Chapter 467
How did I answer that kid who spoke up to defend Petra back then?
"Okay, next we'll work on this calculation!"
"Okay!"
The scene right in front of me is that answer.
Petra's teaching math to the kids we took in. As a teacher.
I didn't have to help. I could have dumped the whole thing on the temple from the start.
But my Japanese sense of morality wouldn't let me just abandon kids I had no responsibility for.
Not that I have some noble calling to save children.
I just didn't want to feel guilty. Didn't want to lose sleep. I helped because I didn't want to regret it.
Hypocrisy.
I'm not hiding it. I'll answer if asked. But I won't volunteer it.
I just didn't want to look back and think I abandoned them. Selfish.
It's a weakness. My softness. I still haven't fully adapted to this world. I know that. But I don't regret bringing Petra and the kids here.
"I'm glad they're studying seriously."
"I was a little worried, yeah."
"Huh?"
"Amina, seeing this got you nervous too, didn't it?"
"..."
Gratitude. That's a pretty good way to make sure they don't turn hostile. If I'd treated them badly after that, yeah,好感度 would tank. But I'm good at giving people food, clothes, shelter.
Freihait has decent food. Decent living. Good transport. Good schools.
What happens when kids suddenly get a life better than most nobles? No servants. They do their own laundry, cleaning. But meals are at the cafeteria. Free time outside study? Easy jobs. They can make money.
Think back to living on the streets. Hiding in empty buildings. Now they can live like people. No wonder they want to keep it.
First week, they thought it was special treatment. Kept their guard up. Two weeks. Three. Then they noticed other orphans living the same way. Realized it was normal. "Oh, this place is serious."
Then they started greeting me in the hallways. Cheerful. Change came smooth. One kid even called me "Big Bro Liberta."
Amina was confused seeing younger kids breeze through math problems on the board. I'm not sure what to make of that.
"Good thing we found assistants for the Entertainers."
"Still on probation."
Something more important came up. I let it slide.
The skills of the kids we took in.
"Learning things kept them alive. It was practical."
How to survive. Beg. Scavenge. They did it all. Their best skill was investigation.
Where to go to get out of the rain. How to get food.
At first, they searched. But just searching has limits.
So what next? They learned to listen to rumors. To ask.
"Those skills kept them alive. They had to be good at情報 gathering."
Look at that classroom. Their drive to learn is different. Other orphan classes have one or two kids slacking off.
Not this class. They want to learn.
Because they know from experience that you need to know things to live.
"Sis Petra! I don't get this problem!"
"Not 'sis.' 'Teacher.'"
They need to work on their language. But asking questions like that? I like it. Soon they'll be supporting the Entertainers.
Add some etiquette lessons and they could be real情報 agents. Thinking about that, I left the classroom.
"How are the other classes?"
I'd seen the one I was most worried about. Gato was watching from a distance. I looked at him.
"Everyone's studying hard. Your speech had an effect."
"The one at the opening ceremony?"
I started walking to check other classes. The others walked with me.
"You said you'd give them a place to learn. But the results are up to them. They're all working hard."
None of the students are slacking off. That's what Gato sees. He said my speech at the opening ceremony did it. I don't remember saying anything that special.
Something like, "I hope you don't slack off."
"That did that?"
"A few kids took it as 'slack off and you lose this life.' Word spread among them."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know. I know you're serious about teaching them."
Did I say something that made them all study this hard? I tried to remember. Apparently one kid really exaggerated my words.
I stopped. Turned around. Gato smiled. Kind, but firm.
"Giving them everything and leaving them to their own devices is dangerous. They haven't signed a contract. They can't. They're kids. They wouldn't understand."
His educator's instincts told him to be strict.
"So they need to feel some pressure."
"...You let the rumors spread on purpose. So they wouldn't take this for granted."
I got it.
In Japan, education was compulsory.
Every Japanese kid went to school. Normal.
So they don't think about losing it.
That's happiness. But it's also a sweet poison that can stunt growth.
"I told the teachers not to confirm or deny anything."
"Make them nervous. Turn that into motivation."
Fight poison with poison. Gato wanted them to always remember how precious this place is.
People get complacent. To stop that, he needed to create a sense of danger.
"That's a hard balance. You pulled it off."
"Ho ho ho. I'm good at reading motivation. Not too loose. Not too tight. I know what I'm doing."
"Good to have you."
I smiled wryly. Started walking again. Passed a classroom. Barze was there. With his mother. He didn't fall to the Church.
"Kids like him help. No need for pressure. He studies on his own."
"Barze."
I saw him. My wry smile got more complicated.
"You're not going to take him up on the knight thing?"
"He was really serious."
"I appreciate the sentiment. But a lifelong oath of loyalty..."
I thought he'd already be in the Church. But no. He was just an orphan.
I thought the fanaticism I knew from FBO came from the Church. But he had the seed of it all along.
"He was just that happy to see his mom again."
The knight thing. Nell and Amina brought it up.
It's about me helping Barze's mother, Penne. I left the reunion to the oldest and youngest Lightning Sisters. I went to save the trafficked kids.
What happened? The reunion was dramatic. Barze cried his eyes out. Penne hugged him. Like a stage play.
I was relieved. Thought he wouldn't turn dangerous like in FBO.
"Yeah. He said 'I'll study hard for Liberta-kun!'"
Not that easy. Good direction or bad? Hard to say. Barze was grateful. Really grateful.
He asked the teachers to see me. They gave in. Told Gato. Gato asked him why. Penne started working in Freihait. She told her coworkers she wanted to thank me too. So they asked me.
I had time. They were really pushing for it. So I agreed. Two weeks ago.
Party members. Genjirou. Judeus. Shalia. Big group.
We met. He thanked me. Time to leave. I remember it clearly.
"Lord Liberta! Make me your knight! I want to serve you for life! You reunited me with my mother!"
He had something else to say. I could feel it. He was thinking hard about it.
Didn't expect a kid to say something that heavy. Didn't expect to see the seed of a fanatic. One of the worst in FBO.
"Saving his mother made you a hero to him. It might not mean much to you. To him, it was like saving the world."
"Genjirou liked that. Said he'd train him as a student. That surprised me. But yeah. He was that serious."
Loyal when grateful.
I couldn't say yes. Too young for a decision like that.
So I said study hard. Think about it. If you still want to serve me, come back.
Stalling, maybe. But I thought it was best. Not enough information to decide a kid's future.
"Teaching is hard."
Those kids are in Freihait now.
My school's first students. I smiled wryly.