Chapter 70.1 – Visiting the Orphanage of Haukagil 1.1

Alex offered his right arm to the smiling Viscountess, who gladly grabbed it before the frowning of three jealous women. She noticed the looks and asked while entering the building, “Do you mind telling me why you have three women on the brink of twisting my neck? They are your women, or what? Did you tell them they needed to ask for my permission to date you?”

Anika grumbled behind them. “As if I were to ask permission from the likes of you...”

Viscountess Annie looked back and spoke without stopping her walk, “You need to be more respectful to Alex’s sister, girl. I might get angry and forbid you to come close to him.”

Anika narrowed her eyes. “Like if you could stop me!”

The Viscountess made a sad face and leaned her head on Alex’s shoulders. “Big brother, that girl is being mean to me!”

Alex looked back and pretended to be mad. “Stop threatening my sweet sister, Anika! Shame on you!”

He then caressed the Viscountess’s forehead. “Don’t worry, I won’t let this crazy Mermaid annoy you too much. Don’t mind her; she doesn’t like to see other women around me, even if they are my sisters.”

Anika widened her eyes. “No way! Is she really your sister?”

The little girl that was holding Alex’s right hand spoke, “Alex is everyone’s brother around here. You need to be more respectful, girl. You don’t want to annoy all of us, do you?”

Anika faced Alex with a puzzled look and saw him holding his laughter. “Alex, do you hear what this brat just said? She doesn’t respect her elders!”

The little girl put her tongue out. “Blahh!... I don’t respect a girl that gets annoyed with my big brother loving us! Go take a dip in the well, Mermaid!”

Wenammy laughed, with the others following her lead. Pearl had to grab Anika, who was trying to catch the little girl to take off her tongue.
In the main dining room, there was already tea waiting for them, with four young boys rushing to fetch chairs for everyone. The Priest told Alex to sit at the edge of the long table, and he sat on his right and Viscountess Annie on his left.

When everyone had a cup of tea in their hands, Alex introduced his big group to the Priest and the children, making Viscountess Annie laugh, “No way! Do you really have three women? Wait a minute, what about Okami and Shinatobe? Don’t tell me you have five women counting with them! Because that’s a bit too much even for you, big brother!”

“That kind of happened, yes. It’s all very new to me, and I am still getting used to it. So, how are things around here, Priest? Any problems whatsoever?”

“Nothing we couldn’t handle, at least. There was an attack by a small group of Goblins, but I took care of them together with three older boys by using the Magic of the Magical Orbs you gave me. Those Goblins were the survivors of a group that appeared from a Magical Void near the City, and they fled here, running from the City Guards. We got rid of them and took their Orbs.”

Alex nodded and opened the bag that he was carrying. From there, he took a smaller bag and gave it to the Priest. “Talking about Magical Orbs, I have these, filled with Healing Magic. You can use their Magic in your work. There are also a few with Fire Magic, just in case a Monster approaches a bit too much.”

The Priest stared at the Magical Orbs and gulped. “Mister Alex, Healing Magic and Fire Magic this time? These are absurdly expensive! You used to give me Magical Orbs with Wind Magic from Shinatobe or Earth Magic from Okami!”

“Yes, but I now have Suijin that can use Water and Healing Magic, and Kagu-tsuchi that uses Fire. I asked them to pour Magic on these Orbs. Use them as you see fit. Inside that bag, there is also a purse with coins for the Orphanage’s expenses or anything you need.”

The Priest took out the purse and blinked at the weight. He looked inside and turned pale at the number of gold and silver coins. “Mister Alex, I hope you didn’t do anything criminal to get all this!”

“No, I went to visit my lands in Beliersia and my keeper gave me that purse. I have a similar purse for the Priest in the ‘City of Keldunes’, and a bag with Magical Orbs as well.”

The Priest closed the purse and made a slight smile. “As usual, you are far too kind, Mister Alex. I will have you in my prayers this week. Talking about prayers, how was everything with your friend? You had time to say your goodbyes?”

“Yes, I did, and I also took care of burning his body and putting his ashes in his family’s memory room. It made me remember a few sad memories, but I will get over his death with time. By the way, I saw Eve Johnston in Earl’s Kayden manor. She is now one of my maids. That was a nice surprise. She really turned her life around. I thought she would be in jail by now, for a bunch of years, because of her bad temper.”

“Yes, she was a handful of trouble. After you visited her in prison and took care of her fine, she returned here and cried for almost two days. She knew she had disappointed you, and she couldn’t stop crying. She became a hard worker, and after a few months, when she reached adulthood, I sent her to Earl Kayden’s with a letter, asking him to take her in and to give her a chance. How is she?”

Alex gave a big smile. “Eve was happy, composed, all dressed up in that cute maid’s uniform and acting like a professional. She is still in training, but I think she will be just fine. She was always a kind girl, despite blowing up easily, but she won’t be alone in there, because she has a lot of young maids and servants to watch over her.”

Alex then faced Viscountess Annie and said, “Talking about watching over, I have a favour to ask you, Viscountess. Since your lands are relatively close to the Capital, do you mind visiting Princess Ebell occasionally? She doesn’t know anyone in that Castle, and she may need a friend to watch her back.”

The Viscountess turned bright red and slowly nodded while looking at the Princess. “Of course! That would be an honour! The Princess can also escape to my property for a quick getaway from her duties and annoyances. I know that the Nobles in the court can be quite nasty, and she can relax near me!”

The Princess smiled and Alex continued, “Viscountess, an assassin may target her one day, because we were attacked by a group that wanted to prevent her from coming to Bouria, and I have already arranged for a permanent bodyguard for her. Not to alarm you, just so that you know.”

“Really? Well, I will alert my guards to not let anyone approach my lands when she is visiting, rest assured! That is, if the Princess wants to visit me one day.”

Princess Ebell vigorously nodded. “I would definitely! Like you said, I will need to relax away from the Castle and the court!”

Viscountess Annie gave a slight smile. “I am not sure if Prince James will accompany you, because of what happened to him last time. He might still have some nightmares. Every time the King visits, and the Prince comes to check the new crops or the new fields, he avoids looking at me, and he is always in a rush to leave! The King and his Ministers always asked questions about my methods and equipment, and I always refused to answer.”

Princess Ebell asked, “The King doesn’t get angry at you for not telling him?”

“Well, it’s getting difficult to hide how I do it, but I always tell him he needs to buy a licence from Earl Alex of the ‘Republic of Beliersia’ because that’s what I did. I showed the King my contract where it stipulates that I must keep the secret, and he stopped asking. He told me the last time we spoke that he and a few Nobles had signed a similar licence and were following the same guidance and seed list.”

Alex gave a big smile. “Finally, it was about time! At the last meeting I had with my keepers, I was told that maybe things would get better around here faster than in Beliersia if a lot of Nobles copied my methods. Talking about things getting better, we have to leave. We need to meet with the rest of our group before they become restless and come in search of us.”

The Priest asked with a puzzled look. “Are there more people with you? Why didn’t they come as well?”

“They are far too many, and many of them are ridding Armoured Boars. I thought it was better if they waited for us a little ahead. That’s why we need to leave before they send a group after us to see why we are late.”

Viscountess Annie spoke with a surprised look, “You have a big escort with you, Princess Ebell! No one will mess with you, for sure!”

The Princess made a slight smile and said, “A strange group already tried in Beliersia, and they all faced their demise. The ones that are accompanying us are very scary and dangerous. They frighten me, but I am getting used to them.”

The Priest got up and signalled Alex to accompany him to the back garden again so that he could bid his farewells to the children outside. Princess Ebell was happily chatting in the dining room with a smiling Viscountess, and Bethany Mathews whispered to James Macdonald, “The children look happy, despite living in an Orphanage. No matter where Mister Alex goes, he always influences many people.”

James Macdonald nodded. “Yes, that’s true. Well, it’s better if we get ready to leave. We need to find the others.”

When the Priest returned with Alex, everyone was already near the main door, ready to leave. Princess Ebell hugged a surprised Viscountess, who gladly returned the hug with a big smile.
Outside, the horses and the carriage were already waiting for them, and when James Macdonald signalled the group to follow him, Alex waved at the Priest and the children who were waving at him.

As they were going to the main road again, Viscountess Annie asked the Priest, “Did you hear him say the huge group waiting for them were ridding Armoured Boars? I have never heard of anyone taming such ferocious beasts! That group might be very dangerous if they tamed and use Boars for a ride!”

“Yes, for sure. It doesn’t surprise me, considering how Mister Alex is always surrounded by dangerous people. That Suijin, for example. He was smiling a lot, but I could sense an immense power around him.”

The Viscountess kept on staring at the group leaving, and when they disappeared after the next curve, she returned to the back garden to check on the work of the younger kids.