The strange man attacked.

Firana jumped to the side and raised her sword. She moved so fast it was hard to follow with my eyes. The blades clashed with the sharp sound of iron against iron and, for a moment, I thought the man was going to overpower her. I was wrong. Firana disengaged just as the attacker weaved a diagonal slash into his attack.

“Good job, brat.” The man with the unkempt hair said and rested his sword on his shoulder.

They were sparring but the alarms inside my brain didn’t turn off.

The man was tall, with muscular arms and legs, and wide shoulders. His back was hunched and a round belly protruded from its jacket. From my position I couldn’t see his face but it wasn’t hard to tell he was a seasoned swordsman. A guardsmen maybe?

Elincia drew her bow.

At that moment, Firana looked past the shoulder of the man and let out a little scream of surprise. Immediately afterwards, the girl dropped her sword and zoomed through the yard towards us. I thought Firana was going to hug Elincia, but at the last moment she changed her course and crashed against my chest.

I stumbled back but managed to remain on my feet. Barely. Firana had never struck me as the emotional type but there she was, squeezing her face against my chest. I mindlessly patted the top of her head. My attention was still on the strange man.

His face looked familiar.

“Sir Janus?” Elincia suddenly asked.

The man bowed slightly.

I remembered seeing Sir Janus dueling a stiff noble during my only visit to the Marquis’ Great Hall. From the balcony, the knight looked shorter than what he really was.

“The Governess and the Scholar are finally back!” Janus greeted us with a beatific smile, as if he was waiting for us.

I really expected him to be more arrogant. Instead, if I dressed him in a red robe, he could pass as a genuine supermarket Santa but with darker hair.

“Go help your friends, Firana. I’ll put the swords away.” Janus said.

Firana squeezed me one last time and ran into the manor. My spine cracked. How was a fourteen year old girl so strong?

“Don’t worry, I made sure to sober myself before coming.” Janus added as soon as Firana disappeared through the doorway. Then he laughed.

I exchanged a confused glance with Elincia.

“What is the reason for your visit, Sir Janus?” Elincia politely asked. As confused as she was, she didn’t seem worried about the man’s presence at the orphanage.

Janus was one of the most famous persons in Farcrest despite his humble origin. He had been the only non-nobleborn who had gotten into the Imperial Academy. I examined him for an instant. Considering his distasteful behavior during the duel, I never thought he was so affable in person.

“Last week, when I brought donations to the orphanage, the kids told me you two were on a trip. I’ve been coming to check if everything is under control.” Janus said with a guilty expression.

I didn’t need [Awareness] to know he was supposed to be in the fields working with the rest of the guardsmen.

Janus took a quick glance at our backpacks.

“Isn't it a bit too late in the season for herb gathering?” Janus changed the topic as he took a glance at our heavy backpacks.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one with great powers of observation.

“Something is better than anything. We wanted to restock our medicine cabinet in case the kids fell ill during winter.” I quickly replied before Elincia could open her mouth.

Even if Janus was a commoner like us, he had strong ties with royalty. Keeping our potion operation a secret was paramount for its success. Luckily, Elincia was known for being a low level alchemist for the Guild, and, as such, not a hazard for their monopoly over the potion market.

“I see. I have heard that half orcs get sick a lot during puberty.” Janus pointed out.

“Thanks for looking over the children, Sir Janus. Even if there are two of us, hands are always in short supply.” Elincia said with a respectful bow.

Janus bowed his head back.

“I have been sparring with the older ones, Governess. I see great potential in them so keep polishing their skills. Firana in particular, she has talent.” Janus said with a crooked smile as he massaged his lower back. “Well, enough pleasantries, I should be overseeing the city defenses. Good day Governess, good day Scholar.”

Could it be that Janus had a soft spot for children?

“Good day, Sir Janus, and thanks once again.” Elincia bowed her head as Janus walked towards the front yard.

My heart rate had slowed down. Even if Janus had ties with nobility, he didn’t seem to have a hidden agenda. I missed [Awareness] whispering useful insight to my ear. Moreso, Janus might be the ally the orphanage needed.

“Sir Janus!” I called him as he reached the corner of the manor. “Can I have a word with you?”

I decided the risk was worth it.

The man gave me a curious look.

“It’s about the entrance exam for the Imperial Academy.” I tested the waters but Janus kept his impassive expression. “Firana is a talented swordsman from the Aias family, and I think she has what it takes to assist the Imperial Academy. I think Firana will have better chances if she knows what the exam is about.”

For an instant none of us moved. Then, Janus undid his steps and approached me. Instead of saying anything, the man opened his mouth. There was a white sigil on the back of his tongue and I noticed strong magic currents flowing within it.

“A curse?” Elincia asked.

“An oath.” Sir Janus replied. “To keep the secrets of the kingdom safe, cadets and graduates take an oath to keep the methods of the Imperial Academy a secret. If I reveal the methods of selection, I’ll probably be branded as a traitor by King Ebros.”

I nodded and thanked him once again.

Janus waved his hand and disappeared behind the manor.

“It seems we are still blind regarding the exam.” Elincia pointed out when the man left.

There was something that bothered me. Even if graduates from the Imperial Academy couldn’t talk about the entrance exams, they could put that knowledge to work by training their students accordingly. Nobles who could pay for an Imperial Academy Knight to teach their sons and daughters had a massive advantage over the rest of the people

Even if the Class system worked over the pretense of merit, this world wasn’t completely fair either.

“I say we convince Sir Janus to impart complementary classes. He’s a lowborn like us, I think he might agree to do it. We can even pay him with high grade potions.” Elincia said with a cheerful voice.

I wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t trust someone with ties to the nobility to peek into the daily affairs of the orphanage.” I replied.

Elincia raised an eyebrow. As much as I understood her point, going under the radar until the Tax Season might be the safest option for us.

“You are being paranoid. Sir Janus is well known for his relationship with the common folk. Nobles don’t like him either.” Elincia said.

“Maybe I don’t want any strange men prowling near you.” I said on a whim.

Then the realization hit me, without wanting I had spoken my heart out. Then I received a second hit. Elincia jabbed at my shoulder. She was flush to the roots of her hair.

“Don’t say such outrageous stuff, the orphans might hear you and they’ll jump to conclusions.” Elincia mumbled.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“It seems the bully doesn’t like to be bullied.” I grinned back.

“I wasn’t a bully. I just taught them not to mess with me.” Elincia replied. “Silly.”

You have obtained ‘It’s good to be back at home’ Lv.1. Temporary. Slightly improves mana regeneration.

My mood had suddenly improved. Being back at the orphanage felt great. No more monsters, no evil magicians, no sleeping under the open sky. Just us and our humble orphanage. Even the Corruption seemed a distant problem for Future Rob. I was dying to see the rest of the kids.

“Shall we sneak up on them?” Elincia asked with her trademark mischievous smile.

I nodded and we entered the manor, hoping Firana hadn’t alerted them about our arrival.

* * *

We glanced at the kids from the slit of the door.

The orphans were congregating in the kitchen, sitting around the two long tables with Firana standing on a chair at the head of the table. A pleasant smell of vegetables and spices filled the kitchen. The chestnut-haired girl seemed to be performing some sort of act.

“What the hell?” I muttered but Elincia shushed me.

I focused on the spectacle.

“We have very little time before the grownups return, so we have to resolve this quickly.” Firana announced moving an evergreen branch as a sort of scepter.

“How do you know the grownups are coming?” Ash asked, scowling at Firana.

“Shut it, Ash, I just know.”

All eyes were fixed on Firana except for Ilya who was manning the stove.

“We have to settle what has kept us awake all week long. I know some of you have strong opinions, myself included, so this is the last opportunity to voice them all. We are here to decide who is more enamored, Miss Elincia or Mister Clarke.” Firana declared, prompting a round of applause from her public.

Not setting lookouts to alert them of our arrival had been a rookie mistake on Firana’s part.

Zaon stood up.

“I don’t think it’s okay for us to discuss this kind of thing.” The elven kid objected with a serious voice. However, he was promptly silenced by the hostile yelling of the rest of the orphans.

I silently thanked Zaon for his consideration, but the mob was stronger than a single voice. By my side, Elincia seemed to be enjoying the show.

“Those who believe Mister Clarke is more enamored than Miss Elincia, raise their hands.” Firana said.

About half of the orphans raised their hands including Nokti, Shu, and, surprisingly, Ilya.

“You are all full of crap, Mister Clarke is just a kind person.” Wolf’s deep voice broke the silence. I had more allies than expected.

“Shut yer green trap, you’ll have your turn.” Firana pointed her evergreen scepter directly at the half-orc’s chest.

Was that scepter her source of power over the rest of the orphans?

Wolf raised his arms in defeat.

“Shu, why do you think Mister Clarke is more enamored than Miss Elincia?” Firana pointed her evergreen branch at the harpy girl.

“When Mister Clarke goes to the kitchen, he always stands on the doorway watching Miss Elincia cook. He can stay there for minutes without moving, just smiling.” Shu said, prompting a small round of applause.

Then she sat down again and Virdian jumped up.

“When the big kids are training in the yard, Miss Elincia always looks out of the window when Mister Clarke rolls up his sleeves and she…” Viridian said with his croaking voice but was promptly interrupted by Elincia, who stormed into the kitchen.

“Can anybody explain what’s happening here?” Elincia said, putting her hands on her hips and sternly frowning.

The first reaction of the kids was to flee from the scene, but Elincia was blocking the only way out. Only after a moment did they realize we were back from our trip and rushed towards us. Soon enough I had two lizardfolk in my arms. Most of them were swarming Elincia but it was nice to know I was the priority greeting for a few of them.

“Did you find the Great Potato?” Nokti asked instantly.

I was starting to see why she had rushed to greet me instead of Elincia.

“There were no potatoes in the Farlands. In fact, there’s nothing interesting in the Farlands and you should never go there.” I said, hoping that was enough to quench any interest the kids had for exploring.

Nokti and Virdian looked at me with devastated expressions.

“I found something better, though.” I added, reaching for my pocket.

Inside, Loki was dozing off. Since the fight against the Lich, the Changeling had been sleeping most of the time, maybe exhausted from the fight. I felt bad for waking it up. I could totally use a nap too.

“Better than the Great Potato? I don't think so.” Nokti croaked.

“Great Potato!” Loki’s little voice came out muffled from inside my pocket.

Instantly the orphan’s attention fell onto me. Even Elincia, who was being swarmed by little kids telling her a dozen stories at the same time, turned her face to me. I was completely sure I was going to get scolded later.

“Great Potato!” Loki parroted.

It was too late to keep it a secret.

Begrudgingly, I introduced my hand through the jacket’s neck hole and grabbed Loki by the scruff of the neck and deposited him on the kitchen’s table.

“Loki, these are the kids. You should look after them if you want to remain at the orphanage.” I introduced the Changeling. “Kids, this is Loki.”

Loki rubbed its eyes first. Then, realizing there was an expectant audience, Loki struck a pose. The orphans were delighted with the creature and several small hands shot forward to grab it.

Loki transformed into a small bird and flew through the forest of hands, then, still mid air, it transformed again into my mother’s Bernese Mountain Dog. The orphans squealed with joy as Loki zoomed between Elincia's legs and ran out of the kitchen.

The kids didn’t take long to follow Loki. Viridian even slid through Elincia’s legs just like the Changeling before. A moment later we were left alone with the older kids and Shu, who was still struggling to get off the chair.

Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf didn't swarm us like the little kids, so it was Elincia who hugged them one by one. Wolf seemed particularly uncomfortable with Elincia’s show of affection, unlike Zaon and Ilya who gladly reciprocated the hug. Unlike them, Wolf had arrived at the orphanage when he was already a grown up kid.

Firana also hugged Elincia, but that wasn’t surprising considering how effusive she had been with me.

I greeted them with the distant respect of a teacher.

Ilya was the first to speak.

“How was the trip into the Farlands, Miss Elincia?”

We didn’t agree upon what we were going to tell the orphans. I wondered if we should tell Wolf about our encounter with the orcs. Dassyra didn’t give me any particular message for his son either.

“Easy as a walk in the park.” Elincia said with a carefree voice. Then, she left her backpack by the side and sat at the table near the heat of the oven.

“We gathered a lot of useful herbs.” I joined the conversation, sitting in front of Elincia. I decided to go with the flow as I doubted Elincia wanted to disclose the fact we were at the verge of dying more than once.

Firana promptly jumped on the seat beside me. Zaon and Wolf also joined.

“Did you fight any powerful monsters? Sir Janus told me there were signs of a Monster Surge.” The girl asked.

“A couple rogue monsters reached the farmlands and a strange mist encroached the city. We were worried.” Ilya added from the stove.

I gave Elincia a furtive glance.

“We only found a couple Slimes.” Elincia shrugged her shoulders. “We saw a couple Rok Harpies and a Stone Golem but they were far into the mountains. We also heard Black Wolves but we didn’t catch a glimpse of them.”

“Bummer.” Firana sighed.

“I’m glad you didn’t find any dangerous monsters.” Zaon said with a smile, but his smile promptly disappeared. “I’m not trying to say you couldn't deal with powerful monsters. Miss Elincia and Mister Clarke are very strong.”

Despite his general awkwardness, I could tell Zaon’s voice sounded more confident than before. I examined my class. It has only been a little more than two weeks since the last time I saw them, but it looked like they had grown in our absence. It wasn’t only their appearance, their demeanor was also more mature in a sense. Maybe giving them more responsibilities had helped them grow.

“Are you okay, Mr. Clarke?” Zaon asked.

I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled.

“Have you grown some muscle, Zaon?” I replied with a question of my own.

“He sneaks in the afternoons to lift rocks behind the shed. Then he sneaks into the ballroom to flex his arms in front of the mirrors.” Firana said with a mischievous smile.

“No I don’t! I’m just growing. Like Wolf.” Zaon replied all flustered.

My eyes fell on Wolf. Since my arrival to the orphanage, his muscles had become more defined and his body had lost the lankiness of adolescence. To survive the dangers of the Farlands, orcs developed faster than humans. I wondered if Wolf had inherited the strength of her mother or if he was more like his father.

“Enough talking about Zaon’s non-existent muscles, lunch is ready.” Ilya interrupted us.

I helped Ilya to reach the upper cabinet for the wooden bowls. Meanwhile, Elincia looked through the window. Outside, Loki was playing with the kids.

“Let them play. They can eat afterwards.” I said, happy to see Loki had been so well received.

Despite Elincia’s complaints, I convinced her to remain seated and helped Ilya to serve six bowls of steaming soup. My stomach growled with anticipation as I sat in front of my bowl and I dug in. The soup was excellent. It tasted like carrots and squash, with a little taste of barley and potato.

“So, did you manage to train while I was away?” I asked, adopting my best teacher’s voice. I couldn’t blame them if they had prioritized taking care of the orphanage over training, but I wanted to know. Two weeks were enough to dull the strongest muscles.

Firana replied with the second smuggest grin I had seen in my life. The first place was still in Elincia’s hands.

“[Fencing] Lv.2 and [Longsword Mastery] Lv.2. Sir Janus told me I should get [Swordsmanship] by the end of the year if I continue at this pace.” Firana said, full of herself.

“[Longsword Mastery] Lv.2. I also have become a lot stronger.” Zaon said quickly after.

“[Longsword Mastery] Lv.1.” Wolf shrugged his shoulders and focused on the bowl of soup.

Then my eyes fell on Ilya. The girl mindlessly played with a lone potato cube in her bowl and I wondered if it had been a mistake to ask them about their progress. Even after our departure, the girl wasn’t even close to reaching Zaon’s level when he achieved his first level of [Longsword Mastery].

“Ilya?” I asked.

“[Mana Manipulation].” She said with a grin smug enough to temporarily displace Elincia from the podium of smug smiles. Then, the gnome girl cupped her hands and a small blue mana flame appeared out of nowhere.

Elincia jumped from her seat.

Considering the kid’s faces, they weren’t aware of Ilya’s skill either.

A wide smile was drawn on my face.

“Don’t get cocky, I’ll also get [Longsword Mastery] any day now.” Ilya said with a proud smile.

My chest warmed and it wasn’t because of the soup. With the kid’s motivation on an unexpected high and the backpacks full of herbs, the orphanage’s future didn’t look so bleak anymore.