Chapter 6: Growing Up

It was the dawn of morning and tbe sun had just started to rise. Lain was helping Petra put her stuff on a hand wagon that belonged to orphanage.

"Is this everything that you will be bringing?"

"Yes Lain, that is all. Thank you for loading them."

"It's fine. Just wait until I actually help you carry these to the village before thanking me, this much is something anyone could do. Plus, they are not heavy to mea anyway."

"But do you two really have to leave so soon?"

"Lady Achlys, it is best to leave early. Merchants arrive before noon, and we don't want Petra to miss her ride."

"It will be fine Ladh Achlys, please don't worry about me. I am already sixteen years old, and am considered an adult in many places."

"That's true but... don't you want to say goodbye to Mira and Betty?"

"... I already did yesterday, I don't know if I can bring myself to leave if I see them crying."

"Hahaha, Betty might cry indeed, but I don't think Mira would be crying. The only time I saw him cry was when he was still a baby and needed his diaper changed."

"... are you talking about me brother?"

A voice came from inside the orphanage, and a small figure walked out of the open door to the place Achlys and the rest were standing on.

"Oh! You were awake, Mira?"

"Yes, I seemed to hear someone call my name. It's not nice to talk behind people you know."

"Jeez, how not cute. You really should learn how to act like a kid from Betty."

"... anyways, do you have everything ready, sister?"

"Yeah. I have my clothes, shoes, sewing kit, and my let- wait, where is my letter?"

"That is what I was talking about. Here, you had dropped it on a chair instead.

Mira handed a letter he was hiding behind him to Petra. This letter was the letter of recommendation from the clothes store Petra was invited to.

"Ah- thank you Mira. I got so nervous, how could I even get to the tailor shop without this?"

"Sister needs to be more relaxed. It is easier to make mistakes when you are anxious, so please don't worry about anything."

"Haha, it's funny hearing this from a three year old. Does reading all those books actually made him want to act like an old man?"

"Brother Lain..."

"Well, Petra and I need to head out for the village now. It will take at least close to an hour to get there."

"Yes, I also need to say my goodbyes to some others in the village too. Lady Ven has taken care of me when I was learning how sew, so I would like to see her before leaving as well."

"Lady Ven?"

"Oh, you have never met her did you? She is an old lady who lives in the village. She was also there during your birth too, though you wouldn't remember it."

'Oh, that old half-elf lady? I remember that she was the one who cleaned me after my birth. But I seemed to have fallen asleep nto long after, and haven't seen her since.'

"Hmm... she was the one who taught sister Petra how to make clothes?"

"Yes, she also taught me many other things... Lady Achlys said she used to be a member of the orphanage in the past too."

"Ven used to be such a cutie in the past... Time passes way too quickly and all of you have grown up. I still remember the days all of you needed to be put to sleep with a lullaby..."

"Lady Achlys, you are embarrassing me..."

"You were always the one to resist going to the sleep, Lain. It took ages to make you fall asleep."

"Augh- come on Petra, let's leave already."

Embarrassed by Achlys exposing his shameful past, Lain started to pull the wagon with a red face. Petra to followed him, but before leaving, she turned back gave a deep bow.

"Lady Achlys, thank you for everything. I couldn't have been more fortunate, being raised by you. Thank you. Thank you for being the mother I never had."

She followed after Lain with a face full of tears, trying her best not to loudly cry. Achlys too, wiped her eyes and looked like she was about to cry.

'So sister Petra has finally left, huh?'

"Mira!"

"Sister?"

"Take care of Lady Achlys and Betty. I know you are way too mature and smart for your own good, but please protect them."

"... I promise, sister. I will make sure to protect them while you are gone."

"Thank you..."

"Hey, I am still in this village you know? Plus, I am already a gu-"

"Let's go, Lain."

"Tch."

The two waved their hands back at Achlys and Mira, and finally started to head to the village. There wasn't a straight path, but since they had been there several times already, they were familiar with the road.

After Petra left, things didn't change too much in the orphanage. Betty did cry a lot for some time, but she stopped after learning that Petra would be happy where she is.

Since they were only three people, they didn't struggle with food or anything like that at all. Lain also brought some dry rations and bread once every two weeks, adding diversity to their table.

There hadn't been any other additions to the orphanage after Petra left, after all, it was pretty rare for a child to lose their parents or be abandoned in a small village without any monsters around.

Mira too had been growing up properly. On his own, he kept learning how to carve wood to make figures. He would give these figures to Lain when he returns home, and ask him to sell them to a merchant. It wasn't as if he had any particular goal to make money, he just wanted improve his hand-eye coordination and train his body.

So, two more years had passed since the departure of Petra, and Mira was now five years old.