READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 11
I started to sort out my thoughts.
Why did I come to the orphanage?
First, it didn’t seem polite to ignore the device they prepared for me. Second, whether it’s genuine or not, it felt a bit off to disregard someone who worries about me.
And the third, which held the most weight, was my personal curiosity.
I wanted to see if this truly was a facility where children were cared for out of goodwill. Or if it was just a show of self-satisfaction and profit, like many others.
I wanted to confirm it with my own two eyes.
‘If something rare stands out, don’t you get curious?’
As I walked down the corridor, the lights flickered weakly, and the cold air crept up to my ankles, hinting that the heating might not be on.
The wallpaper was old and faded, with tiny cracks intermittently visible, and the floor occasionally creaked ominously.
There were several rooms dotting the corridors, so I decided to enter and take a look at each one.
In the first room, I found dolls and toys scattered about that seemed like they would be loved by children.
Looking closer, I realized they were all toys released ages ago.
It seemed they couldn’t afford the latest ones.
Then, a sketchbook caught my eye.
Inside, a drawing depicting people joyfully smiling while holding hands.
Flipping to the next page, I found another drawing. I flipped through the pages, admiring the artwork one by one.
They weren’t well-drawn; it was very much child-level drawings.
Yet what caught my attention was…
‘They’re smiling…’
The atmosphere of the drawings was exceedingly cheerful.
Drawings reflect the psychology of the person who made them.
The child who drew this must be satisfied with life here.
Closing the sketchbook, I tidied up a bit and moved on to the next room.
After inspecting all the rooms on the first floor, I climbed the stairs to the second floor.
The rooms on the second floor were the same. I felt the presence of children everywhere.
Then I glanced out the window and noticed a small flowerbed bursting with colorful blooms.
Could the kids have taken care of it?
Curiosity tugged at me, so I went downstairs to step outside, moving towards the flowerbed.
Up close, I saw it was a very small flowerbed. Still, it showed clear signs of care.
Since I was outside, I wandered around the yard a bit. I saw a ball rolling around, along with a swing and a seesaw.
Overall, the impression I got from walking around was…
‘It’s average.’
Yeah. It’s ordinary.
And ordinary isn’t very common in the city.
It was on a completely different level than the orphanage I had stayed in.
So it was fascinating.
The fact that there was an orphanage that genuinely cared for children.
At first glance, it looked like a perfectly fine orphanage.
‘What’s with this feeling I’ve been sensing since earlier?’
As I roamed around, I felt occasional glances upon me.
Whenever I turned around or looked around, there was no one there.
Initially, I thought it was the kids hiding and watching me. But that thought was wrong because no one was loitering around me.
With no signs of life nearby, how was I feeling watched?
‘It’s like I’m inside the belly of a beast. It’s an unsettling sensation.’
Thinking back, I felt this sensation since I got close to the orphanage.
‘It’s only a feeling of being watched. There’s no sense of threat, though. What could it be?’
Now that I think about it, I hadn’t seen any kids yet.
They weren’t inside the facility. From the absence of their shadows and the sounds of play, it seemed they must be outside somewhere.
Rene mentioned she was making snacks for the kids. So, it must mean that snack time, which the kids love the most, is approaching.
I figured the kids would return on their own, so maybe waiting inside was better than wandering off and getting lost.
Or should I go back to Rene and ask where the kids are?
‘Huh… What’s that?’
At that moment, I noticed a metal sheet awkwardly leaning against the fence, so I decided to move it aside and found a small hole.
Bending my knees, I peered inside the hole and realized it was a passageway.
It was too narrow for an adult but just right for a child.
I crawled into the hole.
The passage wasn’t very long.
As I crawled out, I arrived at a strange place.
It seemed like an abandoned building.
No, it definitely was an abandoned building.
Suddenly, I heard a strange, faint sound.
I strained my ears to discern the noise, realizing it wasn’t the sound of children playing.
I moved in the direction of the sound.
‘Singing…?’
A slow melody poured into my ears. It was vastly different from the city’s music.
City music is overly loud, while this song was calm and serene.
It was a mysteriously heartwarming tune.
Yet, something felt odd.
The song felt familiar.
‘Is this a song I’ve heard somewhere? But I can’t quite remember….’
I racked my brain, trying to recall a song similar to what I was hearing, but I couldn’t bring anything to mind and frowned.
‘Well, whatever. The fact I can’t recall means I probably didn’t think much of it back then.’
What mattered wasn’t the song; it was who was singing it.
I soon arrived at a not-so-far distance.
‘Huh…?’
Then it dawned on me what the song was.
It was a song sung by a lost girl long ago.
She had asked if she could sing, and I had allowed her to, so I listened to that song back then.
Her name was Lena, right?
‘What a small world that I’d see her again in a place like this.’
Under a ceiling with a gaping hole.
Bathed in sunlight, a girl with yellow hair was singing.
Six children sat quietly in front of her, listening intently to the song.
Since everyone was so focused on the singing, they didn’t seem to notice me.
After a moment, the song ended.
Then a cascade of applause erupted from the children.
Lena scratched her head bashfully, and just as she was about to sing the next song, her eyes widened as she noticed me standing at the entrance.
Seeing Lena’s startled expression, all the other children turned their heads as well.
A silence fell over the scene.
***
Meanwhile, Red and Stal were taking a break on a bench as commotion arose around them.
“Isn’t that the Ice Prince Isaac?”
“That guy wasn’t on the list for this mission. What brings him here?”
“Oh~ so that’s what he looks like in person.”
Their gazes shifted toward the source of the uproar.
Many Solvers were looking in the same direction.
It was a man.
A handsome guy with jet-black hair that suited his ponytail quite well.
He looked around, finally stopping when he spotted Red and Stal sitting on the bench.
With a smile like a kid who found treasure, he approached them.
He halted in front of Red.
“I heard the news and came over, but it seems it’s already wrapped up.”
The man, Isaac, greeted Stal lightly before turning to Red.
“Impressive. From what I know, this job was one that would give A-class Solvers a hard time, yet it got resolved so easily just because you were involved. You never cease to amaze me, Red.”
“Ah~ thanks for the compliment.”
Red responded apathetically to Isaac’s praise.
Still, Isaac looked satisfied just to have gotten a reply.
Then, his expression shifted, as if he’d just remembered something important.
“I heard you came up against the Grim Reaper. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, am I not standing here?”
“You’re truly remarkable; coming out alive after fighting the Grim Reaper like this. Some acquaintances of mine lost their lives in encounters with the Grim Reaper.”
Even if she didn’t particularly like the person, Red didn’t brush off the news with indifference.
With a slightly remorseful expression, she scratched the back of her head before trying to offer some form of comfort.
“You don’t need to—”
“Yeah, I’m not in need of comfort,” Isaac cut her off.
“Stuff like this happens often in this line of work. We both know that and there’s no need to dwell on it.”
Red furrowed her brow as those nonchalant words provoked old memories.
Then, with a frustrated tone, she replied.
“So what’s a busy guy like you doing here? This isn’t your turf, so it’s not like you came just to see me, right?”
“Ha ha, you’re so cold. Still, I don’t dislike that part of you.”
Red’s expression darkened further.
“Were you really just passing through for a mission and happened to hear I was working here?”
“Is that so? It’s because you’ve been ignoring my calls and texts.”
“Well, consider yourself lucky that I didn’t block you.”
“Anyway, it’s not just a courtesy visit; I have something I want to ask you.”
“…A request?”
“It’s something I can only ask you.”
Red locked eyes with Isaac.
Isaac, smiling, was about to say something when.
“Senpai, we’re running out of time.”
A female Solver standing behind Isaac interrupted.
Annoyed, Isaac frowned.
“Oh, right, I got it.”
He sighed.
“Sorry. I have to leave right away due to an urgent request. I’ll explain in detail later. So please, don’t ignore me when I contact you next time.”
Isaac turned his body. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly froze.
Then…
“Take this.”
He threw something to Red.
Red caught it effortlessly, looking at what was in her hand.
It was a can of coffee.
And it was cold, as if just pulled out from the fridge.
When Red glanced at Isaac, he was grinning from ear to ear, waving goodbye as he walked off.
Red passed the can to Stal as if throwing away trash.
Stal opened the can and took a sip.
“Some things never change. But at least because of him, you….”
“Shut it.”
Red interrupted him bluntly.
“Why haven’t I said anything yet?”
“I know what you’re about to say, so just keep your mouth shut.”
With a shrug, Stal took another sip.
“Back in the day, you two used to get along so well.”
Red and Isaac.
Red’s boldness and decisive actions perfectly complemented Isaac’s wisdom and insightful advice.
Like fire and ice, the two surprisingly harmonized well together.
But just like how fire and ice can’t coexist, their relationship grew distant over time.
“Probably since the day the kids at Isaac’s orphanage died. What could have caused this?”
Red sank into memories of that day.
The day of the children’s funeral.
On a day when rain poured down in torrents.
Red couldn’t help but watch.
After that, she was disappointed in Isaac.
Returning from her memories to reality, Red lightly waved her hand.
“That’s none of your business, so don’t worry about it.”
She seemed to try to divert her mind from the events of that day, shifting her focus back to the documents in hand.
This document contained a list of individuals of interest to the Cult of the Grim Reaper.
And among them was the mute child with her face entirely hidden by a hood and mask that I had met before.