READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 9
“I need to fill the fridge because the desserts are all gone.”
I made a return visit to the dessert shop run by the shop owner.
After stacking colorful desserts neatly, I placed the tray on the checkout counter.
While I was relaxedly waiting for the packaging to finish, the shop owner suddenly said,
“Hey kid, how about checking out the orphanage supported by Red?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected mention of an orphanage, my body froze for a moment as I struggled to figure out how to react.
An orphanage, huh? Now that I think about it, Red did offer me the same thing before.
Of course, I declined back then and had completely blocked it from my mind since then.
Why is he suddenly bringing this up?
Anyway, if I had to choose, I’d lean towards ‘I’d rather not go.’
Just as I was about to shake my head to convey my disinterest—
“Is that so? You really don’t want to go?”
The shop owner beat me to it, and I was taken aback.
Did my expression give it all away when my hood and mask were removed? No, I was wearing them properly.
How did he read my mind?
As I panicked, the shop owner beamed at me.
“Even without seeing your face, I can tell what you’re thinking. Emotions are always evident in actions.”
“….”
“I usually believe that the intentions of the individual are what matters, so I wasn’t planning on bringing it up, but that kid has been asking about you whenever he comes here. He’s curious, asking things like ‘Does she look healthy?’ and ‘Does she seem okay?'”
Only then did I understand why the shop owner mentioned the orphanage.
When you see a struggling child, it’s only natural to feel sympathy.
Especially if it’s a child in such a shabby outfit, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think they’re having a tough life.
It’s not strange to want to show kindness to unfortunate kids.
However, showing kindness to a child I’ve only seen once feels a bit excessive, so I tilted my head in confusion.
“Red loves children. That’s why he finds it hard to ignore a kid in a situation like yours.”
Hmm.
Hearing the shop owner’s explanation, I felt like I understood, yet I still couldn’t shake a feeling of doubt.
It wasn’t just plain mistrust of people.
Something inside was telling me there was a reason.
Could it be that he figured out I’m the Grim Reaper after that fight? No way. That can’t be it.
If he had really caught on, then there would’ve been a mess already.
“Just go once and show your face to let them know you’re doing fine.”
“….”
“And you might actually enjoy it once you’re there.”
The shop owner handed me the packaged goods alongside a small device.
He pointed at the device and said,
“That kid left this here. If you don’t know how to operate it, I can help you.”
I didn’t refuse.
I took the device and stared at it for a moment.
“If you follow the directions on that, you’ll reach the orphanage. Well, the choice is yours, little guest.”
I nodded and started walking toward the entrance.
Just as I was about to step outside,
“Children should live in a place where they can thrive, not in a world where death is commonplace.”
The shop owner’s lonely remark reached my ears as I left the sweet-smelling shop and headed back to my base.
*
I pondered for a long time, hesitated in my decision.
There’s no urgent need for me to go to the orphanage.
I hadn’t left any money there, and there was no special reason either.
Especially since it’s a place supported by Red.
Staying away from such a strong and dangerous solver would only be beneficial for my well-being.
The longer I stayed with them, the higher the chance my true identity would be discovered, and if that happened, it would be a real hassle.
It’s not a compulsion. The choice is mine.
It’s perfectly fine to ignore it.
Yet, with them putting so much effort into preparing this for me, my conscience wouldn’t allow me to just disregard it.
Ignoring it wouldn’t change my daily life much, but going might not lead to any significant changes either.
I’m not going to be living there. Showing my face for a bit shouldn’t stir up too much trouble.
As soon as I got back to my base, I stored the desserts I bought in the fridge and set off immediately.
I navigated using the map that showed up on the device.
‘I hope it’s not too far.’
How much time has passed since I started walking?
It feels like at least three hours have gone by, but I don’t have a watch, so I can’t say for sure.
Honestly, I regretted it halfway through, and the inner demon whispering for me to turn back kept pestering me.
However, I persevered, determined not to waste the time I had already spent walking.
Whether that effort paid off or not, I was now nearing my destination, and the scenery along the way was slowly changing.
The streets became narrower.
High-rise buildings gave way to low-rise ones.
The noisy atmosphere quieted down.
Upon squeezing through a narrow alley, the device alerted me that I had arrived.
I looked at the device, then repeated the action of gazing ahead two or three times.
‘Is this the orphanage? What should I say… it’s completely different from what I imagined.’
I thought the place supported by Red would have a grand building.
I pictured something reminiscent of phrases like “the chirping of birds touching the heart,” “a warm garden,” or “a home full of hope and dreams,” but—
‘It looks so old.’
Well, it’s definitely better than where I live.
‘But how do I get in?’
I approached the entrance sealed by iron bars.
When I shook the bars tightly, I heard a clanging sound.
It was just an ordinary iron gate with no special mechanisms installed.
The surrounding walls were equally unremarkable.
I had thought there would be security robots or devices, considering it’s a place where kids stay.
Did they think the safety was good enough here that they didn’t feel the need to install anything?
At least from what I saw, I wouldn’t say this area had particularly good safety.
Well, that’s not the important part.
‘I need to notify them that someone’s here. How do I do that? I can’t yell since I can’t speak. Is there a doorbell anywhere?’
No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find a doorbell.
I couldn’t just wait around for someone to show up.
Should I just pull out the bars and enter? Honestly, I could easily break these bars with just a little bit of my magic.
I nodded at my simple plan, pleased with the ease of execution.
But unfortunately, of course, that’s out of the question.
I didn’t come here to fight.
There’s no need to cause a ruckus with reckless behavior.
‘How about jumping over the wall? There’s probably no special equipment to stop me.’
The wall might be high for a little kid like me, but for someone not quite ordinary, this wall wouldn’t be a hindrance at all.
With just a little strength in my legs, I could easily clear it.
But this too gets dismissed.
The moment I jumped in on my own, I’d already be out.
The best-case scenario is to enter calmly as a guest.
‘Maybe I should just shake the bars a bit. That way, someone outside might hear me.’
Yeah, that’s a good idea.
Just as I firmly gripped the bars with both hands and was about to start shaking—
“Stop right there!”
A loud voice boomed.
The sound came from a large tree nearby the entrance.
I looked up at the source of the voice and saw someone perched at the top of the tree.
The sunlight made it hard to see clearly, but it looked like a person.
“This is Sunshine Orphanage, filled with dreams, futures, and love! No villain could dare set foot here! As long as the protector, Rene, stands for the future, the people, and peace! Haap!!”
A figure burst into a high jump.
They attempted to perform a few somersaults in the air before landing dramatically in front of me.
Kwah—bang!!
Unfortunately, their landing was spectacularly failed.
At the moment of impact, they slipped and their face met the ground instead.
‘Yikes! That has to hurt. That looked pretty high.’
I picked up a twig lying on the ground and poked the fallen person to check if they were alive or dead.
They flinched and quickly got up, performing another somersault, this time successfully striking a pose.
Their face was red from hitting the ground and covered in dirt, making it virtually a failure.
But they didn’t seem to mind at all.
‘Now that I think about it, that pose…’
I recognize that pose.
I read comic books abandoned in the dump with a similar pose by the protagonist.
They must think it’s a cool pose, but I could feel my own face getting hot from embarrassment.
Isn’t it a bit embarrassing for an adult to act like that?
As if sensing my thoughts, they shifted their stance into an intimidating one.
“If you don’t want to get hurt, you better reveal your identity!”
Aside from my embarrassment, her intensity made my shoulders tingle.
This woman is strong.
I stared at her in surprise.
On the outside, she seemed like an ordinary human.
With beautiful blue long hair and an attractive face, there wasn’t anything particularly special to note. Yet here she was, giving off such pressure.
They say you can’t judge a person by their appearance.
This was clearly someone not to be underestimated.
Did she say her name was Rene?
She asked me to reveal my identity, but I wanted to ask her the same.
Who on earth are you to suddenly act like this towards me?
The silence stretched on, and Rene’s expression turned ominous.
“Why aren’t you responding? Not disclosing your identity implies consent to interpret it as something else. If that’s the case, I won’t hold back. Just so you know, I won’t go easy on you even if you’re a child.”
This feels like she’s ready to charge at me.
What am I going to do?
This is troublesome.
She’s not like the thugs you see on the street.
I don’t think I can take her lightly, and if I show my abilities now, not only would I damage the orphanage, but I might inadvertently reveal that I’m the Grim Reaper.
This could be a real mess.
Is there any way to resolve this peacefully?
As I racked my brain for a way out, unfortunately, no light bulb lit up above my head.
At that moment, while observing the woman, I noticed something strange.
‘Her outfit looks just like a kindergarten teacher’s.’
Now that I think about it, didn’t she just call herself the protector of the orphanage earlier?
In other words, it means she’s affiliated with the orphanage.
“Now, brace yourself!!”
In the intense moment, I hurriedly whipped out the device and showed it to her.
As she was about to spring forward, Rene halted completely and almost stumbled forward.
“What is that!? Could you please hand it over to me?”
I passed the device to Rene.
She fiddled with it for a moment.
Her expression and atmosphere began to soften.
“So you’re the child Red mentioned.”
Rene lowered her head with an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry. I mistook you for a bad person because of your suspicious clothing.”
I waved my hand, indicating it was alright.
“Right now, Red is away on business. It’s better to wait inside than outside. Come on in.”
Phew. I’m relieved it wrapped up well.
I understood now why they hadn’t installed security measures at the orphanage.