The bustling Hillford town in the western part of the WhiteGriffen kingdom was alive with activity. Market stalls bustled with merchants haggling over the prices of wines and goods, while blacksmiths peddled steel-based weapons at lower prices, thanks to the nearby iron mine in the southern region, located between the Greenwood forest and the caverns of the Rockheaven mountain. A wide road had been carved through the immense forest to facilitate the transport of ores to the blacksmiths, where they were forged into steel bars and then shipped to the capital or other regions of the United Kingdoms.

The heart of the town was transformed into a sprawling market, with various streets dedicated to different types of goods. Among these streets was Old Charlie's bakery, renowned throughout the town for its long lineage of skilled bakers. It was a vibrant morning, as mornings always were in Hillford, especially for those toiling in the town's most famous bakery.

A chef with a magnificent white mustache and a towering chef's hat strode into the bakery, his voice mixed with irritation "Where the hell is Order 42?"

"Chef, we've yet to complete Order 39. They've requested 80 loaves of Sesame Seed White bread, and..."

"To hell with that! Prioritize Order 42 immediately. It's a direct request from the mayor's mansion, and the last thing I need is some haughty butler trying to play the charmer with the governor , spinning tales about us. You've got ten minutes—prepare three Sesame Seed extra vegetable bread rings and six additional sunflower long flatbreads!" the Chef thundered. "And where the hell is Noah?"

"Here, Chef!" came a reply from a skinny kid as he poured water into a large container filled with flour.

"Leave the dough be. Head out and purchase some sunflower seeds. Visit Ellie, inform her that the last batch has been depleted, and stress that we need the sunflower seeds by evening, not next Wednesday. Off you go, now!"

"Yes, Chef," Noah answered obediently, dashing out of the bakery through the rear exit.

As he hurried along, Noah couldn't help but reflect, "It's been half a year already. Old Charlie really ought to consider hiring messengers of his own. The 'You're the first official messenger of the best bakery in town' routine is losing its charm."

Noah soon arrived at the Herbal Shop, opening the door and being greeted by an overpowering scent of herbs and potions.

"They really should do something about the smell," he mused internally, then spotted a lovely young girl welcoming him with a friendly smile. "Hi, Noah. How's the personal messenger of Old Charlie holding up?"

"Not funny" the boy retorted, his tone businesslike. "And as I've mentioned before, this is strictly business."

Ellie persisted, teasing, "Sure, sure. Just like the last time he sent you here for a potion to cure his insomnia or when he caught a cold."

"That was an exception!" Noah said. "Okey , forget that. Let's get to business. We need a delivery of sunflower seed bags by evening. We've depleted the last batch."

"Ah, I believe we had a deal, right? A whole bag every Wednesday? It think that would be tomorrow? "

"I know but we finished the last one. Please, just get it done, okay?"

"Alright, alright," she conceded. "But seriously, it's been six months already. How are you holding up?"

"It's certainly better than the orphanage, and the pay isn't half bad either. I can even afford some new clothes now and then, and they provide lunch, even breakfast for the morning shift. Not bad."

"That's a decent start in life, especially for someone without parents."

"Indeed. It's challenging, but the priests took good care of us, especially Mother Jullia."

A gentle chime echoed through the shop as a customer entered. Ellie turned her attention to the newcomer and assured the boy, "I'll have them delivered by evening."

"Thank you, Ellie," Noah acknowledged with a nod before exiting the shop. "I have some time before the old man starts shouting. Mother Jullia mentioned she had something to discuss with me, so I should visit her if I have the chance."

Noah went to visit the church, situated in the western district of Hillford town. As he approached, an imposing structure with a gleaming white tower came into view, every inch of it painted in pristine white. Batches of paladins patrolled the vicinity, and a couple of priests could be seen in the yard. Noah nodded a greeting to the unfamiliar paladins. "These guys seem new. Could they have started replacing the old batch already?" he pondered.

Upon entering the church's main hall, he concluded that he should find Mother Jullia in her office, which was located in the third corridor to the left. Climbing the stairs, he reached her door and knocked twice. "Mother Jullia, are you there?"

"You can come in, Noah," a gentle female voice replied.

Noah pushed open the door, revealing an office that was sparsely furnished, adorned only with a bookshelf, a table, a couple of chairs, and above all, a depiction of the nine-angled star, symbolizing the church.

"Hey, Jullia. How are things in the church? It seems quieter than usual," Noah remarked as he took a seat, making himself comfortable, as if he were in his own home.

Jullia sighed and began, "Yes, about that... There's something I need to discuss with you, something you might not take well."

Noah raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but then his expression softened, and he smiled. "Alright, look, what's the worst that could happen? Over these past few months, I've been doing well, earning decent money. I think I can handle whatever news you've got. So, go ahead."

"Okay, so you understand how the orphanage works, right? We receive funds from headquarters to operate it, providing shelter, food, and care for the children," Jullia explained.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. I also know that it's specific—like if we come across more orphans, we usually send them to other towns for shelter," Noah replied.

"Exactly. Because we don't have the financial means to house more children here. This is just a small town, fortunate enough to be near an iron mine," she continued.

"So, are you saying we're running out of money or something?" Noah asked, growing more curious.

Jullia sighed again. "Alright, let me continue. You're also aware that the demon kings invade our realm approximately every century, and we're now approaching the 90th year since the death of the last demon king."

"Yes, I know all of that," Noah affirmed.

She paused for a moment before revealing, "There's a new directive from headquarters—something they do every century. They're cutting off the yearly funding for the orphanage and instructing us to send the children to the eastern part of the Golden Empire."

"What? The Golden Empire? How in the... Why would they do that?" Noah exclaimed in surprise.

"You see, about 60 percent of the paladins serving the church were once orphans raised in our care. They highly value the children and they want to send them somewhere more secure, but that's not the main issue," Jullia clarified.

"What do you mean?" Noah inquired, perplexed.

"If it were just that, we could endure it for 15 to 20 years, until they decided to reopen the orphanage. But the real problem is that they've decided having an orphanage here is no longer worth it," Jullia explained.

"Oh, dear God," Noah muttered, a sense of dread washing over him.

"We're being forced to close the orphanage entirely and send the children to the Empire. We received this order directly from headquarters last week. We've already spoken with the governor, and the church itself will remain, but the orphanage attached to it will be transformed into a governmental department, specifically a new guards' barracks. We've already signed the contract to..."

Noah's thoughts raced. "The only place I ever considered a home is being sold off," he lamented silently. Memories of his first horseback ride with one of the paladins, his initial taste of meat while sharing lunch with them during their cleaning duties, and the times he spent playing with the other children in the backyard all flashed before him, threatened to be obliterated by the impersonal decree of some faceless authority.

"Are you even listening?" Jullia asked.

"Why would they do this? What do you mean 'not worth it'?" Noah questioned, still grappling with the news.

"Let's put it this way: 60 percent of the paladins we produce end up serving in the church. However, there are hundreds of other orphanages across various countries providing them with priests and paladins, while the church provides them with an annual money. Having an official church-affiliated orphanage in such a small rural town is a rarity" Jullia elucidated.

"We have an iron mine nearby! This town isn't exactly what I'd call 'rural'," Noah retorted.

"And so do hundreds of other towns, not to mention it's a lower-tier mine. If it were to produce black iron, it might have been a different story," Jullia explained.

"So, that's it then?" Noah asked, struggling to accept the reality.

"Unless you can provide us with a sum of at least 2,000 gold coins annually, then yes, that's it," Jullia confirmed.

"For heaven's sake! It would take me centuries to get that kind of money!" Noah protested.

"That's precisely why you should accept this situation and move forward," Jullia advised.

"Oh, dear God..." Noah said, his mind whirling. As he walked around the room with his hands on his face, a sense of loss and helplessness overwhelmed him. "Everything was perfect. I had a job, a small place to stay, and now... It's like a part of me is being ripped away."

Jullia attempted to comfort him. "It's just a building, and it's not as if they're harming the children. It's merely a change in location."

"That building was my home for 15 years. I grew up there. It's essentially my home," Noah responded, his voice filled with emotion.

"You're acting quite childishly," Jullia chided, but her tone softened as she added, "Oh, I forgot, you are a child."

"I'm not a child, and I certainly don't behave like one. I'll definitely do something about this. Who knows? Maybe I can raise the money," Noah declared defiantly.

"An adult wouldn't have said that , it’s not a big deal to.." Jullia was interrupted as Noah closed the door behind him. He felt a weight on his shoulders, his mind still grappling with the sudden news.

Noah couldn't help but close his eyes briefly and take a deep breath. Memories of his childhood flooded back as he walked down the stairs. The entire place was a constant reminder of the years he had spent growing up within its walls, fond memories of playing with the other children..

"Everything was perfect. I had a job, a small place to stay, and then this happens," Noah whispered to himself as he returned to the workshop.

'I've prepared the olive breads. Tell Loren to fire up the oven a bit earlier. I had to add extra water to the mixture,' Noah instructed as he made his way to the washing room. After washing his hands and changing into a brown shirt with simple long pants, he entered the shop through the backdoor, connecting it to the workshop.

"One simple white bread, Felisha," he said to the worker behind the counter.

"Got that. Which one do you want, Mrs. Sherry?" replied Felisha as she wrote down the order and answered one of the customers

Noah grabbed a white bread from the trays behind the counter, using one of the privileges of working in the bakery : free bread for daily use.

He walked through the streets until he reached a small building named 'The Blue Flagon,' a local inn. Using his keys, he entered the establishment. The owner, Mr. Ling, was a friend of the local church, so they referred orphans with jobs to him, allowing them to rent rooms at discounted rates.

"Hey, Eric!" greeted Noah to the middle-aged bartender.

"Hey, Noah. Anything happened recently?" Eric inquired as he wiped down a table.

"Nah, it's fine. Just a bit tired. See you later," Noah replied.

"Alright."

Noah headed upstairs, opened door 303, and entered his room. As he closed the door behind him, he muttered, "Need a shower." Changing his clothes, he entered the bathroom and opened the barrel. He retrieved the rune tablet he had brought with him, tossing it into the barrel before saying the word "Alesto." The runic shapes on the tablet came to life, levitating in the air. Simultaneously, water from the barrel began to rise, expanding until it neared the ceiling, forming a square of water. Droplets of water descended, creating a makeshift shower. The droplets didn't hit the ground but instead flowed back into the barrel, rejoining the water within.

"Higher tiers have the option to change the temperature and even cleanse the water with fire runes inscribed in the tablet. But they're really expensive, like I'm going to spend two years' worth of salary on them. Damn enchanters. This isn't bad; changing the water every day is much cheaper," he thought as he finished his shower. After changing into fresh clothes, he collapsed onto the bed, sighing with relief. "God, I missed you," he murmured to himself as he tried to clear his mind of his problems.

'Is there no way? I have no idea how to gather that amount of money. How is it even possible? I mean, 500 kids, three meals per day, clothes, the maintenance of the building itself... Let's say 1,600 meals per day with priests, paladins, and others. Each meal costs half a silver coin, or 5 copper coins, which adds up to 800 silver coins per day, or 8 golden coins per day! Damn! Each year, 360 days, more than 2,500 golden coins! Fuck! She said 2,000 gold coins per year... does it really matter? That amount of money! I'd have to work for centuries... They're definitely going to close the orphanage. I'm helpless.'

'Okay, forget that. I'll get some sleep now, and in the morning, I'll go to the forest to chill a bit, return by noon, take a shower, and go to work during the afternoon shift.'

Years later, he would laugh at how regrettable it was to have stepped into the forest on that fateful day. Of course, he knew that if he hadn't gone to 'It,' 'It' would have come to him.