla leader against the empire.
“I want to be a chef!”
The child who just spoke was Stefan. He would eventually carry out a s*icide bombing at an empire office.
“Hehe, all so trivial. I’ll become a minister.”
The last kid, Sirius, was depicted as the leader of the anti-empire forces in the novel.
“Sir, what rank of official are you?”
“I’m at the 6th rank.”
“Hmm, not too bad.”
Sirius nodded with his arms folded, his face reading, ‘You’re worthy of conversing with me.’
At this rate, it seemed improbable that these children would grow up to be rebels against the empire.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Ascal asked,
“Have you ever thought of revenge against the empire that neglected you? Ever wanted to blow up buildings erected from the sweat and blood of the commoners with explosives...?”
“Teacher, are you a communist?”
“Guys, let’s report him to the empire quickly!”
One child darted away. Ascal hurriedly grabbed the child’s leg. It took him quite a while to explain that he was just joking.
****
In the end, Ascal realized.
He had donated far too much money to the orphanage.
Taking bribes without thinking and impulsively donating them all had backfired terribly.
Children who might have grown into anti-empire rebels instead became its puppets...
“Teacher, look at this. I drew this picture.”
A child, who looked about six years old, eagerly presented a drawing to Ascal.
Ascal examined the picture.
It was crude, but it depicted a man with black hair, wearing a cape. The man smiled, brandishing a sword. Despite its simplicity, the drawing was filled with heartfelt effort.
“Who is this?”
“It’s Uncle Carl.”
“Uncle Carl?”
“He’s a wonderful person who sponsors our orphanage!”
Uncle Carl.
Then, a thought occurred to Ascal.
When he made the donation to the Haven Orphanage, he had used the pseudonym ‘Carl’. So, this drawing portrayed an imagined version of Ascal.
“Oh. This is Uncle Carl?”
Then Stefan approached.
“It’s well-drawn, but my Mr. Carl is cooler.”
Stefan then showed a handmade doll from his pocket. Dressed in formal attire and holding a conductor’s baton, the figure resembled a resilient scholar.
“Is this the only representation of Uncle Carl?”
“No, look at that frame on the wall.”
Stefan pointed to the wall. There was a large framed picture. It depicted a handsome man with black hair, a face Ascal had never seen in his life, standing gracefully.
<The Magnificent Comrade Carl- Artwork by Sirius>
‘This is insane,’ Ascal thought.
****
“Leaving already?”
“Yes. The children seem so bright that it looks like there isn’t much I need to teach.”
“Hehe, is that how it appeared? But they’re all quite mischievous, just putting on brave faces.”
Before leaving, Ascal had a private conversation with Eileen.
Undoubtedly, Eileen awakened as a saint in the future due to her deep resentment and despair towards the empire.
But was she still the same now? Perhaps Eileen might have lived a normal life, simply teaching the children.
“If the ‘Uncle Carl’ who sponsored the orphanage had other ill intentions, what do you think would have happened?”
“Hmm... Even if it started with ill intentions, if the outcome is good, wouldn’t that still be a good deed? That’s how I see it.”
“I see.”
“Above all, we are happy now because of him.”
It seemed there was nothing more to be said.
Ascal left the orphanage, waved off by the children.
“Goodbye, teacher!”
“Come again!”
“Bye-bye!”
But as Ascal turned away, he couldn’t see Eileen, who kept watching his retreating figure for a long time.
Whispering softly, Eileen voiced her gratitude. It was a thank you that no one heard, fading away with the gentle breeze.
****
The first day of Ascal’s vacation had come to an end.
Upon returning home, he found an appointment letter on his desk along with a letter sealed with the crown prince’s emblem.
‘When was this delivered... No, how did they even open the door?’
It felt like he was facing a chilling truth.
The rushed handwriting seemed as if he could hear the crown prince’s voice directly.
<Congratulations on becoming a Grade 5th official, Ascal. You have no idea how hard it was to push through the old fogies opposing it. Ultimately, I used my princely authority to make you Grade 5th. No need for gratitude. The massage I received in the recreation room that day was worth it. After your vacation, let’s go horse riding together! Hahahahahahaha!>
Ascal handed the letter to Pegasus, recently named ‘Fer’.
“Neigh!”
Fer happily ate the letter. Maybe the paper quality was exquisite because he seemed quite satisfied.
»»—ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ—««
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