CLOP CLOP CLOP CLOP
The wheels turned, golden streaks shining in a circle. The sound of metals hitting the brick-floored streets echoed time and time again as the carriages passed through, a number of horses pulling the car and a coachman handling the reins.
Three figures sat inside the carriage, eyes lingering outside as they watched the ever so familiar scenery of the city play by. The vendors selling their merchandise, children running around, and workers doing their jobs. It was a peaceful place.
Grey and Yuna had been staying in Galderia for almost 2 years now, and they have yet to view the city whilst riding a carriage, not to mention such a fancy one. It really was a strange sight, watching the houses and street pokes pass by in a flash.
"Right, Cedric, didn't you say the refugees are living in different inns? Where exactly are we going right now?" ［Grey］
"Hmm... I suppose I haven't told you yet... Actually, despite them settling down and working in all sorts of different places, there are still few spots in which they gather from time to time." ［Cedric］
"Something like a headquarters?" ［Yuna］
"Well, I guess you could call it that, though a little bit less formal. It's a place where they report their daily experiences and share their knowledge and information to others. After all, they only have each other to rely on.
It may have been only a little over a week since they arrived, but you could already call them a small community living inside Galderia. They aren't entirely isolated from the others, it's just that their situation is a little bit difficult." ［Cedric］
"And I'm guessing that's where we're heading, right?" ［Grey］
"Quite so... Actually, we're already here." ［Cedric］
As soon as Cedric cut his words, the carriage suddenly came to a halt. Soon, the coachman hopped off his seat and opened the door, bowing his head politely as he let Cedric and the others come down, eyes now on the building before them.
It wasn't a particularly big building nor was it too fancy, looking quite similar to any other inn you could find all over the city. It had 4 floors in total and a few dozen rooms to be found inside, complete with a kitchen, a dining room, a service area, and many more essential components of a house.
Actually, it was initially a rundown inn which had already been abandoned and put up on sale. However, as soon as the King gave his order, Cedric immediately acquired, repaired, and renovated it for the sake of the refugees.
Still, the number of refugees was much more than anticipated, and so, it wasn't able to house all of them. Only the children and some other people are staying there, the others scattered all throughout the city in any inn they could find.
"I see... So this was once a rundown inn... There aren't any problems about it, right? I won't just collapse suddenly, right?" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. That's just unfounded worry, Yuna. The workers I hired are the best all over the city. If anything, this inn is as good as new. It did cost a bit though." ［Cedric］
"Well, I guess that's understandable... It's a pretty decent place." ［Grey］
"Right? I'm relieved to know the children are staying here." ［Yuna］
"Looks like I did a good job. Then, shall we head inside?" ［Cedric］
Cedric chuckled a bit, looking a bit relieved to hear Grey and Yuna's words. He soon took his steps and headed towards the door, hitting the back of his fingers against it and making a series of knocks. A set of footsteps resounded soon after.
The footsteps neared and neared, then suddenly, it stopped. A click, clack, and creak soon echoed, a young child greeting them as she opened the door. The child was a little bit cautious at first, only taking a small peek...
"I-It's the heroes!! E-Everyon! Lord Grey and Lady Yuna are here!"
"Really?! They're here?! I wanna see!"
"Me too! I wanna see the heroes!"
However, as soon as she saw Grey and Yuna's figure, she immediately started to squeal. She didn't even notice Cedric even though he was in front of her. Following her, the other children also got excited, then rushing towards the doors.
There wasn't just one or two, but a whole slew of them, excited little chicks running towards the door with eyes sparkling brighter than the sun above, it was a flood of children, all thrilled to lay their eyes on Grey and Yuna.
It was all too sudden. Before Grey and Yuna even noticed, children already clung on them like little monkeys swinging on tree branches. The little ones were especially excited, giggling and laughing like the little balls of energy that they are.
"Children! I told you not to run like that, especially towards the doors! You're really going to cause trouble to our neighbors!" ［???］
After the children, there came a middle-aged lady who was draped in an apron and a spatula in her hands. There were also a couple young men and women behind her. It seems like they were just preparing for lunch, when they heard a loud ruckus.
"Didn't I already tell you that that's dangerous?! Really, yoー Oh my! Your Excellency! What brings you to this place?!" ［???］
"Hahaha. No need to be so shocked, Teresa. I'm just here to take a look at the place, and... I also brought some special guests with me." ［Cedric］
"Special Guests... Your Highnesses?! Y-You're also here?!" ［Teresa］
The lady was extremely surprised by the sight of the two, bowing her head soon after as soon as she saw them. She had seen them before when they saved her and the others, but never up this close. She was both nervous and grateful.
As for Grey and Yuna, well... They simply waved their hands. They are still too busy with the children clinging on them that they really didn't have any time to reply. All they knew was that everything was going smoothly so far.
"Anyway, is Melchor busy right now? We have something important we need to discuss. I would appreciate it if he's free since this might take some time." ［Cedric］
"For now, everything is much better than when we first arrived, so things haven't been hectic as of late. He should be free right now." ［Teresa］
"That's great. Then please call him towards the reception roomー Oh, and I would appreciate it if you come as well. Barrion's presence would also be good." ［Cedric］
"Understood. Then I will call him shortly, Your Excellency." ［Teresa］
It didn't take long before Cedric settled his talk with Teresa, and soon enough, the latter took her leave. She left the energetic children in the younger people's care and headed straight towards Melchor's bedroom which also served as his office.
The children were too lively and very energetic, looking like any troublemaker they have met thus far. However, compared to their almost lifeless expressions back when they saved them, the smiling expressions they wear right now are much, much better.
Aldengard may not have been able to mend their wounds fully, but the treatment and rehabilitation they provided was more than enough to soothe their pains. Now, they are finally able to leave their past behind and move on to the next chapters of their lives.
"L-Lord Grey, L-Lady Yuna, will you play with us?"
"Fufufu! Not right now, not yet. But we'll play with you once everything is over, okay? And... Rather than calling us Lord and Lady, why don't you just call us Big Bro and Big Sis? That sounds much better, no?" ［Yuna］
"Th... Then... Big Bro Grey and Big Sis Yuna...?"
"Fufufu! Good job～! Such a good kid!" ［Yuna］
The kids were very excited, but as soon as they were called for their chores, they immediately settled down and did what they were supposed to do. They were busy little bees, buzzing around the inn as they performed their roles.
As for Grey and Yuna, they soon accompanied Cedric towards the reception room, not needing to head up the stairs and simply walking down the hallways. Before long, they finally arrived, greeted by quite a simple and ordinary sight.
Grey and Yuna had been to reception rooms of nobles and the likes before, but never one of commoners. Now that Grey has laid his eyes on it, he once again realized how bizarre of a life they have been living. To think of something so ordinary as strange... Their common sense needs some working on.
CLICK CLACK CREEAAAAKKKKKKK
"To think such great figures would visit us... Hahaha. Looks like this old man's life is finally amounting to something." ［Melchor］
A click and clack echoed, the door opening soon after. Three figures entered the room, one a familiar face and the other were new faces. They are the ones Cedric mentioned before, the ones who lead the refugees at the moment.
One of them was a man in his middle forties, white streaks already appearing in his hair and his beard, a pair of glasses before his eyes. He was a former butler of an already fallen house, now the one in charge of official matters and finances.
The other was a muscular man whose body was clearly trained, scales appearing here and there. His name is Barrion, a former adventurer, now in charge of security. He also takes some people to the forest to hunt and forage for food.
Lastly, there was Teresa. She is a therianthrope of the ferret tribe, and a former inn owner, she is now in charge of matters relating to the house, namely housekeeping, food, resource distribution, the children, and many more amongst others. One could say that she is their acting mother.
"I apologize for the sudden visit, Melchor, Barrion. I hope we aren't intruding too much on your time." ［Cedric］
"Oh no, not at all! Rather, it should be us who should be grateful that you spared us some time despite your busy schedule." ［Melchor］
"That's a relief then... And I suppose you already know them, right?" ［Cedric］
"Of course. How would I dare forget the faces of our great saviors?... It's our greatest pleasure to meet you once again, Your Highnesses. I'd like to express our gratitude once again for giving us this second chance." ［Melchor］
Melchor bowed, and after him, Barrion and Teresa also lowered their heads. They have already expressed their gratitudes multiple times in the past, yet they always bow their heads before Grey and Yuna, hearts filled with respect.
It was a little awkward, but Grey and Yuna just let it be for the moment. After all, right now, their very figures are equivalent to that of their hope and haven. If they can be their strength, then they're willing to reach out their hands for as long as they can.
"... Please raise your heads, everyone. We've already received enough thanks for the day. Any more and we would be bursting from fullness." ［Grey］
"Hahaha. That may be so. We weren't too annoying, were we?" ［Melchor］
"Fufufu! Not at all. It's good to see everyone doing well." ［Yuna］
"It's all thanks to the two of you... Well, I suppose we could also thank the Kingdom for all their efforts. I presume that is the reason you're here, correct?" ［Melchor］
"That's right. We came here to discuss the project." ［Cedric］
Said the old man as he walked towards the table and dragged back the chair from the center of the table. He then gestured with one of his hands, and invited everyone to take a seat, a soft and warm smile blooming on his face.
"Then, if you would please, Your Excellency, Your Highnesses." ［Melchor］
It was finally time for discussion, and much like his actions before, Cedric once again waved his hands, a little mountain of documents appearing before everyone. They are the same papers Cedric provided before along with some new ones they just made.
All three read the papers one after another, their eyes swimming through the papers, pages filled time and time again as silence loomed over the air. Their expressions changed a couple of times, sometimes frowning and sometimes puzzled.
Grey, Yuna, and Cedric also explained some details to them, making sure they got the point across and that everything was communicated properly. It didn't take too long before the reading was done, a couple frowns to be seen here and there.
"You don't look too pleased... Is there something you're unsatisfied with?" ［Cedric］
"Oh, no! Not at all! How dare I think of such insolent thought, Your Excellency! The documents are already excellent. There aren't any problems with them." ［Melchor］
"However, there are still problems, yes?" ［Cedric］
"That... That is... Yes, you're correct, Your Excellency..." ［Melchor］
Melchor replied, bowing his head all the while as a conflicted expression on his face. The Kingdom, Cedric, and Grey and Yuna already made such great solutions, and he dared to think about problems lying beside them, he felt ungrateful.
However, Grey and company wanted to hear his unexpurgated thoughts, wanting some feedback from the people themselves. If Melchor and the others wore such dejected expressions, that only means that there was an angle they failed to consider.
"So, tell us, what is this issue about..." ［Cedric］
"Well... Actually, there aren't any problems with the proposal itself, Your Excellency. If anything, it was perfect for our situation." ［Melchor］
"Alright, go on..." ［Cedric］
"The problem lies with our people themselves... I'm sure many of them would accept the proposal readily. However, I'm also sure that there are many stubborn ones who would also reject it. I'm not really sure how to put this, but you see..." ［Melchor］
Melchor didn't waste any more time dilly-dallying and quickly explained the problem to everyone. It was a problem which involved the majority, if not all, of the refugees and something which has no telling when it could be resolved. It was about trust.
Though many of the refugees already received help from the nobles, many of them are also reluctant to receive any more, afraid that they might be taken advantage of just like what happened before Grey and Yuna saved them.
According to Melchor, quite a bit of the working adults amongst them were sold off to the nobles by their previous employers in exchange for a bit of money, making it hard for them to trust establishments, especially ones they don't know much of.
Moreover, there was also the issue of adapting in the workplace. As many of them came from rural places before they went to the towns and cities and got abducted, only a handful of them actually have great skills which are useful for work in the city.
With most of them on the younger side with unpolished skills, it would only trouble the establishments, and if they happen to fall into strict workplaces, some of them might get removed from the job in less than a month.
"There's no need to worry about that. Many of these establishments have good work environments. There are also workshops to polish your skills." ［Cedric］
"That's a great relief then." ［Melchor］
"Then, that resolves it all, rightー" ［Cedric］
"Actually, Your Excellency, there's another problem..." ［Barrion］
Then, there is also the problem with the children. Who will look after them and how they would be distributing the roles once the adults already have jobs. After all, over 200 of the refugees are aged below 15 years old.
The initial plan was to simply make them apprentices and have them study at school until they reach adulthood. It was a plan which would cost a lot of money, but isn't really much of a problem for Grey and Yuna. They have billions to spare.
The problem here is that the children are super sensitive towards other people right now. They may be fine with Grey and Yuna, however, after all they've been through, many of them are now afraid of adults, especially men.
Unless it's someone they know and some they can trust, the kids wouldn't open up to anyone. it might take some time before they get used to their new lives, and by then, it might already be too late to implement the plans they have right now.
"I see... If we give the adults work, no one can take care of the children. However, if the adults take care of the children, only a few will be able to work. Either way, it's a problem for us..." ［Cedric］
"Uuu... We're just stuck in an endless loop." ［Yuna］
"Hmm... How troublesome..." ［Grey］
It was just as Melchor said. The problem does not lie on the programs, but the people themselves. No matter how good their program is, it would be useless if the people themselves are hesitant to cooperate. It would always be a failure.
It's not like they don't understand them. After all, Grey and Yuna saw first hand the environment they have been imprisoned in for days, weeks, maybe even months, treated like animals with no way of knowing when their last days may be.
There were rehabilitation programs, relief programs, and other whatnots performed by the Kingdom of Aldengard, but the ones who truly consoled them after their grief and losses were one another. You could say they've already closed their hearts to others.
"A-Ah! O-Of course, we're not saying that Your Excellency and His Majesty have ill will against us or are taking advantage of us! We will be forever grateful for all the support! It's justー" ［Melchor］
"No, it's alright. We understand where you're coming from." ［Cedric］
"Yeah... We should have asked you from the beginning... You're the ones who'll be experiencing all the change, after all..." ［Grey］
"This is an oversight on our part... Fufufu! We're not really meant for politics and these things, huh, Grey?" ［Yuna］
"Haah... You can say that again..." ［Grey］
Everyone was so focused on solving the problem quickly and efficiently, that they totally forgot about the opinions of the people involved themselves. Their progress wasn't for naught, but it was still a great drawback.
Well, the aforementioned reasons weren't the only ones that mattered in the issue. There is also one fundamentally more important for the refugees, their eyes shifting towards Grey and Yuna, expressing their thoughts soon enough.
"'Well... Most importantly, I doubt anyone would be happy the moment they learn that Your Highnesses are staking your names for our sake once again. You've already done so much for us. It would be shameless of us to receive more." ［Melchor］
"You may not believe it, Your Highness, but there are also a lot of us who chose to come here in order to repay the grace you've shown us. This... This is the complete opposite of that... I truly apologize..." ［Barrion］
"Fufufu! We may have been dirtied by our circumstances before, but we still have our pride as people. Please forgive this selfishness of ours." ［Teresa］
Some may say they are just being stubborn, some might say they're only spouting nonsense, and some may think their thoughts are a nuisance. However, it was their resolve, a wish they wanted to fulfill no matter what.
"Hahaha. Well... These are just some ramblings of stubborn folks like us. With how much you've done for us, we couldn't be so shameless to refuse. Weー" ［Melchor］
"No... We're changing the plans." ［Yuna］
"P... Pardon...?" ［Melchor］
"Like I said, we're redoing the plans... All of them... It may be a small problem right now, but this grows into a mountain of problems with enough time. We need to strike the roots before they could spread any further." ［Yuna］
"B... But Your Highness, this is a really large problem. It would be impossible to solve it all at once. It would cause more trouble than it's worー" ［Melchor］
"Then we'll just have to make it possible." ［Yuna］
Said the young lady, a strong flame of determination shining bright and radiantly inside her eyes. She has never been so certain in her decision, already laying her beliefs firmly. Not even Grey could change her mind.
"After all, there isn't a problem without a solution. If we fail, we'll just have to try again and again... We're heroes, aren't we? If we can't help you, who will?" ［Yuna］
Yuna continued, and everyone before her were speechless at her words. They were words which seemed more like a passing dream than a plan, but with her the one saying it, suddenly, it feels like it's entirely possible.
"Sorry, Grey, Cedric, I just decided on my own." ［Yuna］
"No, it's fine... This is your plan, anyway. I'm just here to help." ［Cedric］
"Right... It's not like I can go against you anyway. Just say the word." ［Grey］
"Fufufu! You've become lenient, Grey. You aren't taking my snacks for a week for what I did, aren't you?" ［Yuna］
"Who knows... Maybe I will. Maybe I won't." ［Grey］
The atmosphere has quickly lightened, everyone now mildly joking around as they relaxed their shoulders and heaved a lengthy sigh. Be it Melchor, Teresa, or Barrion, all three of them were speechless, unable to grasp the thoughts of the other party.
Grey and Yuna hate troublesome things, but they aren't ones to run away from responsibility. They're the ones who freed them and promised them a new life. They might as well see it to the end now that they've come this far.
"You said that was your selfishness before, right? Well, this is also our selfishness. I can at least wish this much, right?" ［Yuna］
"... Haha... Hahaha... Hahaha! It seems like I've really grown old... If that's what Your Highness wishes, then who are we to deny you?" ［Melchor］
"We apologize for troubling you again, Your Highnesses, Your Excellency. We'll make sure to do our best to aid you." ［Teresa］
"We'll be in your care." ［Barrion］
"Un! Same here!" ［Yuna］
Smiles were abloom all over the place, deals and discussions conducted one after another. Unfortunately, everyone still has their own say ahead of them, so they weren't able to finish planning, agreeing to continue some other time.
The managers of the building continued on with their work, Cedric headed back to the mansion, whilst Grey and Yuna played with the children for a little bit, soon heading back to the mansion to play with Galvin and Elnart as promised.
Time passed and the sky soon turned red. Grey and Yuna headed towards the Rabbit's Den to chat with Helen and her family, and enjoy themselves for a whileー Or so they were planning to, however....
"ー Is what I said, confidently... But now that I think about it... Helen, how are we going to solve this problem...?! It's too hard!" ［Yuna］
"Sorry... I also have no idea how to deal with that... Sorry..." ［Helen］
... All they did was dread the problem which landed on the top of their laps. Yuna was especially worried, rightfully embarrassed after everything she said. The strong and confident Yuna is now gone... Only a tearful Yuna remained...
"Helen... What should we do...?" ［Yuna］
"Umm... Would you like some orange juice?" ［Helen］
"... Un... Yes, please..." ［Yuna］
The trouble continues...
CHAPTER 454 END