Chapter 14: New Comrades

“Honestly, you really surprised me. To even take away the orphan children to your village.”

At last, it’s time to depart. We’re going home to my village. In front of the Fernandes manor, Marquis Fernandes sends us off.

“My apologies. You’ve graced us with a well prepared immigration recruitment notice, but I selfishly asked you to drop the quota all of a sudden.”

After obtaining the orphan children, the number of people needed for the important duties dropped. I cannot afford to chew more immigrates than I can swallow either. Reducing the number in the eleventh hour made me impose on Marquis Fernandes.

“Don’t mind the small things. As I heard correctly, it’s our family’s Faruno’s fault. However, you’ve changed as well, haven’t you? If you completely rely on me, you can summon more adults with agricultural experience and stamina. You take the orphans in order to help them. You seem to become a man of character.”

I laugh before shaking my head.

“It’s something I decided with sound reasons. The young can absorb more. Moreover, they have a strong bond. The teamwork born from that bond can already compensate for the lack of experience and manpower.”

With Johann in the center, there are twenty children. They take his lead in concise manner. If I leave it to Johann, it’ll become a great line of command.

The greatest issue in an immigration recruitment is the inability to form leadership in the pool of people who come from different places, or rather, the inability to give preferential treatment to someone, or rather, to be surrounded by harsh works only. There’ll be much dissatisfaction surfacing forth.

Furthermore, a great half of the immigrates will be wishing to return to their hometowns, no matter how good the lifestyle that the new place offers. I won’t worry about this point from these children.

“I see, so it’s like that.”
“There’s more. I also need to bring happiness to the other village’s inhabitants. These children don’t have anywhere else to call home. Those who don’t have a place to belong will wish for one, won’t they?”

In summary, I’m not a philanthropist. Still, as long as there’s a good balance of benefit for me, I do wish to bring happiness to everyone.

“Kurt-sama, I’ve become more charmed by you from this occasion, really. For the sake of one girl, you’ve not only used a valuable medicine, you don’t just help these children temporarily, but give them the chance of a lifetime. As expected of my future husband.”

Faruno’s eyes sparkle like a young woman in love, making me unable to respond with anything but a wry smile. This is out of my calculations. To think that she’ll believe my lie. Faruno really thinks that I used a miraculous medicine to cure the orphan girl.

Marquis Fernandes smiles bitterly. He couldn’t have possibly drawn the conclusion that I cured the girl through Magic, but he must have seen through the sleight of hand, one way or another.

“Kurt-aniki, our preparations here are done!”
“Thanks for the hard work, Johann!”

The children’s leader, Johann, has arranged the children to climb into the horse carriage. Since that time, we’ve been talking about various things and opened our hearts. Johann doesn’t only fill the role of the leader for the children, he’s also a brilliant thinker and has the experience on the better part of society. He’s someone I can rely on. In the near future, I can see him becoming my right hand man.

With this, the only thing left is to go home.

“Well, then, Marquis Fernandes, Faruno-sama, I’ve been imposing on you for a long time.”
“Likewise, it’s been a joy to have you around.”
“Kurt-sama, I will also set off to your village next week! I will definitely let the orphanage matter become settled satisfactorily by those of whom are responsible!”

Faruno was completely shocked by the orphanage incident. She seems to have gone through the children’s statements thoroughly and is currently investigating the matter. She has also investigated the whereabouts of the bunch who made the children sell drugs for them.

She should be able to handle it well.

With that, we set off to our own village.

☘

After a long while of shaking carriage travel, we’ve finally arrived in the village that I’ve longed to see. The carriage gallops to a stop before the children climb down one after another.

“Kurt-aniki, this is our village from now on, right?”
“That’s right. Be prepared, because I’ll have you work hard from now on.”
“Of course, that’s the plan, right, everyone?”

When Johann asks the children, everyone loudly cheers in response.

“Oh, bou-chan, you’ve come back home.”

Salt comes approaching. When I’m not around, he’s the great person that I rely on to manage this village.

“You’ve come with a bountiful harvest, I see.”
“Salt, I’ll introduce them. These children are the newcomers of this village. Let them take the full time job of the beekeeping that we’ve talked about before.”
“Ou, I got it. When I heard that new villagers were coming in, I prepared some new places to reside. I wonder if they’re enough, though…… I didn’t think that there’ll be this many.”
“We’ll manage, somehow.”

The plan was to accept five new families into this village. We keep adding new shacks in the village while taking newcomer families into account.

“Johann, bring everyone here, I’ll take you to your new homes.”
“Got it, Kurt-aniki.”

With that, I went to bring the children to their new places.

☘

“Lining up here are five houses that will become your new place. I’ll leave the arrangements to yourselves.”

While I’m speaking, the children already chatter enthusiastically, deciding on their own houses, who knows since when. As expected of those who can only rely on each other to survive, their teamwork is good.

“It’s awesome, Johann! Everyone has his own bed!”
“There’s no hole in the ceiling, no ticks jumping around either!”
“There are proper windows!”
“The wind isn’t entering the house and the wood doesn’t stink!”

Those are incredibly trivial things to be happy about. They must have lived an extremely harsh life before this.

“You’ll be provided with a food supply each month, so you’ll have to get by on your own. Watch how much you eat compared to how hard you work.”

As if on cue, there are villagers bringing in the food supply for them. Wheat, all kinds of vegetables, and beef jerky portions on top of that. Other than them, there are also clothes. It’s the cheapest kind, but they’re still important.

“Johann, I need to confirm with you, can you guys actually cook?”
“Oi, nii-chan. If we couldn’t, we would’ve already kicked the bucket a long time ago, y’know. Us children stay afloat by ourselves, see? But is it really okay to receive all this food and stuff once a month?”

Johann is trembling all over while looking at the monthly supply.

“Of course it’s okay, isn’t it obvious? The stuff that gets easily rotten and the game provided by the hunters will be delivered as we obtain them. I have to say this again, but this is the supply for a month, okay? I don’t want to hear you crying if they’re all gone before the next supply comes in.”

“Understood. If we have these, we won’t starve. Mille, you’ll be our head cook. Count the exact portions we need, okay?”
“Okay. Un, with this amount, we can survive for two months, even!”

That’s the girl I healed before. She seems like a bright child, so she must have said it after doing a mental calculation.

“Then, remember to start working tomorrow. Today, just settle down in your new place and rest up. Tina, you’re their trainer. Tell them everything they need to know about looking after the bees. Train Johann intensively at first, then Johann can relay your teachings to the others.”

“I understand Kurt-sama. I will complete the task perfectly! I’ll teach them the way of living in this village too, so please rest assured!”

Tina squeezes both her hands with some strength. I smile wryly.

When I lent a hand to these children, Tina strongly wished to help the children, even more than Faruno. She must have related to them as orphans.

With them and Tina doing the labor, increasing the number of bees won’t be any problem. Our honey production will take a leap in one breath. Adding bees means we have to expand the raspberry garden as well. There are a lot of work to do. However, now we have the workers to meet the job demand.

From now on, this village will grow in prosperity.

When I see the smiles of the children, I become really confident in that.

Let’s do our best from now on as well!