Fighting Corruption ②
腐敗との戦い②
“Make sure to follow everything that Ace tells you, okay.”
“If it gets too dangerous make sure to run as fast as you can for safety.”
The words of the couple looked like they were sending their children on their first errand (right, déjà vu). A very dangerous errand I might add. Lady Anna was still hesitant with our course of action. However, if we postpone saving the children, bad things will surely happen to them.
From what the twins have told us, counting the twins, there are 23 children in the orphanage. Three older than the twins with age ranging from 13 to 14. Four were of the same age, probably 8-12 and the rest were still too young to be used in anything but if placed in constant abuse will surely cause trauma that can never be undone.
“If you are willing you may come and call this place your home.” Lady Anna could not stop them, however, she at least wanted to let them know that she, sir Heid and this house will always welcome them. As if the twins had found a treasure they can call home immediately strengthened their resolved, as they urged me to follow them to the orphanage.
*****
The orphanage was located at the town’s Southeastern outskirts of the Amarante. I was told that the reason why it was built there was so that it can easily expand should it require it without having to disturb the residential districts. Unfortunately, it has not expanded since the Sevilles moved to the Capital 5 years ago. Maybe because of that, the place was now so isolated that the atmosphere has become too gloomy and dark it may as well become a den for thieves -well, it really did become one.
The building made of wood was not at all decrepit. In fact, it looked new, refurbished recently by carpenters in the Lumberjack Department. However, with hooligans that scurry about made it more suspicious. It would have been nice if these guys were there to protect the orphans. Far from it, they probably meant to keep the orphans from running away.
“Now, how to get in….” as I was wondering how to get inside, the two had boldly walked towards the front gate. “…wait…” have you ever said these words and people actually stopped? Well, the answer lay before my eyes.
“So, you finally returned eh…” the voice came from one of the guards. While said calmly, I could see the two shivered and immediately hold hands. “Go get in with the others, the boss will hear your excuses soon…” and laughed manically as if to put pressure on them.
The twins proceed inside, I could see how they wanted to turn back and return to the Romaria’s, but they still steeled themselves and went inside the door. Towards the prison, they could have gotten out off.
“Now how to get in…” I wondered again.
*****
The outside had a gloomy view and the inside was as creepy. It somehow feels like those hunted houses where you might encounter the supernatural. The twins seem to have gone accustomed to the sight walked past the long corridor into a basement of some kind.
“Lan! Ran!” a blue haired girl in pigtails older than the twins literally shouted their names, run towards and hugged them. “What happened? You were gone for quite a time, did something happened?”
“Martha… that hurts…” the twins sandwiched from the girl -Martha’s arms complained but their eyes were gently smiling.
“I knew you could pull it off, if you tried.” One of the taller boys approached them from the side, his red hair made him look smug and arrogant. However, the fact that he approached and scuffed the hair of the twins made it all too clear he was a softie in the inside.
“Sid, stop it…” Ran was clearly dissatisfied, as she tried to brush the boy -Sid’s hands off her hair.
“Well, they did have the marking of combat talent from the start.” Another tall boy nodded next to the wall, he had green hair, he looked calm but from the looks of it, he was probably the most competitive out of everyone.
“Estril…” the twins who were being glared by someone who has eyes for pure competition could only pass the situation with discomfort looks.
The other orphans heard their return and were probably just as worried run towards them to make some idle chatter.
“Now, just what happened… it is not like you to be stalled by something like that.” Estril voiced had a sense of caution and urgency that made the younger children walked away from the twins.
“We were saved…” There were probably many words Lan could say but he had said the most important thing first.
“The LAN and RAN got captured and got saved?” the younger children, probably did not understanding the meaning behind Lan’s words made some chatter, but the older children turned serious in an instant, probably understanding the deeper meaning behind them.
“Mick get the kids to bed.” Sid interjected as if he did not want the children to listen to anything the twins have to say.
“But…” the boy named Mick wanted to say something but Sid just glared at him urging him to do it.
“No, they have the right to hear this…” Lan continued. “You all have been here before the two of us… if there are any who should have been first to be saved it should be you.”
The silent and not so fluent with words Lan continued to speak, stopping Mick from moving. Finally understanding the meaning behind the words Lan had spoken.
“No! You will not instill false hope to them!” Estril tried to grab Lan in the arms but Ran as the self-proclaimed older sister protected him by pinning Estril to the ground. While taller than Ran, Estril still could not get away from her hold and could only growl on the floor.
“Don’t you want to be free from this hell? …Don’t you want to eat to your fill? Don’t you want to do the things you want without being beaten half to death?” Ran protested.
Those words were enough to give glimpse of hope from the younger children. As they were not older to understand complicated stuff. Children will always prioritize happy things over what makes them sad. They will grab anything that will provide pleasure over pain. That is why when they heard ‘being allowed to play without getting beaten’ or ‘getting to eat their fill’ immediately enthralled them to hear what Ran and Lan had to say as they gathered with eyes intent of listening to them. Lan and Ran then started to talk about their experience with the Romarias, the food, the bed and the warmth of hugs they had received.
This was not the case for the three older children. While still too young, they had to some extent, understood that can’t run away from the orphanage. That and the guilt for the atrocious crimes weighed the most in their minds. Both Ran and Lan knew this, as these three were the ones who had shown them ropes when they first arrived in this orphanage 2 years prior.
In prison, there is a terminology for this psychological phenomenon: “Institutionalized”. Those who have gone accustomed to their prison, those who have found no way to survive in the normal world as if the world itself will not permit them. These three were probably are closed to being completely institutionalized, worse is they will unconsciously drag the other children with them.
“Mick, what do you think will happen if they find out that you had burned the stables a year ago.”
“Elle, how will they respond if they found out that you stole from the people in the northern district…”
“Grell, Ride… what about burning the harvest two years prior…”
The words seemed like questions, but the tone were statements, and all these were now weighing on the four mentioned children. They definitely knew that what did was bad, and if they caught... The younger children can probably still move on as they have not done anything that can be called a crime. The older children, however, might have already done things that have probably warrant punishment.
“But we can still be forgiven.” Lan said still clinging on the hope that they all can be saved. “We were forgiven, and yours should also be, right?” but he was unsure now. His eyes had the same eyes Lady Anna had, when she was about to give up on the restaurant.
“There is a way for you to be free of that guilt.” While I think the twins can probably save them eventually, time was just against us, so I decided to interject.
“Ace!” Both Lan and Ran called for my name in shock, while the older children had gone completely on a defensive stance as my presence was finally shown to them. While it should be a given for the other orphans, I was under the impression that the twins knew I was here. I mean, I did come together with them. However, the two clearly did not perceived me. I guess force of habit had urge me to erase my presence in dangerous places like these.
Forcing a fake cough, I then get things back to track. “Would it not be simpler to get punished for the crimes you have done?”
*****
The older boys who had finally recovered from their shock wanted to attack me but… Martha, the blue haired girl took a step-in front and stopped them from their tracks. Looks like she was smart as she clearly saw right through the logic behind my words. Really, it was simple matter even kids should be able to understand.
“It should have been a given to be punished for the wrong things we have done….” Martha said looking at the boys. “Are we really going to keep doing these criminal acts…? Are we… gonna keep running from our own guilt? Are we going to make the young ones do all the things we did not want to do then?”
Right, most criminals often push their guilt by saying convenient things like: ‘I was poor and could not eat so I stole food’, ‘I was not at fault society was.’ or ‘It was their fault for showing their money right in front of me.’ or worst ‘I was told to do it. I had no choice.’ Clearly justifying their crimes by blaming something or someone else for the act. In the end, the one who choose to do it is none other than them.
Crimes are crimes no matter how you justify it still needs to be atoned. These children probably feared of something much more basic -the fear known as the “Unknown”.
They did not know what punishment will be done should they confess their crimes. While they can tolerate the people, who had held them captive, as they were to their eyes: “bad men” -and expect them to do bad things to them no matter what. They are more afraid that society and the people will hold them in contempt, which even good people will look at them differently once their crimes come out in the open. The older boys knew about this and so could not… no refused to go back.
Thankfully, they were not yet so deep that they can’t be pulled back from the darkness. They are still children, and they will recover from this. All they need is guidance from adults. That is where Lady Anna, sir Heid, together with the townspeople of Amarante will have to do. Sure, they might have done somethings, but as they are defenseless kids, and were only pushed to do bad things by no good adults, there is still time to save them.
“What is it gonna be, you two?” I asked, both boys now having their conviction to stay wavered. I am guessing that this girl had kept their guilt at bay. Aww, that is just too pure. Clearly sensing my thought, both boys glared at me. I forced another fake cough and asked them again. “What is it gonna be, you two?”
“Can we really be saved?” Estril asked his voice wavered a bit, his eyes watery.
“Will our crimes be forgiven?” Sid jive with a similar look in his face.
“That is for all of you to decide.” I gestured for the door. “Once you have chosen true freewill.”
Since I did not have a say on their punishments, I could only give them a vague response. I am sure Lady Anna and sir Heid will do everything in their power to help these children recover from this nightmare. As they had done with the twins.
Sensing that I was not sugarcoating things, two older boys water filled eyes steeling their resolves move towards the door having chosen to be free from their own prisons, the younger children who had seen these two as leaders immediately followed suit, with Ran and Lan close behind. The last to leave was supposed to be the girl who had been in the orphanage the longest. “Thank you.” She said in a small voice as she bowed before me and took a small step outside the door.
I then escorted the orphans out of their freewill to the church where they will seek sanctuary.