Published: August 15, 2025
Today, three chapters are updated simultaneously.
This story is the second chapter.
The next morning.
After the three-day weekend ended, I could finally start full-fledged activities today.
With that in mind, I set off early in the morning, descended the mountain, and headed to Gimul.
“Good morning!”
At the North Gate, I greeted the male guard standing there, was allowed through, and immediately ran toward a corner of the slum district.
When I arrived at the large, old building that was my destination, there was already a crowd of people gathered.
“Excuse me! Pardon me… ah!”
Parting through the throng, I made my way to the front row and found seven people dispatched from the Duke’s household. Around them were Mr. Serge, the head of the Morgan Trading Company; Mr. Arnold, the top official of the local government; and Mr. Rible, the coordinator of the slum district. Nearby stood what appeared to be their guards and carriages, forming a group distinct in atmosphere from the others.
As I approached them while greeting,
“Lord Ryoma. It’s still earlier than the promised time, so no need to worry.”
“We just arrived early. The kids aren’t ready yet either.”
Everyone responded in their own way, and Mr. Serge and Mr. Rible lightly explained the current situation.
By the way, when Mr. Rible referred to “the kids,” he meant the children living in that large, old building in front of us. This was one of several “children’s homes” in Gimul’s slums where orphaned children gathered and lived.
However,
“No matter how many times I see it, that building is really old…”
It might be rude to say, but even so, I was choosing my words carefully.
“Of course. According to the government records, this building was constructed as a warehouse to store materials used in building the town, so it predates the town itself.
As construction progressed, storage facilities were repeatedly expanded and relocated, and once the warehouse was no longer used, it was sold to private individuals. That’s how it ended up like this.”
Listening to Mr. Arnold’s explanation, I found much to agree with.
The exterior was plain, likely emphasizing spaciousness and sturdiness with stone construction, arranged to facilitate loading and unloading. There were four wide entrances for carriages—two at the front and two at the back.
Also, perhaps to guard against theft of stored items, the doors were thick, and the windows were very small, just enough for light and ventilation. The building was surrounded by high walls, and there were traces of a heavy gate that once separated the premises from the outside. If the construction was careless, the building would have collapsed long ago.
…Of course, to me right now, it looked like ruins and hardly an environment suitable for children to live in.
“Mr. Rible, just to confirm—once the kids are ready and come out, after checking that the building and grounds are empty, can we immediately begin demolition work?”
“The sooner it’s done, the sooner we can start rebuilding the kids’ home, right? While rebuilding, we’ll split up and take care of them. The sooner, the better for their peace of mind.”
Though his face was stern and his language rough, Mr. Rible was thinking of the children. He had supported my proposal by negotiating with the property owners of this facility, the people helping the kids, and most of all, the children themselves.
The goal was for me to build a garbage disposal site and a factory here. But by cooperating, an improvement in living conditions could be expected.
Thanks to this, today I was able to dismantle this home.
“Thank you very much for your cooperation. I won’t betray your trust or expectations; I will carry out the rebuilding properly.”
“Do so. Not just me, but as you can see, there are many spectators.”
“Yes!”
Just as I said that, the kids started coming out one after another from the building.
There was one more thing to confirm…
“The workers you promised to help with the work—”